A continuación, les presentamos un proyecto que está llevando a cabo la empresa TerraCycle. Siempre con el objetivo de buscar alternativas constructivas con respecto a la recolección y reutilización de residuos, TerraCycle encabeza un plan que requiere una mínima participación de la gente que automáticamente se convierte en participantes del programa. TerraCycle es una empresa con la misión de eliminar la idea de la basura. A través de Programas Nacionales de Recolección, a los que también llaman Brigadas, recolectan desechos difíciles de reciclar o que habitualmente no se reciclan y con ellos fabrican nuevos productos creativos y amigables con el medio ambiente. La idea es encontrar una solución para cada desecho. Así, puede haber una Brigada de sobres de bebidas en polvo, una Brigada de envoltorios de galletitas, o una Brigada de cuidado bucal. Cada Brigada es patrocinada por una marca socia. En este momento, TerraCycle Argentina tiene una Brigada de Recolección de sobres de bebidas en polvo, auspiciada por Tang de Kraft Foods. ¿Pero cómo se recolectan los desechos? Es muy fácil. Son los propios consumidores los que se convierten en participantes de los Programas y envían sus desechos. Solo hay que registrar su Equipo de Recolección (puede ser una familia, un grupo de amigos, una escuela, una oficina, una ONG, etc.) en la página web TerraCycle: www.terracycle.com.ar. Comienzan a recolectar los desechos y cuando tienen una cantidad suficiente, TerraCycle coordina el retiro de forma que los participantes puedan enviar sus materiales totalmente fácil y gratis. Además, TerraCycle realiza una donación de diez centavos por unidad de basura recolectada a la organización sin fines de lucro o escuela que el Equipo participante elija como beneficiaria. TerraCycle ya está en más de 15 países del mundo. En Argentina, los números hablan por sí mismos. En solo ocho meses, hay más de 900 Equipos recolectando sobrecitos en todo el país y más de 250.000 unidades de basura recolectadas. Ayudemos a TerraCycle a seguir incrementando estos valores y a que cada vez seamos más los involucrados en proyectos de recolección de basura que generan grandes cambios y beneficios en nuestra sociedad.

Tang y Terracycle anunciaron el concurso Ecocaja que busca incentivar la recolección de muchos productos, que actualmente no se reciclan.

Tom Szaky Terracycle At a Glance * Age: 29 * Headquarters: Trenton, N.J. * 2010 revenues: $13 million * www.terracycle.net Profile When Tom Szaky was a freshman at Princeton he hit upon the idea of using worm poop as an organic fertilizer. He borrowed money from family and friends and spent all his savings on a $20,000 "worm gin"—which can hold hundreds of thousands of the invertebrates—and dropped out of college. With a $2,000 angel investment from venture capitalist Suman Sinha, Szaky started packaging the fertilizer in used soda bottles and selling it out of his car to local gardening centers. In 2004 he convinced a buyer for Home Depot to take a flier on his fertilizer, which is also now available in Target and Wal-Mart. In addition to the ­fertilizer, Terracycle collects trash and turns it into bright, fun products, like messenger bags made out of used Capri Sun packages and trippy "urban art trash cans." The company donates 2 cents to charity for each waste item it ­recycles, raising $3.2 million so far.

Mark Fritzler, 8th grade, left, and Zack Parman, 7th grade, right, count the recycled Capri Sun juice concentrate drink during her lunch hour at St. Elizabeth School in Reese. Students are encouraged to recycle their Capri Sun drink containers after use for a school recycling program. REESE — Just by eating lunch, students at St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School are fundraising for their school. The students separate their Capri Sun pouches from the rest of their waste and send the popular juice boxes to TerraCycle, who in return give the school $0.02 for every juice pouch recycled. St. Elizabeth is among 40,000 organizations participating in the TerraCycle program. After two weeks of lunches, St. Elizabeth collected about 270 juice pouches, said Gabriela Marguery, school principal. They have participated in the program for eighteen months. While the $5.40 collected does not seem like much raised over two weeks, Marguery said, but the amount adds up. “With $5, there’s something we can do,” she said. “It helps pay for a field trip. The important thing for them is you’re recycling and helping the school.” The school has even incorporated recycling into their curriculum, with a “Take Care of God’s Creation” unit. Luke Holtz, son of Nicki and Todd Holtz of Reese said he brings a juice pouch nearly every day for the school’s fundraiser. “(Recycling) is fun, you can help pick up at your house,” he said. Alyssa Brow, the daughter of Todd and Cheryl Brow of Buena Vista Township said she recycles her juice pouches at school, and her food and canned goods at home “so it doesn’t make the world dirty.” The recycling program at St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School doubles as a fundraiser. The students separate their Capri Sun juice pouches from the rest of their refuse and each pouch generates 2 cents for the school. The day this was filmed, the school earned $5.40 from the 270 pouches over a two-week period. Zack Parman, son of Kathy and Stan Parman of Bridgeport Township, a 7th grader at the school helps count the recycled packages every two weeks. He said he doesn’t mind helping out because fundraising ultimately helps the school, paying for field trips, balls and lighting in the gymnasium. “We partner with these companies, these brands, to provide a solution for their packaging at the end of its life,” said Lauren Taylor, director, U.S. public relations for TerraCycle. The company partners with many companies like Kraft Foods, Frito Lay, Revolution Foods, Bare Naked, Colgate, Elmers and Logitech. They recycle and “upcycle” the discarded packaging. Recycling turns the product into something new and unrecognizable from its original form, but upcycling creates something recognizable from a product’s original form, like a Capri Sun purse or pencil case, or a backpack made out of chip bags. “We have a lot of schools that participate, but anyone can get involved,” Taylor said. “Offices, community groups, anybody can get involved to make a difference.”

In the famous story Rumpelstiltskin, the king's daughter spun straw into gold. Today, the TerraCycle company helps schools turn trash into treasure! TerraCycle was founded in 2006, and their goal is to divert trash from landfills, and turn it into new products. They also donate money to schools who participate. In Littleton Public Schools, Carl Sandburg Elementary turns trash into treasure every day. Principal Marj McDonald is doing wonders to save the earth and raise money for the school. "We are going to buy awesome new playground equipment to give our students more options for staying active and healthy," she explained. Since spring of 2008, Sandburg has been collecting items that include juice pouches, candy wrappers, oral care items, yogurt cups, chip bags, energy bar wrappers, and much more! TerraCycle donates $.02 for each item received. "Our big TerraCycle goal is to raise $20,000 for new playground equipment. Due to great efforts by students, parents, and staff last year, we are over halfway there. My hope is that we can reach the $20,000 mark by May 2012."

Are you looking for a great earth-friendly gift for your friends and family? Well a backpack made out of juice pouches, or a wallet made out of candy wrappers would be perfect for this holiday season. Lucky for you, TerraCycle makes those kind of products. TerraCycle is a company that diverts trash from landfills and creates new products out of it. Terra means earth, so TerraCycle is earth-cycling. TerraCyclewas founded in 2006 by Tom Szaky, 29. It all started in college when Tom and his friends started feeding the leftovers from their cafeteria to worms, and selling liquid worm poop in used bottles at hardware stores. Since then, they have grown to become "one of the fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world." In only three years, more than 20 million people are helping to collect trash in more than 70 thousand worldwide locations. In 2006, Inc. Magazine named TerraCycle "The Coolest Little Start-Up in America!"

The game is part of Sojo Studio’s mission to effect positive change in the real world using gaming, according to the statement released. The idea of using gaming for positive change isn't a new one. Zynga has donated millions of dollars through Zynga.org, and Trash Tycoon allows users to exchange points they earn in the game to impact real-world green initiatives, and by performing tasks in the real world, to earn points in the game.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers? I’m fascinated by waste. TerraCycle is one of those innovative companies that has figured out a way to reuse waste and turn it into a profitable business by changing the way people think about and handle their trash. ecopop spent months trying to figure out how to make products out of shredded office paper. An industrial designer and I played around with various eco-epoxies and pulp molds to make everything from paperweights and bookends to garden gnomes and decorative plates. We ended up pulling the plug after our 90-day proof of concept phase, but I still think there’s a viable business idea there for anyone who wants to develop this idea or invent products made from waste.

Erstmals ermöglicht ein freiwilliges Sammelprogramm das Recyceln von leeren Schreibgeräten und Korrekturmitteln in der Schweiz. Mit dem von BIC gesponserten Programm können alle Schreibgeräte und Korrekturmittel von BIC oder anderen Marken zu neuen nützlichen Produkten wie Giesskannen oder Stiftehalter recycelt werden. Damit werden Schreibgeräte von Müllverbrennungsanlagen und Mülldeponien ferngehalten und ersetzen den Bedarf an Neukunststoff zur Produktherstellung.