The clutter drew the attention of a speaker, Albe Zakes, vice president for media relations at TerraCycle, a company that seeks useful purposes for waste that cannot be recycled.

In addition to "upcycling," or directly reusing materials to create new ones, TerraCycle also grinds and reprocesses items like pens and glue bottles into plastic lumber, trash cans, watering cans and planting pots. "Take a walk around your local supermarket," suggests Albe Zakes, director of publicity for TerraCycle. "A vast majority of the consumer packaging that you're going to find is non-recyclable." He starts to list products: candy wrappers, chip bags, drink pouches, pens, glue bottles, tape dispensers ... And it becomes obvious that this guy has thought a lot about trash.

The keys to the rooms at the conference hotel bore ads for the AMC cable channel. And ad fliers were regularly slipped under hotel room doors to promote drawings for iPads, iPad2s and even a trip to a French chateau. The clutter drew the attention of a speaker, Albe Zakes, vice president for media relations at TerraCycle, a company that seeks useful purposes for waste that cannot be recycled. “What is garbage?” Mr. Zakes asked rhetorically. “One answer is, all the cards that have been slipped under your hotel doors this week.”

Tom Szaky, founder of the pioneering recycling firm Terracycle, said he had felt similarly compelled. In his sophomore year he was trying to develop a business based on fertilizer made of worm poop and his classes became too much, he said. People told him he was crazy to leave, but he wasn’t sure Princeton was helping him achieve his entrepreneurial goals.

However, if your heart is truly begging and pleading for you to own a mountain of candy, The Wilderness Society suggests buying candy in bulk and buying sweets that comes in cardboard packaging rather than plastic. This shockingly small change means the material has a chance of being recycled rather than simply thrown away. But if you must buy your favorite treat and all its sticky mess of plastic foil wrap, know that there is still at least one option for recycling. TerraCycle is a company that upcycles Twix, 3 Musketeer, Snickers, Starburst and a variety of other wrappers sent to it, uses the material to make backpacks, tote bags and even laptop sleeves.

Bic, n°1 mondial du stylo à bille, et Terracycle, entreprise pionnière en matière de collecte et de réutilisation de déchets non recyclables, lancent le premier programme de collecte volontaire et de recyclage de stylos usagés en France sur les lieux même de consommation ! Vous en êtes ?

In addition to "upcycling," or directly reusing materials to create new ones, TerraCycle also grinds and reprocesses items like pens and glue bottles into plastic lumber, trash cans, watering cans and planting pots. "Take a walk around your local supermarket," suggests Albe Zakes, director of publicity for TerraCycle. "A vast majority of the consumer packaging that you're going to find is non-recyclable." He starts to list products: candy wrappers, chip bags, drink pouches, pens, glue bottles, tape dispensers ... And it becomes obvious that this guy has thought a lot about trash. Which is not surprising, considering TerraCycle's entire business model is built on trash – and their offices are made from it. The 10-year-old company takes nonrecyclable materials – like the candy wrappers and chip bags – and turns them into new products like pencil cases and lunchboxes. TerraCycle founder Tom Szaky often says he doesn't ever see trash anymore; he just sees cash.

20% off Upcycled creations! Bags, totes, backpacks and more- TerraCycle turns trash into gift-giving treasures. Save 20% at TerraCycleShop.com with code WWMAG.

Phenix PreK-8 has expanded its recycling program as it works to raise $1,000 for butterfly gardens in two of its courtyards. The school recently joined the TerraCycle program, which converts empty juice pouches from brands including Capri Sun and Kool-Aid into new products such as bags. It is also collecting cans. Every pouch students turn in earns the school two cents, said Jessica Scott, a preschool teacher who is coordinating the effort. Phenix also started a "beautification fund" for cash donations toward the project.

A school in Flint, Mich., gathered tens of thousands of potato chip bags, juice boxes and other lunchtime trash, then sold it all to Terracycle, a company that turns the packaging into bags and placemats. The school made almost $500 dollars.