Old Navy and TerraCycle, an international company known for turning hard-to-recycle packaging into eco-friendly products, have partnered up and came up with a great nationwide program. The outcome of their collaboration is a month long drive to collect flip-flops and recycle them into playgrounds that will be donated to four communities around the country.

Shoppers at the Old Navy store in Davenport can participate in a nationwide recycling program by bringing in used flip-flops. From now through Saturday, used flip-flops may be placed in collection bins found in the store. TerraCycle, an international upcycling and recycling company, will recycle them into playground equipment, which will be donated to communities around the country. More information is available at www.terracycle.net.

Nothing says "summer" more than those ubiquitous, squishy rubber summer casual sandals. I haven't worn flip-flops in years, but I remember buying a new pair every season. Sometimes two, depending on how long they lasted. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a faithful Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch reader who forwarded a note about a flip-flop recycling program at Old Navy. I had no idea a person could recycle flip-flops, so I paid a visit to the Farmington Hills store, which is located in Hunters Square shopping center at 14 Mile and Orchard Lake Roads.

  The company is also conducting a consumer contest directed at classrooms with TerraCycle, which since 2009 has turned empty Malt-O-Meal bags into new products. The contest asked classrooms to show how they are helping the earth for a chance to win $2,500 for their school. The entry portion of the contest is now closed, but consumers can vote on the ideas through May 15 on Malt-O-Meal's Facebook page. TerraCycle and Malt-O-Meal also have an ongoing program called the Cereal Bag Brigade. Consumers can send in empty cereal bags. TerraCycle will convert the bags into innovative products, including tote bags and park benches. For each cereal bag shipment sent to TerraCycle, consumers awarded TerraCycle points, which can be redeemed for a payment of $0.02 per bag for their school.

  Kraft Foods' string cheeses -- branded Polly-O on the East Coast and Kraft elsewhere in the country -- are teaming with Six Flags Entertainment Corp. for a multi-platform "Twisted Fun" promotion this summer. The promotion also brings in a sustainability element, through a partnership with the TerraCycle, Inc. "upcycling" company.

Where other people see trash, Tom Szaky sees raw materials. An empty yogurt cup is a plant pot for a nursery. A juice pouch is fabric for a backpack. Disposable plastic cups? Park benches, naturally.

Com essa ampliação serão 1.200 brigadas da marca. Para participar, basta se cadastrar na Brigada Nestlé Chocolover, no site da TerraCycle (www.terracycle.com.br) e escolher uma entidade sem fins lucrativos que será beneficiada pelo programa.

Por isso, o programa quer ampliar seu alcance e abre 800 novas vagas para a formação de brigadas Nestlé Chocolover.

BANGOR, Maine — Old Navy and TerraCycle are partnering in “The Flip-flop Replay” recycle program to build community playgrounds through May 21 at Old Navy, 480 Stillwater Ave. in Bangor. The community is encouraged to participate by stopping by an Old Navy store to deposit old flip-flops in designated bins to be reused to help build playgrounds around the country. For more information, call 990-2073.