VINELAND – By caring for the Earth, D'Ippolito Elementary School students are able to help classmates in need. TerraCycle Inc., an international recycling firm based in Mercer County, is awarding the North Valley Avenue school more than $1,800, which was based on the number of drink pouches the school recycled. "We have been participating in this program for the past three years," said Gail Curio, the school's principal. Stephanie Staffieri, the school's student health services coordinator, oversees the program. She was the one who found the opportunity and suggested that D'Ippolito get involved, said Curcio, who endorsed the school's participation. "We use the money to fund our Crisis Team Fund, which is used to help families in crisis throughout the year," Curcio said. Students recycle the drink pouches during breakfast and lunch, the school principal said. "It has become routine," she said. Allison Gove, who will be a fifth grader this September, explained that after meals the students don't toss their empty drink pouches in the trash. "We put them in a special bin," she said. It's a red recycling container. Allison said she is a fan of Capri Sun Orange and estimated she's contributed about 50 empty pouches to the recycling program. When she learned the students' efforts earned the school more than $1,800, she said, "That's pretty neat." The check should arrive in October, Taylor said, explaining the firm pays out the awards twice per year. TerraCycle Inc. focuses on reusing difficult-to-recycle packaging and that includes the drink pouches made from a combination of plastic and aluminum, said Lauren Taylor, a media spokeswoman for the company. Where plastic and aluminum can easily be recycled on their own, it is the combination of the two that poses the challenge, she said. Drink pouches are just one of about 50 specific areas, dubbed "brigades" by the company, addressed in its recycling program. Groups enroll in the recycling program and earn rewards on a points-per-item basis. The award funds must be earmarked for a nonprofit purposes, Taylor said. Used pouches are sent at no cost to TerraCycle Inc. in packages that must weigh about 5 pounds, which is about 430 pouches. The straws do not have to be removed. More than 217,594,991 drink pouches have been collected from more than 78,000 locations, earning organizations more than $4.1 million, according to TerraCycle Inc. The pouches are recycled into items including lunch boxes, pencils cases and tote bags. Other recycling brigades offered by TerraCycle Inc. include Elmer's Glue bottles and sticks, chip snack bags, energy bar wrappers and GoGo squeeZ pouches. For more information about the TerraCycle Inc. recycling program, click on www.terracycle.com.