Summer is the season for outdoor parties and picnics, and it’s important to take care of the outdoors as you are enjoying it. Instead of filling up your trash can with empty food wrappers and plastic cups after guests leave, you can reuse the packaging yourself or send the waste to TerraCycle, where you can earn money for your favorite charity and keep things out of the local landfill at the same time. There are already some Brigade teams in the area, including Bentley School. TerraCycle, an innovative upcycling and recycling company, partners with brands such as Frito-Lay, Nabisco, Kraft Cheese, Solo, and Scott to reduce the amount of waste being thrown away. Some of the wrappers can also be used for do-it-yourself projects. An easy, crafty summer project is the do-it-yourself chip bowl, which can be made from a Frito-Lay chip bag, and then used for your next party! Or, you can turn your used Solo cups into herb planters for the porch or kitchen. For those who’d prefer to send their waste back to TerraCycle, they’ll earn two cents per item for a charity of their choice.