Upcycle: the process of converting trash into new materials or products of better quality or a higher value. In a time where we are encouraged to recycle, compost, and make superhuman efforts to reduce waste, the concept of making something nice out of what would otherwise be garbage is certainly not foreign. But upcycling is more than just reusing plastic grocery bags to pick up dog poop or dusting with your husband’s old undershirts. It’s creating something of real value out of literal junk. One of the most prolific upcyclers is Terracycle, an organization based in Trenton, N.J., with more than 20,000 volunteers. Participants “choose a waste stream,” collecting packaging from specific products – many of which were previously hard or impossible to recycle - and sending it in to Terracycle, which converts the waste into a wide variety of products and materials which are then sold at major retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods.