The Student Environmental Association (SEA) at Pinecrest High School is launching a new countywide recycling program to dispose of chip bags and Capri Sun pouches. The program is an extension of the SEA's earlier recycling initiatives, which sought to collect recyclable goods other than the obvious paper and plastic products. "We were always recycling paper and plastic," says SEA president Aayushi Patel, "but we wanted to know what else we could do. We found out about this really cool company called Terracycle that turns plastic chip bags into purses, bags and asphalt, and we thought, 'Well, everyone eats chips.'" The SEA had a competition to see which classroom could collect the most chip bags. "In April and May alone, we collected more than 1,000 chip bags," says Patel. "We were hoping to implement this in the community, and see if more people could help out with the recycling and the good cause." Terracycle is a New Jersey-based private company that manufactures consumer products from recycled material. Established in 2001 by college freshmen, it has become one of the fastest growing green businesses in the country. The company receives recyclables from nearly 30 million people in more than 20 countries and manufactures more than 1,500 products, which are available in such major retailers as Walmart and Whole Foods. Partnering with Terracycle is only the latest of the SEA's endeavors to promote environmental sustainability. Other initiatives include raising money to preserve the rainforest, auditing teachers at Pinecrest to make sure they weren't wasting energy, and the "Do One Thing" initiative, in which students were made to pledge one lifestyle change that would promote sustainability. What sets this recycling program apart, however, is that it will be open to the entire community rather than merely the school. "It'd be great if the community could help out for a good cause like this," says Patel. "Recycling is important because all the stuff we throw away right now is going to landfills. There's only so much land that you can throw trash in. Every month you have so much trash; just think about it building up over time. When we don't have enough land to throw away trash, what happens? Recycling is a good way to change that, to change trash into something useful." For more information on how to get involved with the SEA's recycling program, email Aayushi Patel at aayushipatel45 @gmail.com, or contact the SEA at pinecrestsea@gmail.com.