Water filters can reduce plastic bottle use, but also be tricky to dispose of. Thankfully, the manufacturer may already offer an easy solution.   Dear Recyclebank: Can water filters be recycled? I called my local sanitation department, and they were baffled and promised to get back to me. The specific brand name I have is Brita. They are plastic and filled with black sand. –Ila Dear Ila: With niche products such as at-home water filters, it’s a good idea to check with the manufacturer to see if they have a mail-in program you can take advantage of. As it turns out, Brita has partnered with TerraCycle to take back used Brita products for recycling. This program is free to consumers who sign up, and includes a prepaid shipping label to cover your shipping costs. You can also gain Terracycle points for your efforts, which can be redeemed for charitable gifts or product bundles. Water filters aren’t the only items accepted; packaging, pitchers, and even reusable water bottles can be sent as well. The items are processed and turned into all sorts of new products, from gardening equipment to outdoor furniture. You can find out more about the program on the Brita and TerraCycle websites. Brita isn’t the only brand that has adopted this solution. PUR and Everpure have also partnered with Terracycle.

Today’s retail landscape is characterized by a constant stream of product releases and innovation. Coupled with planned product obsolescence, this leaves the world with a massive amount of excess inventory and a growing stream of product waste. According to Sustainable Brands, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing each year. Importantly, the Wall Street Journal notes that product waste, particularly e-waste, not only ends up in U.S. landfills, but also in developing nations — creating a myriad of environmental and human health risks. Yet retailers are well positioned to be at the forefront of waste reduction — without sacrificing business growth — by focusing on the end of a product's life from the start. In fact, a smart sustainability strategy can positively impact the retailer and the environment at the same time. By prioritizing product reuse, retailers may find that they can cut costs, while ensuring high-quality products and increasing brand loyalty. Investing In Take-Back Campaigns When retailers are transparent about their sustainability programs, they not only showcase ongoing efforts to reduce their environmental footprints, but they also strengthen long-term customer loyalty. Brita, the water pitcher and filtration company, for example, partners with the recycling company TerraCycle to provide customers with a free and easy recycling program. The program supplies customers with clear instructions on how to recycle Brita products and explains to customers how their old products will be repurposed as outdoor chairs, bike racks, park benches and more. The sustainability program clearly positions Brita as an environmentally conscious company, while also deepening customer loyalty by engaging them in an innovative initiative.

VILLA PARK – Villa Park’s Environmental Concerns Commission will offer a recycling drop-off location Sept. 10 during the village’s Oktoberfest. The Environmental Concerns Commission also will be running a booth from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at Oktoberfest to educate patrons about what products are recyclable. Stop by the commission’s booth to get information about its recycling efforts and other environmental issues and learn what items can be recycled curbside. Attendees can drop off pens, mechanical pencils, markers, highlighters, crayons – used, new, broken and whole – Brita and PUR pitchers, filters, packaging, faucet mounts and adapters and Brita bottles. The crayons will be taken to the local nonprofit SCARCE. The other items will be sent to the international company Terracycle. It’s “widely considered the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of nonrecyclable, post-consumer waste,” according to its website Terracycle.com.

TerraCycle (U.S.) This Trenton company runs recycling programs for major corporations, turning seemingly unrecyclable goods—Brita filters, cigarette butts, Sharpie pens—into finished products or salable plastics. The $18.8 million business operates in 20 countries and boasts clients like L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, and Colgate.

Terracycle, a New Jersey company, partners with many manufacturers to recycle packaging. Collect participating products and ship them off. Groups like Colgate, Capri Sun, Clif Bar, Entenmann’s, Brita and Glad, to name a few are involved in this program.

At TerraCycle, we have evaluated every type of consumer waste and have found that nothing is beyond recycling. Thanks to our many corporate partners, such as Colgate, Garnier and Brita, we have successfully recycled post-consumer product and packaging waste into new, wholly different products by deconstructing them into their component parts and giving the waste materials a second life.

At TerraCycle, we have evaluated every type of consumer waste and have found that nothing is beyond recycling. Thanks to our many corporate partners, such as Colgate, Garnier and Brita, we have successfully recycled post-consumer product and packaging waste into new, wholly different products by deconstructing them into their component parts and giving the waste materials a second life.

Here’s a list of some common items and what to do with them to help you figure it all out: Pens, Brita filters, and other Tough stuff Turn to TerraCycle, a recycling company that offers recycling programs that are funded by brands but free to you. The company is “eliminating the idea of waste” by reusing, upcycling, and recycling materials that aren’t usually accepted by curbside recycling programs.

Getting inspired to go green can be a challenge, even for the most earth-conscious individual. Sometimes, however, summoning that motivation starts with smaller, practical changes to your lifestyle. Whether that means switching from paper to cloth towels, conserving water, or abandoning disposable cutlery in favor of durable alternatives, “going green” doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.

Don't throw out your empty baby food pouches and used mascara; upcycle it! So far, upcycling from Sustainable Westford has raised about $11,759.80 for Westford schools and has saved 6,649 pounds of trash from entering the waste stream, according to the Sustainable Westford website. Sustainable Westford's upcycle program can accept: foil drink pouches and their straws; energy and granola bar wrappers; chip bags; oral care products including toothbrushes and toothpaste containers (the heads of electrical toothbrushes cannot be accepted); and writing instruments excluding wooden pencils.