WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- We all know that recycling our paper, plastic, and glass is important for the enviornment. But what if I told you that you that recycling certain items could earn you some cold hard cash? Investopedia gives us three things that you can recycle for cash back or a tax deduction: 1. Gift Cards.  We all have received that gift card for a holiday gift or birthday present that we feel like we will never use. If you have one of these lying around the house, Gift Card Rescue is a service that will take your unused gift card and send you a check for it. If you have a gift card that you have used up or it's outdated gift card, Gift Card Recycler will take those and give you points for the number of cards you send in. 2. Cooking Oil.  It may seem odd, but there are several recycling centers, bio-diesel firms, and individuals that will pay you for your used cooking oil. Prices range from 33 cents to 66 cents a gallon. 3. Trash. TerraCycle is a company that will pay you for your garbage. A program that works best with schools of non-profit organizations, TerraCycle will donate money to your cause for every piece of trash you send the organization, and they will even pay for shipping. We're talking candy wrappers, juice boxes, ink jet containers, old cameras -- that kind of thing.

3 / Upcycled Organization With the ambitious goal of eliminating waste, TerraCycle collects objects that would otherwise languish in a landfill and recycles or upcycles them into usable products. The result: stylish, eco-friendly school supplies that make a statement. We love the drink pouch pencil cases – made from Capri Sun pouches – and the drink pouch folders and, well, the whole idea of making trash into treasure. (Oh, and if you’re now feeling guilty about throwing away all those drink pouches, sign up today and start giving your waste to TerraCycle. Use the points you earn to donate to charity or to buyschool supply bundles, and know that your old drink pouches are in a better place – like someone else’s locker.) TerraCycle Drink Pouch Pencil Case (Large), $3.59 terracycle.com

There are a lot of eco-friendly companies out there, but no other company is quite like TerraCycle. This company literally takes your garbage and makes practical products such as plant food, backpacks, frames, toys and more! This company pays schools and non-profit organizations for their trash saving 1000's of tons of waste from going to landfills. For every item return, TerraCycle donates 2 cents to the school or charity. This company is so amazing!

When I was young, an older schoolmate told me paper gum wrappers were edible. She said that if you pop the whole stick in your mouth, wrapper and all, the paper would just disappear. Later that night, I unwrapped a stick of gum and suspiciously put only the wrapper in my mouth. I waited and chewed a bit, but it didn’t dissolve. It seems my schoolmate was either mashing up the paper wrapper in the stick of gum and didn’t notice a difference or she was just messing with me. I thought of the gum wrapper when I read this article about WikiCells, a form of edible packaging developed by Harvard professor David Edwards. Unlike the flavorless, “disappearing” gum wrapper, WikiCells add flavor and nutrients that compliment whatever is contained inside. According to WikiCells, “This skin may be comprised primarily of small particles of chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, or many other natural substances.” They are mainly used to package soft foods, such as ice cream, yogurt, cheese or beverages. This got me thinking about using edible packaging for more than just soft foods. A lot of things have been made in edible versions – necklaces, tableware, under garments, even shoes – but they are mostly novelty items or prototypes that haven’t taken hold in a meaningful way.

When I was young, an older schoolmate told me paper gum wrappers were edible. She said that if you pop the whole stick in your mouth, wrapper and all, the paper would just disappear. Later that night, I unwrapped a stick of gum and suspiciously put only the wrapper in my mouth. I waited and chewed a bit, but it didn’t dissolve. It seems my schoolmate was either mashing up the paper wrapper in the stick of gum and didn’t notice a difference or she was just messing with me. I thought of the gum wrapper when I read this article about WikiCells, a form of edible packaging developed by Harvard professor David Edwards. Unlike the flavorless, “disappearing” gum wrapper, WikiCells add flavor and nutrients that compliment whatever is contained inside. According to WikiCells, “This skin may be comprised primarily of small particles of chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, or many other natural substances.” They are mainly used to package soft foods, such as ice cream, yogurt, cheese or beverages. © TerraCycle This got me thinking about using edible packaging for more than just soft foods. A lot of things have been made in edible versions – necklaces, tableware, under garments, even shoes – but they are mostly novelty items or prototypes that haven’t taken hold in a meaningful way.

Eppelheim -- Deutschlands erstes Sammel- und Recyclingprogramm mit sozialer Komponente für gebrauchte Trinkpacks wird heute gestartet. Als Initiatoren dieses Programm haben sich TerraCycle, ein globaler Anbieter von innovativen Recyclinglösungen, und "Capri-Sonne|Bio-Schorly", das Bio-Segment des führenden Herstellers von Kindergetränken, zusammengeschlossen. Für die kostenlosen Programme von TerraCycle können sich alle Schulen, Organisationen, Unternehmen und Vereine in Deutschland online als Sammelstellen anmelden. Die Teilnehmer sammeln die gebrauchten Trinkpacks in einem Karton und fordern, sobald dieser gefüllt ist, eine vorbezahlte Versandmarke an. "Capri-Sonne|Bio-Schorly" und TerraCycle spenden für jeden Trinkpack, der eingesendet wird, 2 Cent an eine gemeinnützige Organisation nach Wahl der Teilnehmer. Neben dem Sammelprogramm für Trinkpacks bietet TerraCycle auch eine Recyclingmöglichkeit für leere Stifte. Beide Programme zeichnen sich durch ihre Nachhaltigkeit aus und ermöglichen es den Sammelstellen, einen aktiven Beitrag zum Umweltschutz zu leisten. Geschlossener Kreislauf angestrebt Das Trinkpack-Sammelprogramm stellt Europas erste Initiative dar, Verbrauchern auf einer nationalen Ebene die Verwertung von Trinkpacks anzubieten und gleichzeitig Spenden zu generieren. Das Programm wird von "Capri-Sonne|Bio-Schorly" gesponsort, es können jedoch Trinkpacks aller Marken eingeschickt werden. Die gesammelten Verpackungen können zu einer Reihe von Produkten wiederverwertet werden, von Kühltaschen über Rucksäcken, bis hin zu Blumentöpfen und Gießkannen. "'Capri-Sonne|Bio-Schorly' will einen geschlossenen Kreislauf schaffen, der unser Engagement für die Umwelt von der Produktion bis zur Entsorgung der Verpackung zeigt", so Eike Buschmann, Business Director Organic bei Capri-Sonne. "Unsere Kooperation mit TerraCycle ermöglicht es uns, eine sehr umweltfreundliche und transparente Wiederverwertungslösung für unsere Verpackungen anzubieten. Diese Initiative eröffnet uns zudem einen innovativen Ansatz, soziale Zwecke zu unterstützen." Neuartige Trenn- und Recyclingmöglichkeiten "Wir freuen uns, unsere Sammelprogramme durch die neue Partnerschaft mit 'Capri-Sonne|Bio-Schorly' in Deutschland zu erweitern”, sagt Tom Szaky, der Gründer und Vorstandsvorsitzende von TerraCycle. "Die Initiative schafft einen nachhaltigen Ansatz für ihr Produkt, der sie nicht nur in punkto Qualität von Wettbewerbern unterscheidet, sondern es jungen Verbrauchern auch ermöglicht, an einem Umweltprogramm teilzunehmen und Geld für soziale Zwecke zu erwerben."

Get ready for Back to School with these eco-friendly TerraCycle school supplies. Each one is upcycled from common trash items you might find in any classroom or cafeteria such as drink pouches, chip bags and granola bar wrappers. Not only are TerraCycle products fun, affordable and good for the environment, they also have a story. Each one begins life as garbage. TerraCycle pays schools and charities to collect their trash and send it in, free of charge. For every item return TerraCycle donates 2 cents to a local school or charity. This prize pack contains a Capri Sun backpack and lunchbox, a Mars candy notebook and a Stride notepad.

Town of Huntington honors homeowners, businesses groups, organizations and schools that improve appearance of the community. Winners of the Town of Huntington's 36th Annual Beautification Awards were announced last week. The Huntington Town Board and the Huntington Beautification Council joined June 19 to honor homeowners, businesses groups, organizations and schools in annual honors.

Town of Huntington honors homeowners, businesses groups, organizations and schools that improve appearance of the community. Winners of the Town of Huntington's 36th Annual Beautification Awards were announced last week. The Huntington Town Board and the Huntington Beautification Council joined June 19 to honor homeowners, businesses groups, organizations and schools in annual honors.

Das Trinkpack-Sammelprogramm, das erste Recyclingprogramm mit gemeinnütziger Komponente für gebrauchte Trinkpacks in Deutschland und Europa, geht an den Start. Initiiert hat es „Capri-Sonne | Bio-Schorly“, das Bio-Segment des führenden Herstellers von Kindergetränken, in Kooperation mit TerraCycle, einem globalen Anbieter von innovativen Recyclinglösungen. Für die kostenlosen Programme von TerraCycle können sich alle Bildungseinrichtungen, wie Kindergärten und Schulen, Organisationen, Unternehmen und Vereine in Deutschland online als Sammelstellen anmelden. Die Teilnehmer sammeln die gebrauchten Trinkpacks in einem Karton und übersenden diesen kostenfrei mittels ausgedruckter Versandmarke, sobald dieser gefüllt ist. „Capri-Sonne | Bio-Schorly“ und TerraCycle spenden für jeden eingesandten Trinkpack 2 Cent an eine gemeinnützige Organisation nach Wahl der einsendenden Teilnehmer. Neben diesem Sammelprogramm bietet TerraCycle auch eine Recyclingmöglichkeit für leere Stifte und Korrekturmittel. Beide Programme zeichnen sich durch ihre Nachhaltigkeit aus und ermöglichen es den Sammelstellen, aktiv zum Umweltschutz beizutragen und gemeinnützige Organisationen zu unterstützen.