Environmental Platform
Her platform theme for pageants has always focused on the environment, and Bojorquez said she loves the voice winning gives her for preserving nature and similar causes. Before competing for the title of World Miss Universe, Bojorquez won a number of other titles, including Miss Teen Earth 2010.
Resulting from her title as Miss Teen Earth 2010, she had the chance to travel the country and spread the purpose of Terracycle, a recycling company she supports. One of her favorite opportunities is speaking at elementary schools and sharing the simplicity of recycling.
“When I’m talking to the kids, I usually get them to do something hands on so that they can go home and do it there,” she said. “I’m really into doing things with Capri Sun bags for example. So when they go home, instead of throwing away the Capri Sun bag, they say, ‘Mom, I want to make something!’”
Some people know how to turn lemons into lemonade. Telma Rangel has figured out how to convert trash into treasure.
It all began when Mother’s Cookies, an Oakland-based company, went out of business in 2008 and Rangel lost her job as operations manager. Suddenly, the mother of five had time on her hands.
Rangel turned her attention to Noble Elementary School in San Jose, where her two younger children – Marissa and Gary – attend third and fourth grades.
Fourth-graders at Pine Street Elementary School are collecting empty drink pouches for an environmental project.
Teacher Tyler Frantz said the students are collecting Capri Sun and Honest Kids pouches to "up-cycle" them.
"TerraCycle is a web-based program run by a company that collects consumer products and recycles them," Frantz explained.
TerraCycle offers waste-collection programs to turn the collected waste into new products, such as recycled park benches or backpacks. TerraCycle operates around the world, according to the company's website www.terracycle.net.
The project started at the suggestion of fourth-grader Faith Coburn's mother, he said.
"My mom was reading the back of the Capri Sun box and said, 'Oh, look at that, you could raise money for your school," said 9-year-old Faith. "I think it's cool because then we can keep the pouches out of the landfill and also get money for the school."
Happy Valentine's Day and TerraCycle Tuesday! Today we're looking at one of our most popular brigades, the Drink Pouch Brigade.
What can be TerraCycled in this category?
Answer: any brand aluminum drink pouches and plastic drink pouches
What CANNOT be TerraCycled in this category?
Answer: juice boxes
What does this waste get used for?
Check out the neat video below to find out what happens to your juice pouches!
In this first issue of the spring semester, I'd like to challenge you to take that creativity to a unique end: recycling. "Creative recycling" may sound, to you, a bit like the combination of the words "synchronized" and "swimming," which, despite its recent feature on the TV show Glee, is not America's most popular or familiar sport. It may be said that recycling is not Messiah College's most popular or familiar pastime.
We literally have recycling bins everywhere on campus, yet I feel nothing but utter frustration every time I look in the trash. Now, I understand that not all of us are vigilantes in the war against landfills; however clearly labeled trash cans next to clearly labeled recycling cans should not be filled with "trash" that could be recycled. Last time I checked, most college students have the ability to read, so I'm still pretty confused as to why specific items like foam constantly end up in the garbage.
Is the question what materials are able to be recycled? Union-goers, are you unsure of the difference between plastic, foam, and paper waste? Let me give you a hint: Plastic silverware... recyclable. Ketchup containers... recyclable. Foam plates.... recyclable again! Did you know that your Starbucks cups can be composted and their lids and cardboard sleeves recycled? What about smoothies? What part of that cup is not plastic? Why, then is the trash always overflowing with laziness (the only logical excuse for throwing away recyclables right next to the proper container)?
For local students, collecting cans and bottles is more than a lesson about recycling, it’s about giving back to their school and community while helping the environment.
Students at Poston Road and Paragon elementary schools have been hard at work collecting cans, bottles and other recyclables as part of a project for their high achievement class.
The Poston Road program, a collaborative effort between students and recycling organizations TerraCycle and the Dream Machine Recycle Rally, combines the best of both worlds: Helping the environment while working toward the purchase of school equipment, program sponsor Donna Lehmann said.
“Our high ability students are the ones really getting it up and going,” Lehmann said. “One of our students, Asher (Markita) and I were the only ones scanning the cans and bottles to start.”
The program began with TerraCycle, a recycling company based in New Jersey, which allowed the students to collect normally non-recyclable trash such as Caprisun juice pouches, lunchables and chip bags, and ship them to TerraCycle for free and earn money for the school.
For today's post during this TerraCycle Refresher week on our blog, I'm sharing a list and description of what items we collect for TerraCycle here at Blue Ridge.
Glue Bottles/Sticks
Any size Elmer's brand glue sticks and plastic glue bottles are acceptable. Only Elmer's please!
We earn $0.02 per item.ri
Backpack and Notebook by TerraCycle
(SEE LINK FOR PHOTO)
This smile-inspiring bag and matching notebook are perfect for the student who is young or young-at-heart. Made with wrappers from common lunchroom snacks, like Capri Sun pouches and potato chip bags, these upcycled school essentials will make the classroom fun again.
Price: $21.99
TerraCycle, based in Trenton, NJ, is a for-profit company that
upcycles and recycles traditionally non-recyclable waste – into creative consumer products.
Even in a city like Cambridge that has a very
progressive recycling program (yay for recycling coffee cups and pizza boxes!), there are so many products that are not recycled – and that could be diverted from landfills with TerraCycle’s programs. Like candy wrappers, chip bags, corks, cookie packaging, and the list goes on….
