We here the words 'reduce, reuse, recycle' a lot  when it comes to cleaning our our environment and cutting down on waste in our landfills but have you thought much about the word 'upcycle'? To ucpcycle an item would be to use the product again in a totally different way than it was originally used.  Terracycle  <http://www.terracycle.net/> has found a ton of ways to take our trash and recyclables and make them into something new. The great thing about this company is that YOU can get involved, too!  Here is a little bit about Terracycle from their website:

Today's featured project isn't my own.  It comes to me from a company called TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/> .  I can hear you scratching your head and questioning, "A corporate craft?" Yes, friends - a corporate craft.  But, TerraCycle is no ordinary corporation.  Founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky (when he was 19 years old and a freshman at Princeton University,) TerraCycle is a multi-category eco-friendly upcycle company. Basically: They profit by taking waste and turning it into new goods which they then sell.  Things like Capri Sun drink pouches, Oreo cookie package wrappers, Cliff Bar wrappers and other assorted non-recyclable waste becomes purses, picture frames, clip boards and other cool items.

1. Recycled Capri Sun bag by Terracycle. Terracycle is an amazing company that takes trash and makes things out of it. They have 186 different products, all made from trash. And they also have a program where you can send trash to them and they will donate a couple of cents per piece to a charity. So far they have donated over $1.3 million dollars and have taken almost 2 billion pieces of trash from landfills. Talk about a company that's making a difference in a trashy way!

I was also given the opportunity to review a few of their products, the Capri Sun Rectangular Lunch Box <http://www.terracycle.net/products/195-Capri-Sun-Rectangular-Lunch-Box>  and Drink Pouch Pencil Case <http://www.terracycle.net/products/17-Drink-Pouch-Pencil-Case-Medium-> . Cute, cute!!  My kids aren't old enough to take them to school yet, but they would make great school supplies for kids!  I might even use it for my lunch!!

The teachers at Montgomery Elementary School used to see a lot of Capri Sun drink pouches get thrown away.  Once they signed up to recycle them through a company called TerraCycle, the school began earning two cents for everyone one of those pouches.

October 20, 2010 - NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - The Lincoln Street School PTO is continuing its Drink Pouch Brigade this year. There is a collection bin located in the cafeteria for drink pouches. The Lincoln Street School will receive $.02 in donations for all brands of drink pouches that we send in. Please ask your children to make sure that they remove the straw from their finished drink pouches and place them in the collection bins in the cafeteria.

Along with the TerraCycle Totebag Giveaway from last week - I got  a couple products for me as well! TerraCycle <http://terracycle.net/>  sent me a Lunchbox and a pencil pouch - both made from recycled CapriSun Pouches!  I was surprised at how nice they were...not sure what I was expecting, but when you hear "recycled" - pretty items don't always come to mind. I was so wrong! These were so nice and sturdy.

I recently wrapped up a Terracycle giveaway in which Ken won a great tote bag for his kids. He let me know that he will use it to teach his kids how products like this help to reduce their carbon footprints. Terracycle sent me the products pictured above: a TerraCycle Drink Pouch Pencil Case ($2.99) and a TerraCycle Drink Pouch Lunch Box ($7.99).  My kids have seen these in the store before and as a matter of fact while we were shopping for school supplies this year, my 8 year old requested the pencil bag. Since we couldn't find one, she ended up with another bag, but now she has the one she really wanted and a cool lunch box as well! I wish that I could show you just how nice these products are because I don't think the pictures do them justice.

TerraCycle sent me a lunchbox and a pencil pouch - both made from recycled CapriSun Pouches! I love how they are very well made, they are way cool! I think a perfect gift for tweens. There are so many different things that they offer too out of other materials.  Both of the products are very durable, cute & stylish, and can easily be wiped clean. You shouold check it out and hook up with a schol near you that are collecting for recycling.

Thank you TerraCycle!  I am a HUGE fan of TerraCycle and their mission.  As you may remember they recently sponsored a TerraCycle Drink Pouch Tote Bag Giveaway-one of our readers won a similar tote bag to the one pictured above!  Ann and I received the Drink Pouch Lunch Bag and a Drink Pouch Pencil Bag.  (I actually recently received a Drink Pouch Tote Bag for my birthday from my sister!)