TerraCycle is an eco-friendly non-profit organization that recycles would-be rubbish and turns it into a new product. Going green will not only help the Earth, but with this organization it can bring some cash (or coins) to your pocket. Emily Bradford, publicist for TerraCycle explains, “We get the waste items that we use to make our products from individuals and schools all across America in our ‘trash for cash’ fundraising program. We pay any non-profit organization, chosen by the person or team collecting, $0.02 for each piece of waste we receive.”

Shrewsbury - At the end of May 2010, a group of Shrewsbury kids started collecting empty juice pouches and snack bags in an effort to clean up the planet and raise money for Shrewsbury public schools. With the help of the Floral Street School and an eco-friendly company called The Dumpster Divers, they have collected over 2,000 pieces of trash in just over two months. This non-recyclable waste will be sent to another eco-friendly company called Terracycle, which collects all types of trash and uses it to make new creative new products to sell in major stores across the country.

Over the years I have expressed my love of creative recycling. While I do share a large variety of craft projects using trash, no one can certainly make crafts using all of their trash. I discovered a wonderful alternative to crafting with your own trash. You can send it away to be crafted by others. There is an eco-friendly company called TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  that uses certain types of would-be-waste materials to make new products. For example, they take Capri Sun pouches or Frito Lay potato chip bags and make tote bags out of them. They get all of the 'trash' to make their products from individuals and schools all across America as part of their 'trash for cash' fundraising program. They pay any non-profit organization, chosen by the person or team sending in the 'trash', $0.02 for each piece of trash they receive. Voila, you can get cash from your trash!

Here is a segment on Back-to-School that has a nice shout-out for TerraCycle and the Capri Sun lunchbox. Click on the link next to Video and then forward ahead to 4:00.  The TerraCycle and Capri Sun mentions are between 4:00-4:40.

Elizabeth Seton High School students are recycling in a new way–recycling the unrecyclable. Due to the plastics and metals contained in CapriSun and Kool-Aid drink pouches, these products cannot be conventionally recycled. However, a New Jersey-based company, TerraCycle - with the assistance of the all-girl school's ecology club - collects these pouches, which the company repurposes into bags and backpacks.

Recycle and Earn Did you know billions of drink pouches are thrown out each year? TerraCycle collects these discarded pouches and turns them into cool products. Sponsored by the drink pouch makers themselves (CapriSun and Kool-Aid) these groovy pencil case holders will be the talk at the lunch table. You can get your school involved too. Collect drink pouches, turn them in and collect cash for your school. Go to www.terracycle.net and find out more. Pencil cases starting at $2. (TerraCycle makes lunch boxes too. See page XXX)

Jodi says, "As a pay-it-forward(er) I try and buy items I know I can give back with. For example Box Top all you do is clip the top and turn it in. Your school gets $.10 back for each one. You can also turn in your Sunny Delight Labels to earn points towards free books. There is also a program called Terracycle that donates to your school. Capri sun is one of the products."

Made from up-cycled juice pouches, the Terracycle lunch bag is an unusual twist on the traditional insulated lunch box. TerraCycle diverts tons of waste juice pouches annually and donates 2 cents to a charity or nonprofit for each pouch collected. www.terracycle.net.

I t’s back-to-school time and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the shopping you have to do, especially if you want to be eco- friendly. you needn’t worry. Companies like TerraCycle are making back-to-school shopping and green living compatible and easy.

Students from Scott Elementary School aren't only going green, they're getting green. As if the need to take care of the planet isn't enough, a New Jersey-based company is willing to pay cash for the kids' trash. "So many recyclable and reusable products are sent to landfills, and we are running out of space for our garbage," said Teri Lodesky, teacher and coordinator of Scott Elementary School's environmental club. "A bonus of the program is that TerraCycle pays two cents for every item collected." Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is one of the fastest-growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world. Its free national collection program pays not-for-profit organizations and schools for their non-recyclable waste materials, like lunch staples Capri Sun drink pouches and Frito-Lay chip bags.