New Jersey-based TerraCycle, which collects non-recyclable, or difficult-to-recycle, waste, has partnered with major corporation Mondelez International, which owns Cadbury, to launch a recycling waste campaign on the Asian market.
This year, bringing green into the fall and winter is easy. While packing lunches for kids as they head back to school, options for staying eco-friendly and keeping lunch tasty are at your fingertips. TerraCycle, a pioneering recycling and upcycling company, offers eco-friendly, upcycled and recycled lunchboxes as well as a way to earn money by collecting non-recyclable food packaging such as cookies, chips, and juice pouches.
From there it goes to Burton's garage in Holiday, where it's sorted and shipped to various recycling programs sponsored by Coca-Cola Recycling Program, Pepsi and Waste Management, and their latest venture with a company called Terracycle.
For the green at heart, there's a bounty of items that aren't on the typical recycle list that Terracycle will take and turn into something else — candy wrappers, yogurt cups, empty tape dispensers, glue bottles and the plastic store wrapping on paper towels and toilet paper. Done with that grated cheese? They'll take the wrapper. Empty tube of toothpaste? That, too, along with your old toothbrush.
"It's all stuff the county won't pick up; stuff you can't recycle in your blue bags," said Rash, who discovered the program while surfing the Internet. "And we get money for it. Two cents for a candy wrapper and 2 cents for the drink pouches."
That might seem like small change, but it adds up — $634 so far this year funneled into the school's ABC program to help needy students or to buy classroom supplies.
DCS Montessori School recently teamed up with TerraCycle to start turning collected waste into new products and materials, ranging from park benches to backpacks. TerraCycle recycles and upcycles used packaging from familiar products like Capri Sun, Lays, and Oreos. Out of this comes more than 1,500 various products available at major retailers. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle’s goal is eliminate the idea of waste.
This year, the Montessori school is participating in two “brigades,” which are national programs to collect specific previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. First, the school will collect old cell phones from now until the end of the year by placing collection boxes near the main office and by the front doors. DCS Montessori has asked all students and parents to send in their old cell phones to benefit the environment and the school. Later this year, the school will select another brigade.
For those not familiar with
"Terracycle", it is one of many organizations that work to create useful items out of waste products.
"Terracycle", in conjunction with both consumers and people from within the food and beverage industry, collects empty and discarded items like foil cheese packets, foil beverage pouches, potato chip bags, gum wrappers, beverage bottles and other items.
"Terracycle" then converts those items into a wide array of new items like insulated coolers, garbage cans, fences, plant food, household cleaners, photo frames, jewel cases, clothing and fashion accessories. Part of the proceeds from the sale of those items is in turn donated to area
schools and non-profit groups.
In 2010 proof of the ever burgeoning green movement can be found throughout the stories that made it into the headlines of mainstream media. For instance, there were several stories of various young ladies creating prom dresses out of used gum wrappers and foil beverage pouches.
In addition, more and more items made from recycled materials such as t-shirts made from ground up soda bottles began showing up in retail stores.
This increase in repurposing materials has caused food and beverage manufacturers like Kraft Foods to stand up and take notice. Proof in point is the company's recent decision to add foil cheese packets to their pre-existing "Terracycle Collection Program."
This increase in repurposing materials has caused food and beverage manufacturers like
Kraft Foods to stand up and take notice. Proof in point is the company's recent decision to add foil cheese packets to their pre-existing
"Terracycle Collection Program."
In Packaging Everything Old is New Again
For those not familiar with
"Terracycle", it is one of many organizations that work to create useful items out of waste products.
"Terracycle", in conjunction with both consumers and people from within the food and beverage industry, collects empty and discarded items like foil cheese packets, foil beverage pouches, potato chip bags, gum wrappers, beverage bottles and other items.
"Terracycle" then converts those items into a wide array of new items like insulated coolers, garbage cans, fences, plant food, household cleaners, photo frames, jewel cases, clothing and fashion accessories. Part of the proceeds from the sale of those items is in turn donated to area
schools and non-profit groups.
Arrowhead Elementary School students are reducing their carbon footprint through a recycling project done in conjunction with New Jersey-based recycling company TerraCycle.
As part of the program, fifth-graders in Brigit DiPrimo's class have set up bins around the school to collect various items - ranging from empty Capri Sun juice bags to Chips Ahoy packages to Country Crock tubs - for TerraCycle to "up cycle." The process makes eco-friendly products like diaper bags and folders using non-recyclable waste materials.
You all already know how important I feel it is to do our part to make the environment a big priority in our lives and in the lives of our children. I mean we all want there to be an actual planet here for future generations, don't we? So, in my quest for a better environment I came across what may just be the coolest program....TerraCycle.
