Freshwater State School is also a hive of activity in the lead-up to their annual event. As part of one initiative, students are collecting used dental hygiene products as part of a TerraCycle Oral Care Recycling Program.

Oatley Public School participates in a unique recycling and fundraising opportunity in partnership with Terracycle (www.terracycle.com.au). For each approved item received, we receive Terracycle points which can be redeemed for funding towards our school (2 points/item = 2 cents).

A national innovative programme launches in New Zealand to upcycle or recycle ‘un-recyclable’ plastic food storage waste such as sandwich bags into sustainable items. Creating a litter-less lunch is now possible with a free programme to recycle and upcycle plastic food storage items called the GLAD Food Storage Brigade with TerraCycle and GLAD. Each year, over 252,000 tonnes of plastic waste is thrown away and disposed of in New Zealand landfills. Previously, popular food storage items such as GLAD Wrap and GLAD food bags could not be placed in municipal recycling systems so were sent to landfill.

Meijer, Colgate and TerraCycle have teamed up to help encourage healthy smiles and environments among school children and consumers with the Recycled Playground Challenge. The three companies are asking schools in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin to compete for a new playground made completely of recycled material by joining TerraCycle’s Oral Care Brigade program. Through the Oral Care Brigade, a free recycling program run by Colgate and TerraCycle, schools will earn one ‘Playground Credit’ for each shipment of empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, and floss containers sent to TerraCycle.

TerraCycle recently announced its Recycled Playground Challenge, an initiative in partnership with Colgate-Palmolive (“Colgate”) and Meijer to help encourage healthy smiles and environments among school children and consumers. Running through Sept. 30, schools located throughout Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin are eligible to compete for a new playground made completely of recycled material by joining TerraCycle’s Oral Care Brigade program. Through the Oral Care Brigade, a free recycling program run by Colgate and TerraCycle, schools will earn one "Playground Credit" for each shipment of empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and floss containers sent to TerraCycle.

Flanders Elementary School won a recycled playground made from oral care waste. Flanders earned 240,436 playground credits by recycling waste and online voting. The playground will be revealed this fall. It is made using recycled toothbrushes and other oral care products. Colegate, ShopRite and TerraCycle made the contest possible.

East Amwell Township School was recently named as a runner-up in a competition to win a playground made from recycled oral care waste.

East Amwell Township School was recently named as a runner-up in a competition to win a playground made from recycled oral care waste.

Locals can now help to save used oral care items from ending up in landfill whilst also helping to raise funds for Midhirst School. Students in the Paritutu class at the school are in charge of running the Colgate Community Recycle Drive at the school, aimed at promoting the recycling of previously unrecyclable oral care items, including toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss containers and packaging. The drive, supported by international upcycling and recycling comapny TerraCycle, was launched at the school last week. "It is a great idea because it reduces the amount of stuff going in the landfill," Jessica Gavan (12) says she thinks it is great to be able to recycle items that otherwise end up in the household rubbish. "But no actual dental floss please!" Bethan Upton-Hansen (12) is hoping people use some common sense when they bring in dental items for the drive. "Put used toothbrushes in a plastic bag first, we need to think about hygiene as well." Keren Whareaitu (12) says the mitigative helps the school raise needed funds. "We get money back from TerraCycle for the amount of waste they collect, plus we have the chance of winning a share of a prize pool of $32,500." Tyler Smith (13) is impressed with the way the items they collect can be recycled. "They make them into things like benches and rubbish bins which is much better than them ending up IN the rubbish!" "It is estimated that seven million toothbrushes and 16 million toothpaste tubes are used in New Zealand each year. This exciting national challenge is a New Zealand first. We're calling on local residents to dig deep by saving all their used oral care items as part of Colgate's Oral Care Brigade and support Midhirst school," says Anna Minns, general manager, TerraCycle. "Even if we get just a small percentage of those items, we will be able to make a difference. Reducing landfill waste is important for everyone, not just us, but the students who will come after us." Jessica says she hopes people from all around the district, not just those who have children enrolled at the school, will make the effort to drop off their recyclable oral care items. "Our school values environmental sustainability and we have been encouraging our students to recycle with our council recycling programme." Colleen Tett, the teacher in charge of the project at the school, says they are excited that TerraCycle is providing a solution for previously difficult to recycle waste. Locals are encouraged to drop off their oral care items and packaging to the public access collection box at the Midhirst School Office at 8 Erin Street Midhirst, R. D. 24, Stratford, 4394, Taranaki during school hours. Two cents is earned for each piece of oral care waste that the school sends in for recycling so every bit will help. - Stratford Press By ILONA HANNE

Saint Andrew will earn one ‘Playground Credit’ for each shipment of empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, and floss containers sent to TerraCycle by the students and teachers as part of the Recycled Playground Challenge sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive, ShopRite and TerraCycle.