Once in a while, you come across an idea that just makes so much sense that you wonder why it hasn’t been done before.  I had that feeling when I received an email from Emily Bradford-Sytsma, spokesperson for eco-friendly company TerraCycle. <http://www.terracycle.net/> Emily sent me a recycling craft project that uses five empty Colgate® toothpaste tubes to construct this colorful Recycled Toothpaste Tube Toothbrush Holder <http://www.allfreecrafts.com/recycling-crafts/toothbrush-holder.shtml> . But, more than that, she explained the new recycling program at TerraCycle, which provides an opportunity for non-profit organizations to make a little cash, while diverting waste products from the landfill.

By: Tiffany Threadgould, TerraCycle’s Chief Designer Looking for a refreshing alternative to throwing away your toothpaste tubes? This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.

Terracycle realizes that Moms are the main shoppers, organizers, and most involved in the school activities. Because of this, they have new, Mom focused brigades. Parents want to make their children's world greener.  Unfortunately, daily life can get in the way of that with limited time and budget, but going green doesn't have to be difficult, time-consuming or expensive. In fact, a smart and savvy parent can go green and even earn green at the same time!

TerraCycle loves us to recycle, no matter how we do it! We can join their brigades and mail our trash to them to be upcycled into products or we can use our trash to make new products of our own! TerraCycle Toothpaste Tube Holder: Upcycle your toothpaste tubes into this fresh bathroom caddy! Looking for a refreshing alternative to throwing away your toothpaste tubes? This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.

Check out this fun DIY craft using Colgate toothpaste tubes!   TerraCycle Toothpaste Tube Toothbrush Holder Upcycle your toothpaste tubes into this fresh bathroom caddy By: Tiffany Threadgould   Looking for a refreshing alternative to throwing away your toothpaste tubes? This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.

Upcycling is, “simply put - using those items that cannot be recycled and remaking them into reusable items,” says DiColandrea. He uses energy bar wrappers as an example of how materials can be reused when they can’t be recycled. “Its [energy bars] packaging remains very high as a waste, and recycling the packaging is not easy for some local recycling centers to do. Reusing the packaging to create another product is a simple and low-cost answer,” he added. Green Starkville has created a team for Terracycle, a company which collects materials that can be reused to manufacture new items – upcycling. For each item received, Terracycle will give $0.02 to Green Starkville, and Terracycle turns the materials into everything from clipboards, bags, and toys to fences.

The night before, when we were setting up, I noticed that volunteers were putting cookies in small snack sized Zip-Loc bags.   Of course, my "trash-radar" went up and since I could not avoid the baggies, I could gather them and send them to Terracycle.  So, I prepared a box with a sign asking for the empty baggies to be put in the box. While I still had to raid the trashcans, there were many baggies put in the box!  (mind you I had to take baggies out of the 'plastics' recycling can and cardboard boxes out of the 'plastics' recycling can!)

TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  has the best business model — “Send us your trash… we’ll make it into cool products!” If you despair of all the waste generated by things like Capri Sun pouches, sign up your school or nonprofit organization for various TerraCycle “brigades.” <http://www.terracycle.net/brigades>  Collect used pouches, candy wrappers, and other items, send them in to TerraCycle, and get paid a couple cents for each. (Given the amount of these products kids go through, that can add up pretty quickly…)

*How great that the top 3 schools in VA that collected the most waste with this program are from the area!  What a great way to pay it forward :) Top 3 Schools in Virginia (based on amount collected this past school year): Cedar Forest Elementary School in Fredericksburg – 42,685 pieces of waste diverted and $853 earned Signal Hill Elementary School in Manassas – 37,566 pieces of waste diverted and $752 earned St. Leo the Great School in Fairfax – 25,581 pieces of waste diverted and $512 earned Terracycle <http://www.myatlantamommy.com/2009/12/terracycle.html>  is a fantastic organization which takes used wrappers and turns them into some super cool stuff! They are always coming up with fun and cool ways to recycle, but they also have come up with a way (actually 6 ways) Moms can go green, reduce waste at home, AND raise money for their kids school and/or favourite charity.

Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>   is always coming up with fun and cool ways to recycle, but they also  have come up with a way (actually 6 ways) Moms can go green, reduce  waste at home, AND raise money for their kids school and/or favorite  charity. Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  realizes Moms have enough things to think about  without wondering how to reduce the amount of waste leaving their home  and heading to the local landfill. So they have come up with six new  Brigades (read as free collection programs!) to make it easier than ever  for parents to eliminate waste from their home while raising money for a  school or charity of their choice. All they need to do is collect and  send in the packaging you discard every day, TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  pays the postage  and contributes two cents per unit of waste returned. I keep mine in a  bag by the pantry next to the bag for Box Tops to make things easier.