As students headed back to class this fall in dozens of area schools, they were reminded to think twice before dumping the remains of their school lunch in the trash. The schools — more than 50 of them in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties — are partnering with TerraCycle, a national “upcycling” and recycling company which comes up with creative ways to reuse non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste. Area schools, including the Holyoke Community Charter School, St. Stanislaus School in Chicopee, Benjamin J. Phelps School in Agawam, SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, and the John R. Fausey Elementary PTO in West Springfield, have signed on with TerraCycle to recycle certain products in their schools. Under the program, which is also available to organizations, businesses and families, the specified waste is collected and shipped off regularly to TerraCycle at no cost to the collectors. From there, it is recycled or upcycled into new products, such as juice pouch tote bags.

As students headed back to class this fall in dozens of area schools, they were reminded to think twice before dumping the remains of their school lunch in the trash. The schools- more than 50 of them in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties- are partnering with TerraCycle, a national "upcycling" and recycling company which comes up with creative ways to reuse non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste.

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.

Would you ever consider SELLING your trash?   Do you think anyone would ever PAY for it? What if I told you that I found an amazing company that would? Terracycle pays schools, families, and communities to collect non-recyclable waste, which is then upcycled or repurposed to make fun, eco-friendly products like shower curtains, potted plants, and soon, baby bibs and diaper bags!  Amazing!

In honor of the upcoming holiday, Our Daily Green would like to celebrate a company that is taking huge steps to free our nation from trash. Last summer, we wrote about the company TerraCycle and their unique way of helping organizations raise money with trash. TerraCycle is a New Jersey based company that turns items such as juice bags, candy and chip wrappers, and glue bottles into funky, fun school and office supplies and other novelties.