In an effort to make recycling more practical, Recycling Operations Manager Barry Wilkins will be working with TerraCylce, a New Jersey-based waste collection company, to collect used chip bags for its Chip Bag Brigade “upcycling” program. TerraCycle, founded in 2001 by then-Princeton University student Tom Szaky, works with schools and companies to collect previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste materials and helps remake these materials into new items.

Terracycle is a program that was started in the middle of the Fall 2011 semester here at SUNY New Paltz and has quickly gained recognition around campus. Terracycle is a company that sponsors the recycling of items that are not usually recycled such as chip bags, candy wrappers, drink pouches, etc. The three collection bins around campus are located on the first floor of the Student Union building, the first floor of Hasbrouck Dining Hall, and the Backstage Café at Parker Theater.

Stuart Walker was so disgusted by the smell of recycling bins during his first day as a member of Kemptown Elementary School's recycling club, he said he felt like putting a clothespin on his nose. Now the fifth-grader is signing up for a second stint with the club.

TerraCycle takes recycling to a whole new level with their recycling brigades program. The company was originally founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, a then 20 year old Princeton University Freshman. TerraCycle started by producing organic fertilizer (worm poop) in used soda bottles.

This is the third entry in "Full Circle," a series that will be profiling companies and organizations that offer biodegradable and recyclable products or services -- both in the New York City area and beyond. Albe Zakes will admit it. While in school at the University of Colorado, he was a “frustrated environmentalist.” “I felt like too many environmental non-profits [organizations] refused to work with major companies,” he said. “It was always petition, letter-write, protest, and picket instead of coming to the board room table and trying to work with them.”

For today's post during this TerraCycle Refresher week on our blog, I'm sharing a list and description of what items we collect for TerraCycle here at Blue Ridge. Glue Bottles/Sticks Any size Elmer's brand glue sticks and plastic glue bottles are acceptable. Only Elmer's please! We earn $0.02 per item.ri

Youngsters in Jayme Denis’ second-grade class at the Benton Harbor Charter School show off some of the items they are recycling for a profit. John Madill / H-P staff Students learning to keep more waste out of landfills BENTON HARBOR - Two Twin Cities-area schools are finding a little gold in going green with help from a New Jersey-based recycling business. But perhaps more valuable are the lessons, say organizers. "I think it's a worthwhile project for the students to learn that they can take care of the world they live in, and to promote a better way to treat the gifts that we have," said Principal Dave Snyder at Grace Lutheran School in Royalton Township. Grace Lutheran and Benton Harbor Charter School are working with Trenton, N.J.,-based TerraCycle, which specializes in collecting difficult-to-recycle items and keeping them out of landfills. The company contributes cash or gifts for the material school "bridgades" send in. The company pays for postage.

TerraCycle began out of a business plan contest. Tom Szaky wanted to establish a company that would convert waste into fertilizer by feeding it to worms and then utilizing their poop. Apparently he had some success with it previously and wanted to give it a go. I think that is such a completely random idea but certainly helps keep the planet a bit more waste efficient. According to Wikipedia: Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. This company makes wallets, bookbags, purses, kites, pencil pouches, picture frames, clocks, flower pots and a ton of other household objects out of materials that would have otherwise been rotting in a landfill somewhere. In the beginning, they were approached independently by Honest Tea, Stonyfeild and Clif Bar who all had problems with the disposal of their product wrappers and containers. This is what triggered their "upcycling" shift and pretty soon they became partners with a bunch of huge names like Nabisco, Capri-Sun and Frito Lay. To collect the waste, they set up programs through partnerships through schools and businesses and popular brands looking to promote more recycling of their packaging. These establishments would have collection boxes set up, specified for particular items that TerraCycle is interested in upcycling. People would put their trash in them and then the bins would be sent off and the trash would be converted into something useful. Garbage Moguls was a reality tv show on TerraCycle that aired a few years back on National Geographic. It followed the unorthodox creative processes that make their company successful. I think that this company is taking giant leaps in a direction that might make our planet last a little longer. It's important that we start working now to ensure that we can continue to live safe and healthy lives here for generations to come.

Mark Fritzler, 8th grade, left, and Zack Parman, 7th grade, right, count the recycled Capri Sun juice concentrate drink during her lunch hour at St. Elizabeth School in Reese. Students are encouraged to recycle their Capri Sun drink containers after use for a school recycling program. REESE — Just by eating lunch, students at St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School are fundraising for their school. The students separate their Capri Sun pouches from the rest of their waste and send the popular juice boxes to TerraCycle, who in return give the school $0.02 for every juice pouch recycled. St. Elizabeth is among 40,000 organizations participating in the TerraCycle program. After two weeks of lunches, St. Elizabeth collected about 270 juice pouches, said Gabriela Marguery, school principal. They have participated in the program for eighteen months. While the $5.40 collected does not seem like much raised over two weeks, Marguery said, but the amount adds up. “With $5, there’s something we can do,” she said. “It helps pay for a field trip. The important thing for them is you’re recycling and helping the school.” The school has even incorporated recycling into their curriculum, with a “Take Care of God’s Creation” unit. Luke Holtz, son of Nicki and Todd Holtz of Reese said he brings a juice pouch nearly every day for the school’s fundraiser. “(Recycling) is fun, you can help pick up at your house,” he said. Alyssa Brow, the daughter of Todd and Cheryl Brow of Buena Vista Township said she recycles her juice pouches at school, and her food and canned goods at home “so it doesn’t make the world dirty.” The recycling program at St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School doubles as a fundraiser. The students separate their Capri Sun juice pouches from the rest of their refuse and each pouch generates 2 cents for the school. The day this was filmed, the school earned $5.40 from the 270 pouches over a two-week period. Zack Parman, son of Kathy and Stan Parman of Bridgeport Township, a 7th grader at the school helps count the recycled packages every two weeks. He said he doesn’t mind helping out because fundraising ultimately helps the school, paying for field trips, balls and lighting in the gymnasium. “We partner with these companies, these brands, to provide a solution for their packaging at the end of its life,” said Lauren Taylor, director, U.S. public relations for TerraCycle. The company partners with many companies like Kraft Foods, Frito Lay, Revolution Foods, Bare Naked, Colgate, Elmers and Logitech. They recycle and “upcycle” the discarded packaging. Recycling turns the product into something new and unrecognizable from its original form, but upcycling creates something recognizable from a product’s original form, like a Capri Sun purse or pencil case, or a backpack made out of chip bags. “We have a lot of schools that participate, but anyone can get involved,” Taylor said. “Offices, community groups, anybody can get involved to make a difference.”

Are you looking for a great earth-friendly gift for your friends and family? Well a backpack made out of juice pouches, or a wallet made out of candy wrappers would be perfect for this holiday season. Lucky for you, TerraCycle makes those kind of products. TerraCycle is a company that diverts trash from landfills and creates new products out of it. Terra means earth, so TerraCycle is earth-cycling. TerraCyclewas founded in 2006 by Tom Szaky, 29. It all started in college when Tom and his friends started feeding the leftovers from their cafeteria to worms, and selling liquid worm poop in used bottles at hardware stores. Since then, they have grown to become "one of the fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world." In only three years, more than 20 million people are helping to collect trash in more than 70 thousand worldwide locations. In 2006, Inc. Magazine named TerraCycle "The Coolest Little Start-Up in America!"