“Chip Tote” by TerraCycle [SEE LINK FOR PHOTO] Add a little whimsey to all your journeys with this tote made from recycled Lays potato chip bags. This funky tote will bring a smile to any traveler’s face, and it’s perfect for stowing carry-on essentials. Price: $12.99

Frito-Lay is constantly looking at ways to improve our environment and has recently partnered with TerraCycle to turn waste into new products. Your used packaging will be given a second lifecycle as an everyday product, like a clipboard, tote bag, or trash can. All you have to do is collect used Frito-Lay chip bags and send them to TerraCycle. They even pay the postage! For your help in advancing the "zero-landfill" initiative, for each bag you send in, $0.02 will be donated to the school or non-profit organization of your choice. Small steps can make a big difference if everyone helps out! Find out how to participate.

When it comes to advertising that highlights green products, no one has gone as far as TerraCycle. TerraCycle is a company that provides free waste collection programs for hard to recycle materials. They then turn the waste into affordable green product in which then you can buy. TerraCycle offers green products for sale ranging in categories from home, office, school, and more. Their goal in mind is to eliminate the idea of waste. TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, at the time, a 20-year-old Princeton University freshman. TerraCycle began by producing organic fertilizer, packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles. Since then TerraCycle has grown into one of the fastest-growing green companies in the world. In the past couple years, you have seen the dramatic uprising of green advertising and products. At the time, it almost seemed like a movement and a trend of its own. In regarding to its selling ability, as of late I believe that it is successful. Nowadays, I believe more and more people are starting to become more environment conscious. Mass quantities of eco-friendly products are available for purchase such as hybrid cars, energy efficient light bulbs and others for example. Its being shelved everywhere, and this new fad appears to at least make you consider products that benefits the environment. It makes the buyer feel good about themselves. Why buy a product that is rather hurting or not even helping the environment? Even though I think the going green movement seems to specialize and cater to certain groups of people, I envision green products to continue to incline.

The ultimate solution to recycling is perhaps the ability to turn waste material or trash into cash. TerraCycle is well established recycling and upcycling company which do exactly that through a simple but powerful goal: “eliminate the idea of waste.” The idea is to use find the value in each hard to recycle product and upcycle it turning waste into a profitable and eco-friendly business. They do this by creating national recycling systems and collection networks for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste and using the waste to create marketable items. These regional recycling programs are increasing in numbers and are available to everyone. They regularly receive contributions from all over the world, waste material which they then convert into a wide variety of products and materials. With more than 20 million people collecting waste in 14 countries TerraCycle has diverted billions of units of waste and used them to create over 1,500 different products available at major retailers. So next time you are thinking about turning Trash into cash, just pick up the phone and call TerraCycle. Founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a 20-year-old Princeton University freshman, TerraCycle began by producing organic fertilizer, packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles. Since then TerraCycle has grown into one of the fastest-growing green companies in the world. Find out more about them

Which brings us to garbage. Albe Zakes – VP at Terracycle, told us how they have grown from a 2-man dorm room operation to a global phenomenon that collects and repurposes waste in 15 countries on 4 continents. Repurposing brand waste has become the real focus... repurpose and reuse being the key words. TerraCycle has changed the debate on brand responsibility. They realized every brand has a waste issue, most all their packaging is non recyclable and brands are not stepping up to deal with it. They pitched brands that spend millions on this packaging and branding to reuse their brand packaging and avoid the pollution of landfills and incineration. It is catching on. Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, Mars, Kimberly-Clark, L’Oreal Coca Cola and others have signed up and created partnerships.