Albe Zakes is constantly surrounded by a shrine to garbage. The desks in his office are made from old doors, the walls from soda bottles, and the front showroom covered in recycled Astroturf. The desk dividers are made from vinyl records, and graffiti covers every wall. But considering his job, the workplace makes sense: he’s in charge of media relations for TerraCycle Inc., which sells consumer products made from recycled waste. The company launched in 2001, selling worm poop as fertilizer to retailers like Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Now, TerraCycle recycles items like Frito-Lay chip bags, Clif Bar wrappers, and Capri Sun pouches to create tote bags, iPhone cases, and MP3 speakers.

I was given the opportunity to work with Megan from TerraCycle and do a product review. I first stumbled across TerraCycle when searching ways to recycle and was drawn in. TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste. TerraCycle has created national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. They have many different Brigades that anyone can join. When you join TerraCycle pick the Brigades that fits your family the most. There are plenty brigades to choose from candy wrapper to digital camera to wine corks. My family is doing the drink pouch brigade. Since my 4 year drink them all day. Whatever one you choose to sign up for all you do is just start collecting the product.

Belinda McDowell, Cincinnati Recycling Examiner July 24, 2011 This summer many Americans will have many barbecues, celebrations, and parties. So what are you doing with all the chip bags, cookie bags, juice drink containers that are generated from all these festivities this summer? Don’t throw them away! TerraCycle is here to help. TerraCycle is an organization that focuses on reducing waste by creating products with those items that are difficult to recycle or can not be recycled. The organization was founded by a Princeton University freshman in 2001 when he began producing organic fertilizer, packing liquid worm poop in used soda bottles. Waste is collected through brigades and anyone can join or create their own brigade. The waste are collected, sorted and sent to TerraCycle through the brigades. The brigades will earn 2 points or $0.02 per item collected. These points can be redeemable for planting trees, feeding the hungry, providing clean water to global communities, or cash to a non-profit of charity of choice. The types of waste streams collected include drink pouches, yogurt containers, candy wrappers, cookie packaging, MARS drinks fresh packs, chip bags, energy bar wrappers, bear naked packaging, kashi packaging, scott brand packaging and cereal bags just to name a few! For the complete list of waste streams collected go to TerraCycle.net

Ever wonder about how much waste comes from the packaging that covers many of the items you bring home from the grocery store? If we recycle so many items, why is it that we do not recycle these other plastics and packaging materials? Terracycle is a company that caters to local communities, including the South Bend and surrounding areas. They take non-recyclable trash, and turn it into something that can be used again. Packaging that may not seem to be recyclable can be. Terracycle has partnered with Frito-Lay, Kraft Cheese, Solo, and Scott to reduce the amount of waste being thrown away. With the weather being warmer, many are having outdoor picnics and many of the food items people bring to such events are just thrown away, destined for our already overflowing landfills. Terracycle offers a way to get rid of your waste responsibly.

While I was reading Daniel Goleman’s book Ecological Intelligence, I was struck by the phrase cradle to cradle. I had heard cradle to grave before, meaning that most of the items we purchase end up in landfills, or essentially the “grave” to sit for endless amounts of time never really going away. The notion cradle to cradle means that everything we buy should in some way biodegrade and go back to nature or be recycled into a new product (Goleman, 2009). My guess is that many of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about this concept or where our products go after we get rid of them. I was so struck by this notion that products could actually go from cradle to cradle that I started looking into this a little more. A few years ago the PTA at my school decided to start collecting Frito Lay bags for an organization called Terracycle (terracycle.net). Perfect timing. I hadn’t heard of Terracycle at this point, but was looking for a way to get away from the cradle to grave habit. When I looked at the website, I realized Terracycle has a handle on this cradle to cradle concept! They take common household garbage (Frito Lay bags, Mars candy wrappers, etc.) and make new products from it. Backpacks, purses, you name it! I was eager to get started with this school-wide project, so I introduced it to my 5th grade class and for an entire school year we collected Frito Lay bags. This snack seemed to be a class favorite, producing about 5-10 bags per day for snack time! While we never calculated the total amount of bags we collected, I’d have to easily guess it was over 800 bags. Imagine that from just one classroom! I don’t think too many of my colleagues shared my enthusiasm for this project, but I was still happy to do my share. If my calculations are correct, there are about 2 million classrooms in the USA! Wow, could there really be about a billion Frito Lay bags floating around schools in the US?

Newtown Elementary School students help sort TerraCycle items during the 2010-2011 school year. Do something good for the planet and your neighborhood Friday. It’s as simple as donating your trash. Yes, you heard right. Trash. Since October, Newtown Elementary School has been participating in TerraCycle recycling. The school is holding its first of two TerraCycle recycling summer collection days on Friday. TerraCycle, headquartered in Trenton, N.J., specializes in making consumer products from, well, trash. For example, the company makes bags from Capri Sun pouches, and other products from chip bags, plastic baggies, candy wrappers, etc.