(NAPSI)—People around the U.S. are increasingly bringing the “green” back to their neighborhoods. In addition to initiatives like Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) and environmental education through the schools, residents are starting to focus much of their attention on building long-lasting landmarks such as community gardens. The American Community Gardening Association estimates that there are already 18,000 community gardens throughout the country, and for good reason. According to Minnesota nonprofit Green Matters, community gardens decrease crime in urban areas with little vegetation, increase the value of properties in the surrounding area and can help locals save money on food through garden-generated produce. Instead of driving to a distant supermarket for produce or a faraway park for some green space, it’s just a matter of walking over to the nearby garden. The health benefits associated with these gardens show how important open garden spaces can be to otherwise “greenless” urban environments. In 2013, University of Utah researchers found that residents who get involved with community garden projects have recognizably lower body mass indexes than nongardeners, with less chance of being overweight. Not only that, fresh produce from community gardens is less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than other kinds and can be used to teach kids about better nutrition. Organizations such as GrowNYC try to make neighborhood gardens more prevalent. It has already helped establish more than 70 community gardens in New York City, one made with recycled beauty waste with the help of Garnier and recycling company TerraCycle. Initiatives like these not only help establish community gardens in areas with otherwise sparse vegetation, but get the public involved, increase environmental awareness, and educate the community at the same time. Assistant Director Lenny Librizzi shared these tips for getting involved in a community garden. • Look Online—Well-organized community gardens usually have websites or Facebook groups. • Visit—Take a walk through nearby gardens to see which one you’re most drawn to. • Get Your Hands Dirty—Being a member of a community garden is about more than just growing vegetables. All members should expect to help with common areas, composting, watering, or volunteering time.Ê • If At First You Don’t Succeed—Each garden has different rules and management systems. If you don’t feel like you’re gelling with the group, try out another one or consider starting your own. Organizations such as the National Recreation and Park Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer grant programs to communities to help fund garden projects. Some companies are also helping. For example, TerraCycle and Garnier will bring another Garnier Green Garden made out of recycled beauty waste to one of five urban areas in the U.S. in a contest decided by a public vote. To vote and learn more, visit www.green.garnierusa.com.

(NAPSI)—People around the U.S. are increasingly bringing the “green” back to their neighborhoods. In addition to initiatives like Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) and environmental education through the schools, residents are starting to focus much of their attention on building long-lasting landmarks such as community gardens. The American Community Gardening Association estimates that there are already 18,000 community gardens throughout the country, and for good reason. According to Minnesota nonprofit Green Matters, community gardens decrease crime in urban areas with little vegetation, increase the value of properties in the surrounding area and can help locals save money on food through garden-generated produce. Instead of driving to a distant supermarket for produce or a faraway park for some green space, it’s just a matter of walking over to the nearby garden. The health benefits associated with these gardens show how important open garden spaces can be to otherwise “greenless” urban environments. In 2013, University of Utah researchers found that residents who get involved with community garden projects have recognizably lower body mass indexes than nongardeners, with less chance of being overweight. Not only that, fresh produce from community gardens is less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than other kinds and can be used to teach kids about better nutrition. Organizations such as GrowNYC try to make neighborhood gardens more prevalent. It has already helped establish more than 70 community gardens in New York City, one made with recycled beauty waste with the help of Garnier and recycling company TerraCycle. Initiatives like these not only help establish community gardens in areas with otherwise sparse vegetation, but get the public involved, increase environmental awareness, and educate the community at the same time. Assistant Director Lenny Librizzi shared these tips for getting involved in a community garden. • Look Online—Well-organized community gardens usually have websites or Facebook groups. • Visit—Take a walk through nearby gardens to see which one you’re most drawn to. • Get Your Hands Dirty—Being a member of a community garden is about more than just growing vegetables. All members should expect to help with common areas, composting, watering, or volunteering time.Ê • If At First You Don’t Succeed—Each garden has different rules and management systems. If you don’t feel like you’re gelling with the group, try out another one or consider starting your own. Organizations such as the National Recreation and Park Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer grant programs to communities to help fund garden projects. Some companies are also helping. For example, TerraCycle and Garnier will bring another Garnier Green Garden made out of recycled beauty waste to one of five urban areas in the U.S. in a contest decided by a public vote. To vote and learn more, visit www.green.garnierusa.com.

(NAPSI)—People around the U.S. are increasingly bringing the “green” back to their neighborhoods. In addition to initiatives like Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) and environmental education through the schools, residents are starting to focus much of their attention on building long-lasting landmarks such as community gardens. The American Community Gardening Association estimates that there are already 18,000 community gardens throughout the country, and for good reason. According to Minnesota nonprofit Green Matters, community gardens decrease crime in urban areas with little vegetation, increase the value of properties in the surrounding area and can help locals save money on food through garden-generated produce. Instead of driving to a distant supermarket for produce or a faraway park for some green space, it’s just a matter of walking over to the nearby garden. The health benefits associated with these gardens show how important open garden spaces can be to otherwise “greenless” urban environments. In 2013, University of Utah researchers found that residents who get involved with community garden projects have recognizably lower body mass indexes than nongardeners, with less chance of being overweight. Not only that, fresh produce from community gardens is less likely to be contaminated with pesticides than other kinds and can be used to teach kids about better nutrition. Organizations such as GrowNYC try to make neighborhood gardens more prevalent. It has already helped establish more than 70 community gardens in New York City, one made with recycled beauty waste with the help of Garnier and recycling company TerraCycle. Initiatives like these not only help establish community gardens in areas with otherwise sparse vegetation, but get the public involved, increase environmental awareness, and educate the community at the same time. Assistant Director Lenny Librizzi shared these tips for getting involved in a community garden. • Look Online—Well-organized community gardens usually have websites or Facebook groups. • Visit—Take a walk through nearby gardens to see which one you’re most drawn to. • Get Your Hands Dirty—Being a member of a community garden is about more than just growing vegetables. All members should expect to help with common areas, composting, watering, or volunteering time.Ê • If At First You Don’t Succeed—Each garden has different rules and management systems. If you don’t feel like you’re gelling with the group, try out another one or consider starting your own. Organizations such as the National Recreation and Park Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer grant programs to communities to help fund garden projects. Some companies are also helping. For example, TerraCycle and Garnier will bring another Garnier Green Garden made out of recycled beauty waste to one of five urban areas in the U.S. in a contest decided by a public vote. To vote and learn more, visit www.green.garnierusa.com.

NEW YORK -- Last year, Garnier and TerraCycle transformed over 1,500 pounds of recycled personal care waste into a one-of-a-kind Garnier Green Garden in New York City. This year, Garnier and TerraCycle have announced the nationwide rollout of the Garnier Green Garden Project, a program designed to create gardens for deserving communities. In a contest called, "Where Should Our Garden Grow?" Garnier and TerraCycle have asked for public participation to help choose the most deserving community organization to receive the next Green Garden, capable of yielding more than 2000 pounds of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. The gardens not only provide communities with a safe space to connect and enjoy nature, but they also allow residents to grow their own fresh food. The beauty waste to be used in the garden is collected through Garnier's Personal Care and Beauty Brigade®, a free recycling and fundraising program that pays for every piece of waste collected and returned to TerraCycle. The collected beauty waste, which would otherwise be destined for landfills, consists of non-recyclable hair care, skin care and cosmetic packaging. These products will be recycled by TerraCycle to create many of the plastic components of the garden, such as raised beds, picnic tables and trash cans. Each Garnier Green Garden will include the following features:

• 100% completely recycled materials
• Designated areas for garden plants
• Rest and seating areas
• Beautiful and practical design and landscaping

Having received hundreds of nominations during the initial contest entry phase, Garnier and TerraCycle narrowed the candidates down to these five deserving organizations. The Green Scheme in Washington, D.C. One of the only African-American-led environmental non-profits in D.C., the Green Scheme's main initiatives are urban agriculture, food security, and health. They use music, fashion and popular culture to draw connections between healing the earth and healing our communities. Their programs educate about such crucial community concerns as environmental issues and access to healthy food options. The ReFresh Project in New Orleans, L.A. The ReFresh Community Farm is a new teaching farm located in Treme/Mid-City New Orleans on the site of the ReFresh Project. This initiative will teach community members how to grow food and find space to grow for themselves. The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative in Detroit, M.I. The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is a non-profit organization based in Detroit's North End community which uses agriculture as a platform to promote education, community, and sustainability. Garfield Park in Chicago, I.L. Garfield Park offers healthy foods and nutritional education in Chicago. They produced over 1,000 pounds of food in their Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden last year. They're also a source of jobs and job training for teens and adults. Social Justice Learning Institute in Los Angeles, C.A. The Social Justice Learning Institute provides a garden for the community to grow food in Inglewood, CA. They offer space for cooking and gardening classes and are committed to community development and helping individuals make healthy decisions for themselves. "We are thrilled to have created a program that impacts the quality of life for an entire community," said David Greenberg, President of Maybelline New York-Garnier-essie. "Our commitment to sustainability isn't just about keeping beauty packaging waste out of landfills, but it's also about reusing that waste and providing afoundation for greener living." "For TerraCycle, collecting beauty waste is only the first part of the story," said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO. "Garnier's decisions to reuse it in a way that not only beautifies a neighborhood, but that can improve the quality of life for the people there, should be a model for other companies that want to give back." The Personal Care and Beauty Brigade is open to any interested individual, school, office or community organization that wants to protect the planet and make a difference. About Garnier Garnier is a mass market cosmetics brand of L'Oréal that produces hair care and skin care products. The company started as Laboratoires Garnier in 1904, and was acquired by L'Oréal in the 1970s. Current product lines include Fructis shampoos and conditioners, and Nutrisse hair color. Garnier is sold in numerous countries wordwide, with specific product lines targeted for different skin types and cultures. In 2011, Garnier partnered with TerraCycle to promote upcycling of product containers and the introduction of biodegradable products. About TerraCycle, Inc. TerraCycle is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world's leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste, working with more than 40 major brands globally to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. TerraCycle repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle's Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned.

In a contest called "Where Should Our Garden Grow?" Garnier and TerraCycle have asked for public participation to help choose the most deserving community organization to receive the next Green Garden, capable of yielding more than 2,000 lbs of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers.