Rutgers recently joined the Gillette University Razor Recycling program, which encourages students to recycle their used razor products for a chance to win prizes throughout the year in the program’s sweepstakes. The program, which is run by Gillette, works in partnership with TerraCycle, a recycling company that works toward eliminating waste. The partnership has created the world’s first national razor recycling program, which works to help recycle approximately 2 billion razors that are thrown away each year, according to the program’s website. “Razors are an often overlooked waste stream because of their inability to be recycled through traditional methods, like your town’s curbside recycling program,” said Mary Ellen Dowd, a communications associate at TerraCycle. “Programs like this one give the consumer the opportunity to divert their razors from landfill while turning them into new, recycled products.” Dowd said the program will work with universities by allowing students to register with their college emails, which will allow them to enter the sweepstakes for prizes. The students who enter the program can then find their local public drop-off location where they can dispose of their used disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and associated packaging at any participating location near their campus. “Once collected, the razors and their associated plastic packaging are cleaned and sorted by material composition to be later broken down and remolded into new recycled products,” Dowd said. She said that through the sweepstakes, the program has offered various prizes for college students to win, including tickets to NFL games at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and other various Gillette products. Dowd said the idea for the partnership between Gillette and TerraCycle to collaborate with universities came from their hope to engage college students in razor recycling. The participation of Rutgers students and other university students across the country is vital for the success of this purpose, she said. She said the recycling programs run by TerraCycle are grassroots, community-based efforts, and all students at the University are encouraged to participate in the recycling program for the opportunity to divert a waste stream from landfills, which are already overcrowded. Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, said the organization’s mission is to "eliminate the idea of waste" and provide solutions to help encourage people to recycle items that do not seem to be traditionally recyclable curbside. “Through our partnership with Gillette, we are working to inspire Rutgers students to rethink what is waste as well as help foster awareness that solutions do exist for items that may seem otherwise unrecyclable,” Szaky said.