http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/2014/02/progressive-waste-solutions-acquires-stake-in-specialist-recycling-firm-terracycle.html

http://www.forumforthefuture.org/greenfutures/articles/vancouver-recycling-scheme-tackles-cigarette-butts

Local members of the Surfrider Foundation have a simple message for smokers: Hold on to your butt. The environmental group’s multi-city campaign urges smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts somewhere other than streets, parks and beaches, proclaiming: Beaches and Streets Are Not Ashtrays. For now, there is a single disposal canister for spent cigarettes on Broad Street next to the Victoria Event Centre, but the plan is to add several more. Six additional units have been ordered and places to install them will be identified, said Lucas Harris, vice-chairman of Surfrider’s South Island Chapter. “We’re just chomping at the bit to start getting these things out there and spread the word in the community so that people see them in the street.” Smoker Bernard Boerkamp walked past the Broad Street container Friday and said he welcomes it. “I always look for places like this,” he said, cigarette in hand. “The streets are full of butts.” Another fan is Darren Douglas, part of the Downtown Victoria Business Association Clean Team. Douglas’s regular routine has him picking up all sorts of trash from streets and sidewalks, and he said cigarette butts are always in good supply. He said you can find butts almost anywhere, but they can be a real problem outside night spots.“Years ago, they used to have ashtrays everywhere,” Douglas said as he made his rounds along Broad. He said he is all for having disposal units geared to smokers, but questioned whether they would be used. “Like garbage cans, people throw their stuff right beside them.” Surfrider plans to ship the collected butts to TerraCycle, a recycling outfit. “One of the focuses of Surfrider is to get cigarette butts out of ocean, out of the garbage stream, off the ground,” said Mike Redpath, a member of the group. “Cigarette material is recyclable.” Plastic from cigarette filters can be used in building pallets, while the leftover paper and tobacco can be composted.

http://www.electro-sigarette.com/blog/electronic-cigarette-news/cigarette-butt-recycling-program-vancouver/

http://www.resource.co/resource-use/article/vancouver-becomes-%E2%80%98first%E2%80%99-city-recycle-cigarettes

Old Boys and students intern with TerraCycle Nine lucky Upper Canada College students spent the summer as the first-ever high school interns at TerraCycle, one of the world's most innovative eco-employers. TerraCycle chief executive officer and Old Boy Tom Szaky '01 has rallied more than 35 million people in 22 countries to collect package waste that his company turns into new products like backpacks and pencil cases. "We are committed to providing every intern the opportunity to lead and develop several major projects of their own," says Szaky, whose Trenton, N.J.-based company also has a North York, Ont. office where the UCC students interned. The interns had positions in business development, marketing and video production and Szaky says they had the opportunity to "see the initiative through from inception to fruition, enabling them to realize their results and truly understand the impact of their efforts." TerraCycle has been a media darling since it launched in 2001 by producing fertilizer made from "worm poop" packaged in reused containers. It now enlists more than 20 large companies -- including Garnier, Maple Leaf and Old Navy -- which benefit from the good publicity involved with the collection and upcycling of its refuse. The New York Times has featured Szaky as a guest blogger on small business issues and he's a guest industry expert on CNBC Prime's reality competition television series, Crowd Rules. "I like TerraCycle because they are a very innovative company, constantly finding new methods to deal with challenges," says UCC internship recipient Winker Xiao '13. "It is the only company in its field due to such a high level of innovation." Bruce Chi ’13 wrote this about his TerraCycle experience: "I had the privilege to intern at TerraCycle Canada, an innovative recycling and upcycling social enterprise that strives to eliminate the idea of waste from planet earth. It has been truly a fulfilling experience. Working in a dynamic setting filled with innovative upcycled decorations, having the freedom to initiate and implement outreach projects, learning from inspiring and talented coworkers, working toward a righteous cause that is making a huge impact in the world, we could not have expected anything more. "Most of the interns were involved in at least one of the three aspects of the company, marketing, account management and business development. "As marketing interns, we came up with our own outreach project and persuaded organizations to participate in TerraCycle’s recycling program. Take the summer camp outreach project as an example. Three interns worked on that project. We came up with a general outreach plan, email script, phone script and designed posters and other promotional resources. After that painstaking process, we would then start calling camp counselors. In good times, we could get a few camps to sign up, which boosted our confidence. But in 'rainy' days, out of one hundred summer camps we called, none would sign up. Despite our disappointments, we learned a lot about how to deal with failures. We learned not to be distracted from defeats and focus on the work for the future. "As business development interns, we researched different companies that have the potential to collect for TerraCycle, mined for contacts of their brand managers, and drafted emails to those brand managers for partnership. Through these, we learned about the marketing techniques of different companies, the importance of speaking their business language, and all other strategies to successfully approach potential business partners. "As account management interns, we designed and customized presentations to TerraCycle’s clients, such as GoGo squeeZ. For each presentation, we brainstormed creative activities, such as Eco-Product Design Contest, to engage collectors and TerraCycle’s business clients. "Overall, we learned so much from TerraCycle Canada. We learned that it is not about what your company can do for you, but what you can do for the company; we learned to always try our best at whatever we do and exceed other people’s expectations; we learned to never be picky about the jobs we are given as long as they can make contributions to the team; we learned that despite the challenges ahead, we should always remain optimistic and hopeful."

Beyond great taste and affordability, Sally’s is also a smart cereal choice that’s more sustainable for the environment, packaged in bags instead of boxes – which means 75 percent less consumer packaging waste compared to comparably sized bag-in-box cereals. In addition, Sally’spartners with TerraCycle Canada^®, an international recycling company, to turn cereal bags into useful products and support schools in the process. For every Sally’s bag collected by Sally’s Cereal Bag Brigade, TerraCycle and Sally’s will contribute $.02 to the designated charity or school of choice.

  Maple Leaf Foods, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Garnier, a subsidiary of L’Oreal, USA, New York, NY, collaborate with Toronto-based TerraCycle Canada and TerraCycle headquarters, Trenton, NJ, respectively, to recycle packaging waste. The upcycler collects packaging from consumers who buy Maple Leaf’s Schneiders® Lunchmate® kits or Garnier beauty-care products. “By partnering with TerraCycle, we’re able to turn used Lunchmate kits into great new products and divert waste from landfills,” explains Kate Beresford, director, marketing, Maple Leaf Foods. “To support everyone who joins our mission, the Schneiders® Lunchmate® Brigade will donate two cents to a school or nonprofit organization of the participant’s choice for each package that’s returned.” Schneiders® Lunchmate® Brigade participants simply sign up at www.terracycle.ca to join and then fill any box with used Lunchmate kit packaging. When the box is full, the participant logs into his/her account, prints a prepaid UPS shipping label and sends the box to TerraCycle at no cost. TerraCycle records the amount collected and sends earned donations to the specified recipients twice a year. The packaging waste is repurposed into new materials and products, which TerraCycle sells online.

 With help from collectors across Canada, TerraCycle gathered more than 5 million cigarette butts in the first year of its Cigarette Waste Brigade program. The program, which started in Canada but is now expanding across the globe, recycles and creates eco-friendly primary products from cigarette waste.