TerraCycle have just joined forces with Danone to help reduce landfill.  What’s more you can raise money for charity or for a school by collecting Danone yoghurt pots. Terracycle will upcycle and recycle your collected waste materials into new products.  Take a look at the TerraCycle site to see the range of products you can buy.

So what's behind this new project? Albe says that it more than just another fundraiser, its goal is to address, head on, the issue of landfill proliferation and environmental education, through a simple, beneficial means that involves teachers and students.

Eco-firm TerraCycle has launched a scheme to recycle used school writing instruments. It will pay schools 2p for every pen, pencil or marker collected. To sign up for the scheme, go to www.terracycle.co.uk

Terracycle have started a new programme for schools where all money raised through it goes to the school. It also teaches children about social responsibility and encourages them to think about their own impact on the environment.

TerraCycle is a pioneer of 'upcycling', which is the process of directly reusing materials that would otherwise have a very short lifecycle to make more-durable, longer-lasting products. There are now three free upcycling programmes in Britain, called Brigades, collecting yogurt pots, coffee pcks and discs, and baby food pouches.

The programme is beneficial in many ways. Students are educated about recycling, reusing and resource conservation while also be inspired by knowing that making a difference can be fun and easy! Meanwhile schools can earn much needed funding, while running a programme that is already educational!

Tom Szaky wants to be the rag-and-bone man to the world, collecting the  rubbish no one else wants – cigarette butts, razors, expired pills and  plastic food wrappers – and turning an enormous profit by finding new uses  for it. His US-based company TerraCycle already has rubbish collecting and re­cycling  operations in six countries and expects to launch in 11 more (including  Japan, Australia and Sweden) in the next year. He launched TerraCycle in  Britain last September and in Ireland this month. 'We’re just a $40 million company at the moment,’ he says. But he plans to  become the Google of garbage. 'A billion-dollar company doesn’t seem that  big… why not!’

The winner of the activity, run in partnership with upcycling company TerraCycle, will win a trip to New York and see their design become a reality.

The one issue remaining was that most councils are unable to recycle our pouches. That’s why we were really excited when we came across Terracycle. Terracycle’s upcycling brigades are massive in the US but Ella’s Kitchen is only the second company to run a programme with Terracycle here in the UK following Kenco’s launch last year.

The winner’s family will also win a trip to New York to visit the headquarters of recycling company TerraCycle where they will have the chance to see their winning design turned into reality. As part of the campaign, Ben will also be taking part in a national ‘roadshow’ (stopping off at Chester Zoo and Longleat Park along the way) to encourage as many kids and their families to take part from the local area.