Environmentalists who play the guitar—listen up. The Instrumental Music Center is celebrating Earth Day and National Guitar Month in a way that will help you rock your world. The center will host a guitar recycling and restringing event on Thursday, April 7. All you have to do is bring in old guitar strings, and event sponsor D'Addario's people will restring your instrument—electric or acoustic—with NYXL or nickel bronze acoustic strings for free.

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful's 2015 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program helped to achieve a 52% reduction in cigarette litter in the participating communities, marking a 4% increase over its 2014 outcome. Moving forward, the nonprofit will award 49 grants worth a total of $240,000 to downtown associations, park and recreation areas, and organizations to address litter and implement the program in their communities this year.

In February, the San Francisco school board voted to let city middle schools give condoms to students. The controversial decision made headlines. Will access to condoms encourage kids to have sex? Or is The City simply helping students have sex safely? Similar questions loom as The City considers providing resources for another stigmatized activity: smoking cigarettes.

Calling all musicians! What happens when you break a string? You toss them in the trash, right? Most people do, and these strings are contributing to the more than 1.5 million pounds of string metal sitting in landfills every year. However, you can go a more sustainable route.

Joliet Junior College staff and students have been working toward sustainability at the college and plan to host events on the initiative in April. JJC sustainability coordinator Maria Anna Rafac said sustainability is more than just addressing environmental concerns – it’s about economics and equity. “You cannot think of a career where sustainability in the broadest sense isn’t being used,” she said.

Forbes Communications Council member company TerraCycle announced a new partnership with Staples to sell its Zero Waste Boxes, containers that recycle hard-to-recycle waste. “Since Staples is the largest office products company, this is a really exciting platform for us,” said member Lauren Taylor, TerraCycle’s Global Director of PR and Content. “It’s a great opportunity for individuals and offices to recycle items they’ve been throwing away.”

Don't throw out your empty baby food pouches and used mascara; upcycle it! So far, upcycling from Sustainable Westford has raised about $11,759.80 for Westford schools and has saved 6,649 pounds of trash from entering the waste stream, according to the Sustainable Westford website. Sustainable Westford's upcycle program can accept: foil drink pouches and their straws; energy and granola bar wrappers; chip bags; oral care products including toothbrushes and toothpaste containers (the heads of electrical toothbrushes cannot be accepted); and writing instruments excluding wooden pencils.

In celebration of Earth Day 2016, Emma Havens Young PTA is hosting a Clothing Drive and TerraCycle Waste Collection Drive on 4/16 from 8-1. EHY PTA has organized a clothing and waste collection drive to keep items out of our landfills, raise community awareness on recycling, and help raise vital funds for student enrichment programs. This fundraising event will take place on Saturday, 4/16 from 8am-1pm in the back parking lot of EHY (43 Drum Point Rd).

Catherine E. Doyle Elementary School had a visit from the Colgate Bright Smiles Van Friday as part of the TerraCycle Playground Contest, in which the school won second place. Nearly 200 students received screenings, and children especially enjoyed the goody bags and the cartoons that played inside and outside the van.