Terracycle is a program that was started in the middle of the Fall 2011 semester here at SUNY New Paltz and has quickly gained recognition around campus. Terracycle is a company that sponsors the recycling of items that are not usually recycled such as chip bags, candy wrappers, drink pouches, etc. The three collection bins around campus are located on the first floor of the Student Union building, the first floor of Hasbrouck Dining Hall, and the Backstage Café at Parker Theater.

Thermoformed packaging such as blister packs and clamshells typically end up in landfills, even though many of them are made of PC PET, the material that is blow molded into soft drink and water bottles and highly recyclable. That’s a problem for manufacturers concerned about the sustainability of their products and product packaging. But realities of the economics of recycling will probably prevent the widespread recycling of thermoform-grade RPET for some time to come. (The “R” of RPET means the polymer comprises virgin material plus regrind, or recycled content.) In a pilot study conducted by thermoform packaging maker Dordan Manufacturing in Woodstock, Ill., the company shipped 50 of its RPET clamshells to a local recycling facility to determine how well the containers could be sorted. The automated waste-management facility that accepted the RPET samples sort different kinds of polymers using optics

Stuart Walker was so disgusted by the smell of recycling bins during his first day as a member of Kemptown Elementary School's recycling club, he said he felt like putting a clothespin on his nose. Now the fifth-grader is signing up for a second stint with the club.

Tim McNulty had a satisfying career in high tech sales in California’s Silicon Valley and he and his wife, Chi Park, had adventures living and working in Amsterdam and Germany. But after the birth of their two children, now six and four, something seemed to be missing and that was having family nearby. McNulty grew up in Minnesota and his wife grew up outside of Philadelphia—so the couple decided to move east to be closer to family. And since they were making such a big change in where they lived, Tim McNulty decided to make a change in where he worked,

Happy TerraCycle Tuesday! Today we're examining the Cereal Bag Brigade.

Community of Faith's Stepping Stones ministry participates in TerraCycle, a fundraising through recycling program. The following list of items may be brought to church and droped off in the TerraCycle bin located next to the Stepping Stones registration desk. Last year this program raised over $1,200 for use in commuity and other special projects.

Upcycling is a term not many of us are familiar with, but nonetheless an important concept that differs from recycling. According to Wikipedia, “upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.” Upcycling makes something of equal or better value without downgrading the original material or creating more pollution during the process.  Recycling requires additional processing, is less environmentally friendly, and is not necessarily of better value.  For example, the quality of recycled paper or plastic is lower than that of new paper or plastic.

The 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) is no longer simply a mantra for environmental activists, it’s a ticket to saving you money while you consider the planet. The 3Rs ask you to buy less, reuse more, and recycle products at the end of their useful life-wonderful guiding principles for reducing our environmental footprint and bringing our lifestyles into balance with nature. But in practice, how many of us are really willing to cut back on the stuff we want to own, to reuse what we’d like to throw out, and to recycle when doing so is often incredibly inconvenient?

December 1st-February 23th 3 Top Schools Receive Bonus Points that are turned into Cash Bonus points Awarded to Top Schools Could get 2,500.00 extra! Please Continue to Send in TerraCycle Materials Complete List on East Amwell’s Website

TRENTON, N.J., January 5, 2012 – In an effort to divert more waste from landfills and help businesses engage local communities, recycling and upcycling pioneer TerraCycle is encouraging dental offices to sign up for the Oral Care Brigade, a free recycling program for oral care products, by offering free local marketing campaigns to offices that sign up. By joining the Brigade and collecting previously non-recyclable toothbrushes, tooth paste tubes, tooth paste caps and floss containers , dental offices can offer their existing customers and the local community an easy way to earn extra funding for local schools or charities, while also creating free marketing and consumer engagement opportunities.