Instead of throwing out their garbage this summer, hikers and park-goers have another option for their non-recyclable trash after they pack it out: sending it free of charge to pioneering company TerraCycle to be recycled. TerraCycle collects people’s trash and recycles the non-recyclable into eco-friendly, affordable, and practical products. The “leave no trace” policy, which has evolved into the “pack it in, pack it out” policy of taking all your trash out with you, is furthered by TerraCycle’s Brigade program. People can send in difficult-to-recycle food wrappers for recycling and upcycling and earn cash for charity. Usually, wrappers from products including Kashi, Bear Naked, CLIF BAR, and Revolution Foods, among others, are non-recyclable.

About: TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste. We do this by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and start sending us waste. TerraCycle then converts the collected waste into a wide variety of products and materials. Denim Laptop Bag: The ultimate Eco-Friendly laptop case. This uber cool denim laptop case is constructed of pieces of scrap denim that normally would be tossed in a landfill. Wine Cork Board: Waste wine corks collected through cork brigades along with the wood frame to create a fun way to pin up notes and clear up landfills. The dimensions of the wine corkboard are 16″ by 16″.

As you may know, Ecorazzi is 5 years old this month! In order to celebrate, we have lined up a “5″ themed giveaway extravaganza. Beginning August 8, 2011, we’ll be holding five days of giveaways full of fabulous eco-awesomeness. That will be followed by a week-long sweepstakes to enter to win a $595 prize package from LovingEco. Here’s how it will all go down. Everyday we have a different giveaway and multiple ways to enter to win. Check back on Ecorazzi.com daily for the latest details on how to enter that day’s giveaway. Tuesday: Terracycle, Denim Laptop Bag & Wine Cork Board ($44 value, multiple winners)

Westwood has certainly shown its fair share of effort in educating residents on how to be environmentally friendly by engaging in recycling best practices. But the truth of the matter is, not everything can be recycled. That, however, doesn't mean the only other destination for such items is a landfill. Now, thanks to a company known as TerraCycle, these items can be "upcycled".