TerraCycle has hit $1 million in drink pouches! That is a lot of juice! They have paid out $1 million to non-profits and nearly 50 million drink pouches collected and kept out of landfills. A million dollars can go a long way in cash-strapped schools and nonprofits. And, when all that’s required is to save items from landfills, it almost sounds too good to be true. True it is. Schools and nonprofits across the country have now earned $1 million through the TerraCycle Drink Pouch Brigade™ program. The Capri Sun beverage brand was one of the earliest supporters of TerraCycle, a company that collects would-be trash and turns it into useful items. The collection program, called the Drink Pouch Brigade, takes place mostly in schools, where children choose to deposit used pouches in special receptacles rather than throw them away. In participating schools, each used drink pouch collected and sent to TerraCycle earns two cents, with the funds going toward needed educational programs and resources.

Northfield-based Kraft has also revisited packaging and advertising. Kraft ditched movie tie-ins on packaging, and nutritional information is more prominent. Most Lunchables trays are now clear, because moms said they wanted to be able to see the food inside. Because the plastic trays aren't recyclable, Kraft moved to avoid "green" criticism by partnering with TerraCycle to convert used Lunchables containers into lunch boxes and pencil cases.

Terracycle is one of those incredibly cool organizations you love to come across. Not only do they help keep our planet a little freer of waste, they make the waste into useful, fun, good-looking products. They have lots of Brigades to help you earn money for your church or school as well. I dig them. A lot! Emily over at Terracycle has offered a few upcycled goodies to giveaway to one lucky My Atlanta Mommy reader. Check these out!!

Students at Bentley School are trying to do their part to help the environment. The school has different recycling containers throughout the building for plastic and paper recycling. In the lunchroom students are encouraged to recycle their foil juice drink containers, granola bar wrappers, candy wrappers, cookie wrappers, chip bags, as well as milk containers, pop cans, and water bottles. Students are encouraged to recycle at home and bring these items back school. The foil juice drink containers, granola bar wrappers, candy wrapper, cookie wrappers, and chip bags are then boxed up and sent to TerraCycle. This company then turns the “trash” into backpacks, lunch bags, folders and more! Last year Bentley students recycled 1,684 Capri Suns, 1,145 Granola/Energy Bar Wrappers, and 396 Chip Bags. We are very proud of our students for all that they are doing to make the world a better place!

There are many ways to help a school earn money through fundraisers, contests and grant applications, but what if your time is limited because of your work schedule or because you're a stay-at-home mom with other little ones still at home with you? Are there ways to help that don't require selling anything or require a whole lot of time that you just don't have right now? Yes, and here a couple of ways to earn money for your school with very little effort on your part. CapriSun's Drink Pouch Brigade <http://brands.kraftfoods.com/caprisun/be-green-earn-green.aspx> -Earn $.02 per CapriSun pouch collected and recycled through TerraCycle. Complete details on CapriSun's website <http://brands.kraftfoods.com/caprisun/be-green-earn-green.aspx> . Talk to your local school of choice to find out if they have established their own brigade so you can contribute drink pouches or start your own, ask if you can visit during lunch or snack time and collect the empty drink pouches and you don't even have to pay the postage to send them in.

I'm happy to announce that I am totally becoming a green Queen. Sure I still have my faults. I love to use plastic bags and paper plates but I do recycle them. On the other hand I have tried out eco-friendly recycled plates, bio-degradable bags and many other eco-friendly products! Yet, sometimes I run into some products that the recycle center won't pick up or that could be used somewhere else. That's where Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  comes in. I first heard about Terracycle through Bare Naked Granola. My husband and I love to eat BN Granola with our yogurt for breakfast. On the back I noticed an ad telling you that you could send in your empty BN bags and they could be upcyled into something new. How about something new and cool! I've seen everything from Backpacks to umbrellas! Here's a little bit more about Terracycle! This video explains it the best and I'm a visual person so I thought I would share. It really helped to clarify it all for me.

It makes cents to recycle - two cents per waste product, to be exact. That's how much some central Arkansas schools are making each time they turn in a piece of trash to Terracycle. TerraCycle takes products that previously could not be recycled, like Capri Sun packages and many food wrappers, and "upcycles" them- creating things like Starburst insulated lunchboxes and Capri Sun backpacks.

It makes cents to recycle--two cents per waste product, to be exact. That's how much some central Arkansas schools are making each time they turn in a piece of trash to a company called TerraCycle. TerraCycle takes products that previously could not be recycled, like Capri Sun packages and many food wrappers, and "upcycles" them. This means that minimal energy is used and the products don't completely change form, creating things like Starburst insulated lunchboxes and Capri Sun backpacks. Tamonica Jenkins, second grade teacher at Huda Academy, decided to get involved with TerraCycle when she noticed the large number of Capri Suns her students were drinking. She researched the company online and realized it was the perfect way to make use of her students' trash and to raise money at the same time.

If you're like most parents, right now is a bittersweet time. Sure, the kids are back in class, but with it comes a barrage of fundraisers. Just about every school - public or private - needs more money. And I'm not against it by any means. However, when the boxes of chocolate bars or the order forms for gift wrap arrive in the book bags, it's difficult to suppress a groan. On more than one occasion, I've told my husband I wish they'd just send us a bill for our portion and cut out the middle man. My girlish figure really doesn't need any candy, and I have enough wrapping paper to take care of Santa's Village. But we do it for our children. This year I'm chairing the fundraising committee for my younger son's school. My goal is to incorporate projects that teach as well as bring in money. I mentioned one a few weeks ago, Box Tops for Education, that's run by General Mills. But in my quest, I've found another I must share. The company is called TerraCycle, and its aim is to make eco-friendly, affordable consumer products from waste.