If you don’t want to take on DIY projects yourself, you can start a “brigade” and earn points for your group. A school, for example can collect foil juice containers (like Capri Sun packets), ship them to TerraCycle, which will make them into backpacks. Plastic pellets can be reformulated to become lunchbox/coolers, Frito Lay chip bags make the inner lining of a cooler, composite wood can be made from everyday trash, etc. In return, the brigade will earn points and pick a charity for which TerraCycle will translate the points into a contribution. Charities include Covenant House, which provides services to homeless and at-risk youth; Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization; National Wildlife Federation, dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat; Charity: water, which provides safe drinking water to developing countries; and many others. (Details, charities and donations are detailed at www.terracycle.net/points).

Learn what TerraCycle's objectives are and how the company is adding to the number of waste streams it collects.