The local Old Navy clothing store is collecting flip-flops that will be processed into playground material. The collection is part of a TerraCycle nationwide recycling program in which pens are being collected from Office Depot stores and flip-flops from Old Navy sites. In York, Old Navy is located in the Manchester Crossroads Shopping Center at 351 Loucks Road in Manchester Township, according to TerraCycle publicist Megan Yarnell. Collection bins are located at the front of the store.

Recycle: Bring used writing instruments, regardless of brand, to Office Depot at 4297 Meridian St. in Bellingham. They will be sent to TerraCycle Inc. and turned into new office-supply products such as trash cans and desk organizers. The collection runs through Saturday, April 23. People who bring in 10 pens, pencils or markers will receive a coupon toward a new product from Sanford, a pen company. Recycle: Drop off your used flip-flops at Old Navy in Bellis Fair mall, so they can be recycled and used at four public playgrounds in the country. Look for designated collection bins. The effort continues through May 21. It is a partnership between Old Navy and TerraCycle Inc.

Earth Day. It's the day on which countless companies decide to announce new green products, environmental goals, project results or tree-planting plans, meaning it's also the day countless announcements go straight from our in-box to our (electronic) recycling bin. We'll try to make sure that at least a few of the resources that went into typing up and emailing those releases to us don't go to waste. Here are some of the ones that made the cut: New Life for Plastic Cups and Flip-Flops TerraCycle, the New Jersey company that turns all types of trash into consumer products, launched a handful of partnerships and limited collection drives this month. Two new collection programs will accept cosmetics packaging from Garnier brand products and plastic polystyrene cups, which let's hope you don't see at any Earth Day celebrations.  Throughout this week TerraCycle is working with Office Depot to give customers coupons for new Sanford products if they bring in pens, pencils or markers to be recycled. And if your flip-flops get ruined while picking up trash on the beach, Old Navy stores will collect used flip-flops until late May to be turned into public playground items through TerraCycle.

  Maybe it's the writer in me, but I always seem to have way too many old, useless pens lying around. Here's something I might do with them... Office Depot is honoring Earth Day with a writing instruments recycling offer this year. Bring in 10 pens, pencils, markers or other writing instruments (any brand) and receive a coupon for 50 percent off a new product from Newell Rubbermaid (maker of Sharpie, EXPO, Papermate, etc.) Your old writing instruments will be recycled through a really cool eco-friendly company called Terra Cycle. You can turn in your used writing instruments when you check out, or see any in-store associate. The offer is good through April 23 (Saturday).

Your old flip-flops and used writing pens have a shot at reincarnation. TerraCycle Inc. and Old Navy are partnering to collect used flip-flops and recycle them into four public playgrounds around the country. According to a news release from TerraCycle, this is the first time a nationwide retailer has initiated a large-scale effort to collect and recycle flip-flops. Residents can take flip-flops to the Shawnee Old Navy, 15310 Shawnee Mission Parkway, from Friday, April 22, through May 21.

Today I’m feeling a bit sad for all the used up pens I’ve thrown out over the years, each time grumbling over their unrecyclability. Why? Well for just one week, pens, pencils, and even markers are suddenly recyclable! How so? The garbage-to-green-goods company TerraCycle’s teamed up with Office Depot for Earth Week. Until Sat., April 23, you can take all your out-of-ink writing implements to any Office Depot location to be recycled into new office-supply products like trashcans and desk organizers. There’s even a reward for eco-enthusiasts who’ve been stockpiling spent pens just hoping for this day to arrive. Take in 10 writing implements, and you’ll get a coupon toward a new Sanford product.

Old Navy and Office Depot are sponsoring in-store recycling programs in conjunction with TerraCycle, a New-Jersey-based company that makes new products out of nonrecyclable packaging and products.

Terracycle, a Trenton company that specializes in recycling consumer goods generally considered not reusable, is moving on from kitschy tote bags to plastic lumber.

A pair of national retail chains with stores in Mentor are participating in a recycling program that will give difficult-to-recycle items like mechanical pens and flip-flops second lives as desk organizers and playground equipment. From today until Saturday, people can take their unwanted pens, markers and mechanical pencils to Office Depot. TerraCycle, a recycling company, will then use them to make office supplies like organizers and trash cans. Additionally, anyone who recycles at Office Depot will get a coupon for Sanford products like Sharpie and PaperMate.

There are new places to take dried up ink pens and old flip flops, after the top strap plug pops out of the sole. Both are being recycled by TerraCycle, an international company that takes difficult to recycle objects and turns them into eco-friendly products. The company has struck Earth Day deals with Office Depot and Old Navy to help collect them.