Father’s Day is Sunday! Before you drop everything and rush out to buy the standard tie or sweater, stop and consider … how about something unique this year? What would make dad’s day special – and be kind to your wallet? Handmade items usually have the biggest bang for your buck. Think back to that tin-can pencil holder you laboriously covered in glue and different colored yarn back in elementary school … most of us did this at one time or another, back before “upcycling” was a word. If you have children, perhaps consider letting them “create” a gift for dad this year, using some recycled materials. And just because you are an adult, that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own great gift for dad.

In my first blog post about Terracycle I discovered that there are a few different ways to recycle, and that companies are beginning to work together to keep certain types of packaging out of the landfill. In this post, I’m going to talk about some of the products Terracycle is creating as a result of these partnerships. So what can you do with a candy wrapper; other than use it as a temporary spoon rest at your desk during lunch? If a little bit of kitsch and pop culture is your thing then a mini messenger bag made out of Starburst wrappers can be yours! Honestly, there are a slew of products available in the Terracycle line, so to link to all of them would just be an indication of my burgeoning insanity. But here’s what stood out to me the most: Recycling bins made out of recycled plastic: Is there truly a better reincarnation of plastics?