Locals can now help to save used oral care items from ending up in landfill whilst also helping to raise funds for Midhirst School. Students in the Paritutu class at the school are in charge of running the Colgate Community Recycle Drive at the school, aimed at promoting the recycling of previously unrecyclable oral care items, including toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss containers and packaging. The drive, supported by international upcycling and recycling comapny TerraCycle, was launched at the school last week. "It is a great idea because it reduces the amount of stuff going in the landfill," Jessica Gavan (12) says she thinks it is great to be able to recycle items that otherwise end up in the household rubbish. "But no actual dental floss please!" Bethan Upton-Hansen (12) is hoping people use some common sense when they bring in dental items for the drive. "Put used toothbrushes in a plastic bag first, we need to think about hygiene as well." Keren Whareaitu (12) says the mitigative helps the school raise needed funds. "We get money back from TerraCycle for the amount of waste they collect, plus we have the chance of winning a share of a prize pool of $32,500." Tyler Smith (13) is impressed with the way the items they collect can be recycled. "They make them into things like benches and rubbish bins which is much better than them ending up IN the rubbish!" "It is estimated that seven million toothbrushes and 16 million toothpaste tubes are used in New Zealand each year. This exciting national challenge is a New Zealand first. We're calling on local residents to dig deep by saving all their used oral care items as part of Colgate's Oral Care Brigade and support Midhirst school," says Anna Minns, general manager, TerraCycle. "Even if we get just a small percentage of those items, we will be able to make a difference. Reducing landfill waste is important for everyone, not just us, but the students who will come after us." Jessica says she hopes people from all around the district, not just those who have children enrolled at the school, will make the effort to drop off their recyclable oral care items. "Our school values environmental sustainability and we have been encouraging our students to recycle with our council recycling programme." Colleen Tett, the teacher in charge of the project at the school, says they are excited that TerraCycle is providing a solution for previously difficult to recycle waste. Locals are encouraged to drop off their oral care items and packaging to the public access collection box at the Midhirst School Office at 8 Erin Street Midhirst, R. D. 24, Stratford, 4394, Taranaki during school hours. Two cents is earned for each piece of oral care waste that the school sends in for recycling so every bit will help. - Stratford Press By ILONA HANNE

Used dental items are being sought by St Anne's School to be turned into new products such as bins, chairs or bottles. The Harvey primary school is urging the wider community to contribute items such old toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and floss containers. Program co-coordinator and Year 1 teacher Amber Carruthers said the donations would be used for the Colgate-TerraCylce joint program, an addition to the school's own sustainability and recycling initiatives. Miss Carruthers said more than 30 million toothbrushes and 80 million toothpaste tubes were thrown away every year in Australia and New Zealand. "The TerraCycle program teaches children about recycling waste and also shows them how old products can be used to make new ones," she said. "Students are encouraged to bring in their used dental products, which are collected and sent away to be melted down and made into new products such as bins, chairs and bottles. Students have been very excited and each day, more products are coming in but now we are extending it to the general public to join us." Miss Carruthers said the school would receive two cents for every item - including toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, and outer packaging and floss containers. "Money received for the recycling will be used to purchase resources for the school's sustainability centre," she said. She said the students had enjoyed making their own recycle boxes for collecting products and classes were competing to collect the most products. Items can be donated at the school office on Young Street, Harvey. The program runs until November 1 and the school recycling the most also receives a bonus cash prize.

Waikanae Kindergarten kids are sorting used toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes for recycling as the kindie pioneers a national programme to stop the items going to the tip. The Kapiti Coast kindie has registered as one of the first public collection points for TerraCycle and Colgate's oral care recycling programme, and is the first educational institution to become involved. Toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and floss containers are turned into pellets and recycled into plastic products such as park benches, watering cans and waste bins. Kindy pupil George Bidwell, 4, said he was excited to be involved after dropping off items for recycling, and being sent back a pencil and pencil case made from  them. "We are making lots of things from lots of stuff. Making space at the dump," he said. Kindergarten spokeswoman Pettina Meads said they were delighted to be one of the first communities to have a dropoff point for the used items. "Everyone goes through these items and, by bringing them to us, they will be put to good use." The kindie earns two cents for each item sent for recycling, and the money raised will be used to fund new display cabinets so children can easily access their own resources. TerraCycle general manager Anna Minns said the company was keen for schools and sports clubs to join the programme. "It is estimated that nine million toothbrushes and 16m toothpaste tubes are used in New Zealand each year. The programme is part of a big community effort to recycle waste that would otherwise end up in your landfill," she said. "The aim is for whole communities in New Zealand, like Waikanae, to collect together via a nationwide network of dropoff locations." Used items, excluding electric toothbrushes, can be dropped off at Waikanae Kindergarten between 8am and 5pm.

L’entreprise Terracyle créée il y a maintenant plus de 10 ans ambitionne d’éliminer le concept même de déchets. Comment ? En créant des réseaux de ramassage et des solutions de recyclage et d’upcyclage. Tout y passe : emballages, stylos, marqueurs… tout ce qui finit aujourd’hui dans nos poubelles et qui est considéré comme non recyclable peut être revalorisé. Terracyle a pour ce faire mis en place des Brigades qui correspondent à des programmes nationaux dans 15 pays partout dans le monde, dont la France. Elle propose une large gamme de produits de la vie courante : des pots à crayons, des sacs, des cadres photos… Pour en savoir plus sur la « Brigade des Stylos et des Instruments d’Ecriture » de Terracycle et BIC :

• Recyclez vos stylos avec les brigades terracycle !

• Plus de renseignements sur : www.terracycle.fr

L'athlète marguerittois David Cholez, amateur des courses de très longues distances, remet ça. Après avoir parcouru, l'été dernier, 720 km en dix étapes entre le CHU de Nîmes et l'hôpital d'Épinal, au profit de l'association SOS Préma, dont il est le correspondant à Nîmes, il se lance un nouveau défi. Surtout, il lance une invitation : "Toutes les personnes souhaitant effectuer un bout de chemin ou de bitume seront bien entendu les bienvenus. Sportif ou non, touché par la prématurité ou non, en courant, en marchant." L'opération a pour but de mettre en lumière SOS Préma (qui vient en aide aux parents d'enfants nés prématurés) et de collecter des fonds pour cette association de façon originale. Les participants peuvent ainsi apporter des gourdes de compotes et de crèmes desserts consommés, ainsi que les instruments d'écriture (feutres, stylos, etc..) usagés. TerraCycle reversera 1 ou 2 centimes par produit collecté à SOS Préma. David Cholez reçoit pour la réalisation de son défi les soutiens de la mairie de Marguerittes, du Lions club Nîmes Maison carrée et du club Courir en garrigues.

Anna Minns is General Manager of Terracycle Australia, a company dedicated to creating recycling solutions for just about anything. What’s involved in developing a recycling solution for “difficult” waste like the Nescafé capsules? More often than not, companies approach us about a solution for their product’s waste stream. Nescafé Dolce Gusto joined with TerraCycle to provide a second life for used Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, so Australians can now collect, store and ship their capsules from home or work for free. For the current Nescafé Dolce Gusto Capsule Brigade we do not collect any other brand of capsules, only Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules. If consumers are interested in a particular waste stream we suggest they let their favourite brand know about TerraCycle’s work! We hope in time to be collecting more and more “unrecyclable” waste. Can goodwill be infectious enough for the majority of manufacturing companies to take responsibility for end of life of their product, or will they need to be pushed into it by legislation? As the circular economy is increasingly gaining traction in our region many companies are looking to circular solutions rather than linear solutions of ‘take, make, then dispose’. TerraCycle works with many major FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies, as well as small brands, to create a voluntary product stewardship scheme that diverts everyday consumer products and packaging that are difficult to recycle such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, coffee capsules and even cigarette butts, from landfill, and instead into new products creating circular solutions. The recycling system creates a collection model open to the public. Australia has one of the highest rates of waste generation per capita in the world and in fact, world waste is also expected to double by 2025. Government schemes and extended producer responsibility laws may be slow in coming to effect to deal with growing waste issues. TerraCycle’s solutions are readily available and the onus is on both brands to consider a solution to an increasing problem as well as consumers to use their buying power as a ‘vote’ for sustainability. What would you nominate as the most unlikely or surprising items that you have created recycling solutions for? Cigarettes, chewing gum, feminine hygiene products and nappies! TerraCycle has proven that (almost) anything can and should be recycled. Do you get to shovel rotting food to the worms occasionally? No. But we are offering a copy of Tom’s book “Revolution in a Bottle” for a Switch Report reader that outlines the origins of TerraCycle as a company turning worm poop into fertilizer! To win a copy of Revolution in a Bottle by Terracycle’s founder Tom Szaky, just sign up for our newsletter by midnight on Sunday 16 November, and you’ll be in the draw. If you are already on our mailing list you don’t need to do anything. You are automatically entered.

Le "magnat des ordures"

En 2001, Tom Szaky abandonne l’université en première année. Huit ans plus tard, la chaîne National Geographic lui consacre un documentaire appelé "le magnat des ordures". Lui préfère le terme "éco-capitaliste". Sur les bancs de Princeton, Tom s’ennuie. Il plaque tout pour investir ses économies et celles de ses proches dans des centaines de milliers de vers de terre dont il recycle les déjections en compost. Il vient de fonder TerraCycle, qui n’est alors "que la petite startup d’un idéaliste qui espère changer le monde", souligne le magazine Business Insider. . Pour le conditionnement, il récupère des bouteilles en plastique jetées dans la nature. Peu à peu, le nombre de lombrics augmente et Tom fait appel à des "brigades de ramassage" pour collecter les bouteilles. Il parvient à convaincre les grands industriels des sodas de lui laisser utiliser leurs bouteilles usagées. Pendant ce temps, il participe à des concours en espérant recevoir des bourses. Il va obtenir bien plus que ça : la notoriété, quand il décline un prix d’un million de dollars qui ne lui sera alloué que s’il change son mode de production. Quelques mois plus tard, il commercialise ses engrais dans des grandes chaines. Il se lance alors dans l’upcycling, la fabrication d’objets à partir de produits destinés à partir à la poubelle. Son entreprise récupère les déchets collectés par des écoles, des congrégations ou des associations et les transforme en nouveaux produits destinés à être vendus. Pour chaque canette ou emballage recyclé, une partie des bénéfices est redistribuée à des œuvres de charité. En deux ans, il a signé deux millions de dollars de chèques à des associations.