What is upcycling? According to a very cool company, TerraCycle, upcycling is defined as using every aspect of waste as value. Every year billions of drink pouches and candy wrappers and of in dumpsters and landfills across America. Check out these items below and see upcycling in action. See the volunteering section at highschoogle to learn more about how you can be part of TerraCycle’s Brigade movement, by starting a club at your school.
What is upcycling? According to a very cool company, TerraCycle, upcycling is defined as using every aspect of waste as value. Every year billions of drink pouches and candy wrappers and of in dumpsters and landfills across America. Check out these items below and see upcycling in action. See the volunteering section at highschoogle to learn more about how you can be part of TerraCycle’s Brigade movement, by starting a club at your school.
For those not familiar with
"Terracycle", it is one of many organizations that work to create useful items out of waste products.
"Terracycle", in conjunction with both consumers and people from within the food and beverage industry, collects empty and discarded items like foil cheese packets, foil beverage pouches, potato chip bags, gum wrappers, beverage bottles and other items.
"Terracycle" then converts those items into a wide array of new items like insulated coolers, garbage cans, fences, plant food, household cleaners, photo frames, jewel cases, clothing and fashion accessories. Part of the proceeds from the sale of those items is in turn donated to area
schools and non-profit groups.
This increase in repurposing materials has caused food and beverage manufacturers like
Kraft Foods to stand up and take notice. Proof in point is the company's recent decision to add foil cheese packets to their pre-existing
"Terracycle Collection Program."
In Packaging Everything Old is New Again
For those not familiar with
"Terracycle", it is one of many organizations that work to create useful items out of waste products.
"Terracycle", in conjunction with both consumers and people from within the food and beverage industry, collects empty and discarded items like foil cheese packets, foil beverage pouches, potato chip bags, gum wrappers, beverage bottles and other items.
"Terracycle" then converts those items into a wide array of new items like insulated coolers, garbage cans, fences, plant food, household cleaners, photo frames, jewel cases, clothing and fashion accessories. Part of the proceeds from the sale of those items is in turn donated to area
schools and non-profit groups.
St. Joseph School
As part of the TerraCycle program, St. Joseph School collects and gets cash for various brands, including all Mars brands candy wrappers. After Halloween (and anytime), people can send those empty wrappers to school. Collection boxes are the main foyer and cafeteria. The following brands are accepted: M&Ms, Skittles and Twix, Mars and Dove bars.
Also, before people dispose of this year's Halloween costumes, they should consider donating it for next year's Green Halloween Used Costume Sale.
St. Joseph School
As part of the TerraCycle program, St. Joseph School collects and gets cash for various brands, including all Mars brands candy wrappers. After Halloween (and anytime), people can send those empty wrappers to school. Collection boxes are the main foyer and cafeteria. The following brands are accepted: M&Ms, Skittles and Twix, Mars and Dove bars.
Also, before people dispose of this year's Halloween costumes, they should consider donating it for next year's Green Halloween Used Costume Sale. The
BOOM BOOM POW
TerraCycle makes mini
Speakers ($13.99) and
Boomboxes ($18.99) from upcycled M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst candy wrappers. Upcycling means using materials that would otherwise go to waste—in this case, excess packaging. Light, portable and super-colorful, the speakers and boomboxes are a natural complement to any iPod or MP3-player gifts this Christmas. They’re also battery-free, drawing power from your device to boom your sweet sounds—and packed and shipped flat to reduce pollution.
—Brita Belli
CONTACT:
DwellSmart.
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. "There is no such thing as garbage," said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. "The only difference between a soda bottle and a yogourt cup is that one has a collection and solution system on it already -- the soda bottle has our Blue Box program -- while the yogourt cup doesn't."
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. "There is no such thing as garbage," said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. "The only difference between a soda bottle and a yogourt cup is that one has a collection and solution system on it already -- the soda bottle has our Blue Box program -- while the yogourt cup doesn't."
