MARFA — The Marfa High School environmental systems class would like to present their new recycling bins. With the help of Chinati Foundation, Ms. Christina Pryor (from the Marfa Recycling Center) and Mrs. Lora Loya, these classes were able to get recycled material from the Marfa Recycling Center to create these bins.   Each bin will be used to recycle certain items that will be changed periodically.   For our first recycling collection, we will be recycling Solo cups (plastic #6). All the Solo cups that will be collected will be shipped to the TerraCycle headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey. TerraCycle is a recycling company that recycles a lot of everyday used items. TerraCycle is a volunteer-based company that collects a multitude of items, mostly non-recyclable and pre/post-consumer waste, that can be refurbished into new products. Donors and cities (both urban and rural) contribute to the renewal of these items.   These bins will be located in various places, which include Marfa Robinson Cafeteria, the Marfa Junior Senior High School Office, the Marfa Elementary School Office, and Marfa City Hall. The environmental systems class will receive different points depending on the items collected. The school will get a small donation for the total points received. Thank you for the continued support, and let’s get our recycle on!

The Reduce Single-Use project has placed black bins outside of Omega, Nu, and Kappa dorms for students to properly recycle solo-style cups. A new partnership with TerraCycle has given Eckerd's community a chance to correctly recycle their weekend staples: red solo cups.   “It's a company that basically is specialized in recycling products that are hard to recycle,” Professor of Marine Science and Biology Shannon Gowans said.   TerraCycle uses a special upcycling system to recycle products in an environmentally friendly way. This system reduces the carbon footprint that other major recycling processes create. Reduce Single-Use Project Intern Angelina Kossoff, a junior environmental studies major, is excited to partner with this organization.   “[TerraCycle] uses a circular method,” Kossoff said. “So we're using upcycling, and then recycling, and it will never go into a landfill or incinerator or anything. It uses the waste to create new materials and products.”   There are now seven special black bins across campus labeled with laminated signs and green lids that students can dispose their solo cups in.   “You can just put your solo cup in, it doesn't actually even need to be clean,” Kossoff said. “Then when we have a large enough [amount], they pay for the shipping label, and then we send it to them. And that's just a good way to recycle and reuse these materials.”   The Reduce Single-Use team hopes to eventually expand the partnership to other hard-to-recycle products common for students. They encourage students to watch their emails for surveys to get their opinions about what other products are common on campus and hard to recycle.   “There's a bunch of different ones,” Kossoff said. “There's one for laundry detergent, there’s one for toothpaste. So we're gonna work and figure out which ones will work best for people on campus.”   The team is also hoping that this initiative will encourage students to stop their use of plastic solo-style cups.   “I'm excited because it's an interim,” Reduce Single-Use Project Intern Trish Schranck said. “We are hoping, obviously, that solo cups will eventually leave our campus entirely. But until then, this is a nice intermediate step for students who are still engaging in using solo cups, to be able to dispose of them in a way that gives them a second life. So that's what I really love.”   TerraCycle is an organization started by a student from Princeton University, Tom Szaky, in 2001, according to their website.   There are unique benefits the organization provides, according to Gowans. It encourages more businesses to recycle materials that are harder to recycle.   “Some businesses are actually sponsoring the cost of recycling, and the shipping, which can be big,” Gowans said.   Schranck is interested to see how this branch of the project impacts the Eckerd community as a whole, not just those that are already environmental activists.   “It's a really great opportunity for students who aren't necessarily interested in recycling, to start thinking about recycling, because it's a party option. And if that's more of their lifestyle, then that's an exciting way to get in to recycling,” Schranck said.   This new initiative adds to the many changes, like more reusable alternatives, less plastic bags, and more, that the Reduce Single-Use project has implemented on Eckerd’s campus.

The end of summer is rapidly approaching and so are those Labor Day parties and gatherings.   Solo cups, those red or blue disposable plastic cups you use for parties and barbecues to make cleanup a snap, are not recyclable curbside or at drop-off sites anywhere in Northwest Indiana. Even worse, once thrown in the garbage, it is estimated that each cup will take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill.   On the bottom of the cups, you’ll note the recycling symbol, or “chasing arrows,” with a “6” in the center, which indicates they are made from polystyrene. Many people believe the chasing arrows symbol designates a product is acceptable for the recycle bin; however, this is not the case. That mark with the number is solely to identify the type of plastic from which it is made!   Because the chasing arrows symbol has been widely misinterpreted over the years, there is a movement to replace the chasing arrows with a solid triangle to avoid this confusion. On many items, you’ll already see the change.   The types of materials that are recyclable curbside in Northwest Indiana may be different from the materials accepted for recycling anywhere else in the United States, because what’s accepted depends on the capabilities of the materials recovery facility (MRF) that ultimately sorts, bales and sells them.   • If the MRF cannot process the material or product, then it is not recyclable curbside in your area. • If the MRF cannot sell the resulting baled material because there is no market for it, then the material is not recyclable curbside in your area.   In Northwest Indiana, our recyclables go to sorting facilities in Illinois that have determined there are no markets for #6 plastic; no one wants to purchase it, and it’s not profitable for the MRF to process it and ship it elsewhere.   Solo cups that end up at the MRF ultimately get buried in a landfill. Inappropriate material that goes to sorting facilities can contaminate valuable materials, add time and expense to material processing time and drive up recycling fees.   Because a material isn’t recyclable curbside doesn’t mean it’s not recyclable at all. Many times, there are other places you can take the material where it can be recycled.   In the case of Solo cups, a company called TerraCycle will accept and recycle Solo cups. Participants can even turn Solo cup recycling into a fundraising opportunity. Visit www.terracycle.com for details.   In addition, area Subaru dealerships are working with TerraCycle and are now accepting disposable cups for recycling:   Castle Subaru, 5020 US Highway 6, Portage; 219-764-5020 International Subaru of Merrillville, 1777 West US Route 30; 855-315-4266   If you are looking for an alternative to Solo cups at your event, try offering reusable cups or serve drinks in their original containers: bottles and cans that are recyclable. If you want to split hairs, you can offer plastic disposable cups that aren’t Solo cups or a cup that is not #6 plastic, as that is the material that really isn’t recyclable here in Northwest Indiana.   Events create a lot of waste. If you are concerned about your event’s impact on the planet, remember the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle, RETHINK!”   REDUCE: Don’t buy products like Solo cups. Reduce your consumption of disposable products.   REUSE: Will reusable cups, plates and utensils work? What would your guests say if you asked them to bring their own cups (BYOC)?   RECYCLE: If reusable items just aren’t convenient, offer products that can be recycled, like cans and bottles. Be sure to offer recycling bins at your event so your guest can recycle. We can help!   RETHINK: your event; don’t plan, buy or do things just because you’ve done it that way in the past. Change can be good; good for you and the planet!   For more information on Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction, call 219-465-3819 or visit www.PorterCountyRecycling.org. In the case of Solo cups, a company called TerraCycle will accept and recycle Solo cups. Participants can even turn Solo cup recycling into a fundraising opportunity. Visit www.terracycle.com for details.   In addition, area Subaru dealerships are working with TerraCycle and are now accepting disposable cups for recycling: • Castle Subaru, 5020 US Highway 6, Portage; 219-764-5020 • International Subaru of Merrillville, 1777 West US Route 30; 855-315-4266  

A glorious day marked the beginning of National Farmers Market Week last Saturday. Farmers' colorful displays of produce looked so delicious that shoppers could not resist making plenty of purchases. Farmers were doing a brisk business, with folks stocking up on Jersey tomatoes, corn and red and yellow watermelons.   During this special week, we reflect upon the value that the Brigantine Farmers Market brings to our community: the environmental benefits, the fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, eggs, plants and flowers, juice and aloha bowls. In addition, shoppers love the jewelry, soap, pillows, pottery, art, dog treats, candles, skin care and other gifts available for purchase. And the crowds love the coffee, pastries, doughnuts, cannolis, crepes, jams, honey, pretzels, popcorn, clothing, water ice, nut spreads, soups, sandwiches, cheeses, pastas and more.   The full service market serves as a hub for the community to meet and socialize and to enjoy our beautiful island.   The Trivia Contest was all about foodies. One of the most difficult questions was, “What is the food that is most ordered?” Many people responded, “pizza,” but the answer is “fried chicken.” Congratulations to Linda Lakind, who won a $25 TD gift card.   An important goal of the Green Team and Farmers Market is health and wellness. To that end, consumers are encouraged to take advantage of all of the information provided by fitness experts, dietitians and certified therapists, and then purchase nutritious foods full of vitamins and protein.   Children were having fun with the fitness track, creating their own games from the available hula hoops, hurdle sticks and soccer net.   The Green Team is a leader in environmental initiatives and is partnering with TerraCycle this summer. Please continue to collect red Solo cups and bring them to the market Aug. 24 to be boxed, sent to TerraCycle and recycled.   Marisela Zumba Chic brought her fun energy, and the contagious rhythms had shoppers joining in.   Jeana Beana was at the Demo tent. Her modus operandi is "cooking without rules and just for fun."   "Watching her at the Farmers Market was a pleasure as she rekindled friendships with former vendors. Her 8-year old son, Ryan, was a great assistant, and it was obvious that he enjoys cooking with his mother," Danielle Smith reported.   Jeana prepared two mocktails (nonalcoholic cocktails), blueberry and peach, in which one mashes either fruit. Add sugar water (equal parts sugar and water, boil and refrigerate), a sprig of rosemary or basil, and fresh lime juice. Shake this along with ice and ice water in a shaker and serve with club soda. Option, rim glass with sugar.   Jeana also made grilled panzanella, which can be prepared by grilling Gulf shrimp or tuna that has been cut into small pieces and marinated in olive oil, one tablespoon of garlic honey, lemon juice and chopped onion or shallots. This may be used in the salad to bring out unique flavors or as a dressing.   The salad was described as being "sensational" and was made of halved cherry tomatoes, zucchini, shrimp or tuna, ⅔ cup oil, ⅓ cup vinegar, lemon or lime juice, and grilled bread.   Suzanne Peterson displayed her lovely paintings at Art in the Park, donating a portion of her sales to charity.   Alex and Zakia of NEXTEK were at the Chamber tent expounding on the benefits of solar education.   Susan Coan and Ken Mosca from Atlantic City Electric were explaining the project to strengthen the electric power infrastructure on the island against future storms.   For the young noncash shopper, soup vendor Ladle of Luv accepts VENMO, a digital wallet that allows one to make and share payments.   Ashley at Carolina Artisan introduced items from her new jewelry line of "lustrous fresh water pearls and semiprecious stones knotted on beige nylon cord and finished with a sterling hand-cast clasp."   On Saturday, Aug. 10, we celebrate "Love Your Library." We are so fortunate to have the quality library that we have on our island! So come and check it out as Sue Marx from the Atlantic County Library Foundation will staff the Spotlight on Community. The library sells used books at a great price weekly at the Farmers Market, as well as on the bottom floor of the library. The library will sponsor face-painting as the children’s activity — always a delight.   If you are participating in the Perfect Peach Pie Contest, bring your pie to the Demo tent between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and sign up by emailing brigantinefarmersmarket@gmail.com.   Kim Schenk and Insurance Agencies Inc will be the Spotlight on Business.   Looking forward to Johnny Vibe and the Foot Petals, who will entertain in the park.   Artist Stephanie Silverman is proud to be the featured Artist in the Park. Her paintings range in style, media and subject matter. Each piece explores her endless interaction of color and light. Each work of art is an attempt to capture fleeting moments in time and the expressive qualities of the subject. Her award-winning artwork has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums throughout the country.   There will be a Disaster Relief collection for school supplies. Items such as backpacks, lunch bags, binders, pens, pencil cases, crayons, rulers, scissors, etc. may be brought to Information. This will help 100 children on the island from pre-school through high school.   Come and celebrate National Farmers Market Week tomorrow! Follow us @BrigantineFarmersMarket.  

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi’s Office of Sustainability is seeking faculty, staff and community member volunteers to help sort recyclables collected from this year’s Egg Bowl as part of the Green Grove Gameday Recycling Program. The Office of Sustainability ships Solo cups to TerraCycle for recycling, while the other items are processed through the Oxford Recycling Center.

It can be difficult to find a place to recycle toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss boxes, beauty product containers, No. 6 plastic Solo cups, cereal bags and granola wrappers, Emily Hopta said. But Hopta, a parent volunteer at Charleston Montessori, started a program at the private school in May 2013 that seeks to keep such items out of landfills. By the end of last year, the 45-student school had recycled more than one ton of material. “We’re a small student body, but [are] making a pretty big impact,” Hopta said. She said the school kept a running total of the recycled amount as a motivator. “The children realized they recycled the weight of a polar bear,” she said. “It’s just a fun visual.” Hopta said most of the recycled items come from the students themselves, though Charleston Montessori has partnered with local businesses to recycle their stuff, too. She said the Charleston office of the Kay Casto & Chaney law firm deposits the Solo cups from its water cooler into a bin that a family from the school collects. The school, on Charleston’s West Side, also collects the No. 6 plastic cups from Taylor Books and Edgewood Country Club in Charleston and First Presbyterian Church in Dunbar. It also takes the plastic beauty product containers from local salons. Hopta said that, in November, a friend of the school collected 63 pounds of Gu Energy Labs gel packets at the Chicago Marathon. The school also collected gel packets discarded by Charleston runners. The school partners with Trenton, New Jersey-based TerraCycle, which itself partners with various companies to recycle their waste. TerraCycle says its collection programs operate in 20 countries. The school won $500 for the Gu gel packet recycling contest, bringing the total amount raised through the program to $1,800. Hopta said $400 will go toward classroom materials, and $1,400 toward the school’s scholarship program that helps kids pay the tuition. Hopta said other companies that have rewarded the school and local charities in recognition of the recycling program are Tom’s of Maine, a personal-care products company that donated $250 to the school and 250 toothpaste tubes to Covenant House of West Virginia, a Charleston-based nonprofit that aids the homeless and others in need; and Huggies, which donated diapers to the YWCA. Lauren Taylor, TerraCycle’s global director of communications, said some products it receives are reused, but generally the items are shredded and melted down into recycled plastic and turned into pellets. “It might go into a playground, a picnic table, a park bench, anything,” Taylor said. She provided what she said were third-party reports to the Gazette-Mail that indicate that recycling such materials — including shipping costs incurred related to the recycling — has less of an environmental impact than discarding the materials. But she said the reports weren’t for publication. Jennifer McGee, a co-director of school, said parent volunteers help store materials before they’re mailed, and children at the school, who span ages 3-12, sort materials. She said the school can ship boxes of materials using free shipping labels printed from TerraCycle’s website. McGee said businesses interested in providing materials to the school can call 304-340-9000 and can visit www.terracycle.com to see what items can be recycled. Individual donations currently aren’t being accepted. Like the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority, the school doesn’t accept glass. McGee explained that, as children gets older, the school wants to expand their sense of community from just playing with friends to, eventually, thinking globally. “We really try to get them interacting with their school community and then, eventually, the local community and beyond,” she said.  

Remind people that just 22 cents provides a nutritional meal, and that every time people do any of the following, then we can feed more children through FMSC!!! 1. Collect items for our TerraCycle campaign: plastic health and beauty containers, solo cups, cereal bags, cleaner pumps and caps.

May also means TerraCycle® bonus points for all cereal bags. Ask everyone you know who eats cereal to save the empty cereal bag (not the box) for FMSC and take the bags to Coyote Howling. Other items you might typically trash that can be TerraCycled to earn funds for FMSC include: solo cups; plastic beauty and personal care containers such as for lipstick or lip balm, shampoo & conditioner, or hand and body lotions; cleaner triggers, pumps, or caps; laptops and computers.

TerraCycle on Hello CNY WUTR (ABC).

The Ruidoso News, through its offices at 104 Park Avenue, will provide collection receptacles to staff and clients. The list of products that can be put to good use through Coyote Howling's Terracycle program is large