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.

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.

From its humble beginnings selling worm-poop fertilizer, this New Jersey product manufacturer upcycles retail trash into retail treasure. Each and every product on this earth has a life span,” said Tom Szaky, CEO and vice president of licensing and product development at TerraCycle, Inc. “The end-of-life reality of a bag of potato chips is that the food ends up in the toilet and the bag ends up in the garbage. Same with a pen; you buy a pen, the ink runs out. The only difference is, some products can be recycled easily and others not so easily.”

It makes cents to recycle - two cents per waste product, to be exact. That's how much some central Arkansas schools are making each time they turn in a piece of trash to Terracycle. TerraCycle takes products that previously could not be recycled, like Capri Sun packages and many food wrappers, and "upcycles" them- creating things like Starburst insulated lunchboxes and Capri Sun backpacks.

It makes cents to recycle--two cents per waste product, to be exact. That's how much some central Arkansas schools are making each time they turn in a piece of trash to a company called TerraCycle. TerraCycle takes products that previously could not be recycled, like Capri Sun packages and many food wrappers, and "upcycles" them. This means that minimal energy is used and the products don't completely change form, creating things like Starburst insulated lunchboxes and Capri Sun backpacks. Tamonica Jenkins, second grade teacher at Huda Academy, decided to get involved with TerraCycle when she noticed the large number of Capri Suns her students were drinking. She researched the company online and realized it was the perfect way to make use of her students' trash and to raise money at the same time.

I stumbled onto a company that turns the stuff people throw away every day into items that people also use every day. For example, do you eat Clif or Odwalla Bars while on a ride and then throw away the wrappers? Well, TerraCycle takes your discarded wrappers and turns them into messenger bags. Or how about coffee – this one’s not so obvious: coffee beans grow on trees with leaves and TerraCycle turns those leaves into high-quality copier paper, saving a little bit of tree in the process. Some other neat products that TerraCycle makes from your garbage: – plant pots made from computers and fax machines – clip boards made from circuit boards and juice boxes – stereo speakers from Starburst and M&M wrappers And see more on DwellSmart. Let’s face it, there’s lots to throw away, every day and everyone who eats or lives on the planet. That’s a lot of garbage! But TerraCycle is more than just reusing these pieces of trash to make useful, reusable items. For every piece of garbage that you send them, they will make a small donation ($.02) to the charity of your choice.

3.) Terra Cycle-  Round Drink Pouch Lunchbox  <http://www.terracycle.net/products/22-Round-Drink-Pouch-Lunchbox>  This traditional lunch box is made with a twist, because it’s made from upcycled drink pouches. This insulated dual compartment lunch box allows you to keep your food and drink separated so your drink pouch stays cool and refreshing, while your food stays crisp and fresh. * Specific wrapper is subject to variability. Please Note: Here is the link to the Rectangular Drink Pouch Lunchbox <http://www.dwellsmart.com/Products/TerraCycle-School-Selections/TerraCycle-Drink-Pouch-Lunch-Box>  and pricing. Since the Round Drink Pouch Lunchbox is new the pricing may not be the same. 4.) Terra Cycle- Starburst® Insulated Cooler <http://www.terracycle.net/products/145-Starburst-Insulated-Cooler>  a brown-bag lunch will never be so sweet when you carry around this traditional insulated lunch box because it’s made from Starburst® candy wrappers. By purchasing this lunchbox you help divert wrapper waste from a landfill.

Along comes TerraCycle to provide me with just one more project to consume time and mind. However, this one is good for the planet and contributes to charity as well.  So it can't be all bad to be obsessed, right?  TerraCycle makes eco-friendly products from lots of  different non-recyclable waste materials and these products are quite affordable.  Sure, you can take your plastic, glass and aluminum containers to your local station or leave on your curb to go to the recycler... but what about those potato chip bags, cookie wrappers, tape dispensers?  Now you have a much more attractive alternative to dropping them at the local landfill.  Not only does this help the planet but TerraCycle will "Pay" you for your work by contributing to your charity of choice.  And on top of that, you can purchase these way-cool products from TerraCycle.

Unfortunately, just like in most towns, there’s a limit on what sort of materials they accept. Which is why whenTerraCycle emailed about their program I was so excited! TerraCycle is a small (but growing!) company that takes normally non-recyclable products and turns them into cool and useful stuff.

TerraCycle is a company known for eco-innovation. They take trash and upcycle it into great, green goods like backpacks, notebooks, folders, tote bags, wallets and pencil cases along with yard and garden products. Now they are creating a line of eco-gadgets under the Eco-Nation sub brand. "Eco-nation is staying ahead of the fashion curve with a conscience: big impact on your gadgets, small impact on the planet." These new green gadgets will help you "groove greener". The TerraCycle Eco-Nation gadgets start out as candy wrappers from M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst and other candies and get transformed or "upcycled" into awesome speakers and boomboxes. These handy upcycled speakers come as flat, folded cardboard that you fold into a boombox or set of speakers and attach to your iPod  or other mp3 player. The speakers and boombox run off the mp3 power supply so they need no batteries.