Madrid, 20 de noviembre 2012.- ¿Tienes hijos y te quedas en el puente de diciembre en Madrid? ¿Quieres que se diviertan y aprendan al tiempo? Si es así, IFEMA propone, entre el 5 el 9 de diciembre, DABADUM, Salón del Ocio Infantil en Familia, el mejor espacio de ocio de Madrid con actividades lúdico-educativas y pedagógicas, para que los más pequeños disfruten con sus familias durante el puente de diciembre.

Earlier this fall—well before Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the New Jersey coast and changed the conversation about climate disruption and its consequences—the Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter and recycling pioneer TerraCycle teamed up to do a beach cleanup in the coastal community of Belmar. The Belmar beach cleanup was organized in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup Day, which the conservancy has mobilized for the last 25 years. More than 52 million cigarette butts have been collected from beaches on cleanup days over that span. "Eighty-five volunteers collected over 4,300 cigarette butts, 700 bottle caps, 600 wrappers, and 330 straws off the beach," says New Jersey Chapter organizer Nicole Dallara. "The discarded cigarette butts were then sent to TerraCycle, which 'upcycles' them into new products like shipping products, plastic lumber, railroad ties, and other items after the waste gets converted into plastic pellets." Trenton-based TerraCycle, whose motto is "Eliminate the Idea of Waste," has created more than 40 waste collection programs, or "brigades," one of which is the Cigarette Brigade, which it operates in partnership with the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, makers of American Spirit cigarettes. "You don't have to walk or drive very far to see that smokers often discard cigarette waste in ways that litter the environment," Cressida Lozano, head of sales and marketing for Santa Fe, told The Trentonian newspaper. "We're proud to be the exclusive sponsor of an innovative program to reduce and recycle cigarette butt litter, regardless of which manufacturer made the cigarettes." Many of TerraCycle's brigade programs, including the Cigarette Brigade, offer free shipping, and in many cases the company will make a donation to participants for each piece of garbage they collect. "You can collect all parts of extinguished cigarettes and ship them to TerraCycle to be recycled, and they'll pay for the shipping, so it's completely free," says Dallara, pictured at left. "All you have to do is sign up and join one of their brigade programs. And now that the New Jersey Chapter has participated in International Coastal Cleanup Day, TerraCycle wants to work with other Sierra Club chapters as well."

They account for 38 percent of all roadside litter by count, according to one study, and they're the most commonly picked up item during an annual coastal cleanup. Cigarette butts are truly nasty piece of trash, but a new program from TerraCycle seeks to collect and recycle this ubiquitous garbage. With funding from Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. (makers of American Spirit-brand cigarettes), New Jersey-based TerraCycle, a company that finds ways to recycle difficult-to-recycle materials, has a found a way to keep cigarette butts from landfills. Under the Cigarette Waste Brigade, people can sign up to collect all parts of extinguished cigarettes, including filters, partial cigarettes, outer plastic packaging, inner foil packing, rolling paper, loose tobacco pouches and ash. Brigadiers put the cigarette refuse into a plastic bag, put it in a shipping package, log onto TerraCycle's website to print out free shipping labels and then send the butts off to be recycled.  Individuals, nonprofit groups, as well as restaurants and other businesses can sign up for the program. As with other TerraCycle brigades, participants can send their refuse in to TerraCycle, and the company will direct money to a school or charity of the participants' choosing. However, with the Cigarette Waste Brigade, TerraCycle will send a dollar to Keep America Beautiful for every pound of cigarette refuse received. TerraCycle adopted this arrangement out of concerns that participants would be incentivized to smoke to support a school or charity under its usual terms. TerraCycle estimates that a pound is equivalent to a thousand cigarette butts. The collected waste will be recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco will be re-worked into tobacco composting.

UW-Whitewater senior Samantha Robinson acts as a voice for animals who can’t speak on their own behalf. Robinson’s work at The Humane Society of Jefferson County has given abandoned animals much needed love and attention. Robinson, a Helping Hands student organizer, said she hopes to have a shelter of her own someday. She knows the importance of being a volunteer at the shelter, because she has helped out at the Jefferson shelter for close to three years. “The huge thing about volunteers is the fact they spread the word of mouth to come help out at the shelter,” Robinson said. “It helps bring in donations and has literally saved some of these animal’s lives.” The organization is helping the shelter with a TerraCycle project. TerraCycle is a small U.S. business that turns packaging from common household items into new products to help eliminate waste. The shelter receives money from this organization by sending in certain items.

Oenophile parents will adore this corkboard made from actual recycled wine corks.  It provides the perfect place to pin a shopping list or a photo of their favorite child - you!

The perfect bag is light, water resistant, and stain resistant and TerraCycle has it. The company has created toiletry cases, tote bags, and lunch sacksfrom recycling tent material. Each item is made from a different tent part, giving it a distinctive, custom design. The lightweight material won’t weigh down you or your suitcase, and makes the bags practical for any trip – to the mountains or on business.

I am a big fan of recycling and Upcycling. Now many people do not even know what that term means, Upcycling. Basically it is like recycling, where you are saving something from the being thrown away and ending up in a landfill by reusing it,  but with Upcycling you are turning it into a new, more stylish item. Many crafters do this at home, and have a ton of fun doing it, making beautiful items. Well, 2001 a company called TerraCycle came on the scene and turned this Upcycing into a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved. Here is what they do: People send in certain items they are looking for, stuff people are going to be thrown into the trash. The people sending them in receive money towards the non-profit of their choice: their school, church, charity, as long as it is a non-profit organization. TerraCycle turns the items into trendy items, like lunch boxes, back packs and other school supplies, scrapbooks and speaker boxes, and practical items like fences, coasters, and garden supplies.Honestly, what I mentioned does not even begin to touch on all of the things that they make. The materials they are using are growing and items that they are  making just continues to grown and that means more and more things trash staying out of the landfills each year, plus more and more non profits adding money to their causes. As you can see I love TerraCycle. I have loved them for a long time, since I saw my very first Capri Sun drink pouch and knew how green this company was. These days you can find quite a few of the Terracycle products around my house. And I think they would make amazing holiday gifts for just about anyone on your list. Kids will love the fun designs made from candy wrappers, chip bags, and juice boxes. There are great items that are appropriate for teens and adults, too. With unique items like tote bags, lunch sacks, toiletry cases and travel pouches which are made from repurposed USPS mail bags and old tents that were destined for the trash. All USPS and tent products will be available online at Uncommon Goods. The Upcycled Tent DOPP Kit  is made from piece of manufactured tent and scraps and the clip, closures, and zippers are the like those used in the tents used in camping, giving it an authentic feel. Since it is made from true tent material, on the inside and outside, it is very durable. The inside has 3 zippered pockets that can hold everything you need for your trip or even just to keep things organized at home. And even though people do not usually think of gardening in the winter, indoor plants still need care. TerraCycle had both indoor and outdoor gardening items. The watering can offered from TerraCycle may seem like just a normal can, but it is made from recycled Bare Naked Wrappers. Just another way to keep all that trash out of the landfills, while keeping your garden watered and blooming beautifully. TerraCycle products are available at a wide range of major retailers from WalMart to Target as well as online sites, such as Uncommon Goods. I hope you will look at the other amazing products that are available from Terracycle, and include them on your Holiday list. Also, please consider looking into the TerraCycle’s recycle program to earn money for your school or charity.

¿Tienes hijos y te quedas en el puente de diciembre en Madrid? ¿Quieres que se diviertan y aprendan al tiempo? Si es así, IFEMA propone, entre el 5 el 9 de diciembre, DABADUM, Salón del Ocio Infantil en Familia, el mejor espacio de ocio de Madrid con actividades lúdico-educativas y pedagógicas, para que los más pequeños disfruten con sus familias durante el puente de diciembre.

In honor of Recycle America, beauty product lines that recycle and have recycling programs America Recycles Day, November 15, is a day that is dedicated to promoting recycling across the country. In case you missed it, don’t fret. You can still participate in recycling all year around. Many cosmetics companies are now committed to conserving our resources, increasing efficiency and reducing pollution by offering smart recycling programs. Join the fight to keep cosmetics packaging out of our landfills. Here are some popular beauty product lines that recycle. Garnier Garnier has teamed up with TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling waste, in order to recycle and reuse cosmetics packaging. Consumers can join the Personal Care and Beauty Brigade to recycle items such as used lipstick tubes, mascara tubes, nail polish bottles, shampoo bottles, conditioner bottles and eyeliner pencils. The material will be reused to create environmentally-friendly playgrounds throughout the United States.