WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- We all know that recycling our paper, plastic, and glass is important for the enviornment. But what if I told you that you that recycling certain items could earn you some cold hard cash? Investopedia gives us three things that you can recycle for cash back or a tax deduction: 1. Gift Cards.  We all have received that gift card for a holiday gift or birthday present that we feel like we will never use. If you have one of these lying around the house, Gift Card Rescue is a service that will take your unused gift card and send you a check for it. If you have a gift card that you have used up or it's outdated gift card, Gift Card Recycler will take those and give you points for the number of cards you send in. 2. Cooking Oil.  It may seem odd, but there are several recycling centers, bio-diesel firms, and individuals that will pay you for your used cooking oil. Prices range from 33 cents to 66 cents a gallon. 3. Trash. TerraCycle is a company that will pay you for your garbage. A program that works best with schools of non-profit organizations, TerraCycle will donate money to your cause for every piece of trash you send the organization, and they will even pay for shipping. We're talking candy wrappers, juice boxes, ink jet containers, old cameras -- that kind of thing.

I don’t believe in formal performance reviews. I think they create an environment where employers risk not confronting unsatisfactory performance when it happens — or acknowledging great work when it is delivered.     At TerraCycle, our approach has been to build a culture where feedback is given often and evenly to all 110 employees. We do this through a weekly reporting process (a topic I blogged about a few months ago) that requires every department to submit a detailed biweekly report to the whole company (every employee). In other words, everyone in the company sees the same reports that I do. Then, as chief executive, I write detailed responses to the reports that are also sent to all employees. This process allows everyone to be evaluated, frequently and without prejudice, in full view of their co-workers. I greatly prefer this approach to a more formal, once-a-year sit-down. Someone who isn’t performing well needs to know about it in real time, and someone who is doing great deserves immediate recognition.

TerraCycle creates national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and send them waste. Then, the collected waste is turned into different products and materials available at major retailers. Terracycle encourages teams from the 21 countries where their Brigades operate in to beat their personal and national records during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. For every country which accomplishes the goal, all the participants who sent waste during the games will receive TerraCycle points. Also, all the shipments will be counted towards the global goal of collecting 4 million pieces of waste. For more information about Terracycle and the Recycling Games, please visit http://www.terracycle.com

[gallery]MÁS DE TRES MIL LAGUNEROS YA PARTICIPAN EN EL RECICLADO La empresa mundial con presencia en 22 países tiene como misión eliminar la idea de la basura, por lo que han logrado convertir envolturas de botanas, galletas, pan o cepillos de dientes en productos útiles, para volverlos a usar en nuestra vida diaria. Isaac Arjona, director general de TerraCycle México y Centro América comentó que son líderes mundiales en el reciclado de este tipo de materiales y que actualmente tienen dos años de operar en México, con un registro de más de un millón de personas en el país, es decir el 1 por ciento de la población nacional.. En La Laguna la respuesta ha sido también positiva debido a la mayor conciencia del cuidado del medio ambiente, pero sobre todo en apoyar causas sociales a través de ONG's locales o nacionales. Arjona destacó que día a día se suman un mayor número de personas con la idea de reciclar productos como las envolturas metálicas de botanas o galletas, las cuales tardan mucho más tiempo en degradarse. Informó que la fórmula que ha venido implementado a nivel mundial consiste en premiar esta labor, el esfuerzo realizado por Empresas Socialmente Responsables que operan en diferentes países del mundo, así como de personas o instituciones educativas que desean ayudar al medio ambiente reciclando ciertos productos. Quienes se inscriben dentro de este programa pueden obtener 25 centavos de peso por cada empaque recolectado y que reciclen de productos de empresas socias como: Tang, Bimbo, Colgate y PepsiCo con dos categorías: Gamesa y Sabritas. Una vez reunidas alrededor de 50 piezas de envolturas de galletas, botanas o pan o cepillos de dientes (no importa marca) se reporta para que pasen a recoge el producto sin que tenga un costo para la persona o escuela. El dinero que acumulen podrá ser donado a la ONG que hayan elegido para apoyar su causa social, ya sea con dinero o recursos materiales. La fórmula ha tenido una buena aceptación a nivel mundial y en México, ya que las cifras que se manejan en el país son que se recicla menos del 10 por ciento de la basura total. Por tal motivo. Arjona hace una invitación al público, empresas o instituciones educativas a que participen y colaboren con el medio ambiente inscribiéndose en el portal www.terracycle.com.mx o llamar al 01 800 6811589 Reciclado, segunda vida TerraCycle impulsa en La Laguna su sistema de reciclaje: ⇒ Tom Szaky es un emprendedor social de 31 años al día de hoy que inició con esta idea. El concepto además de fomentar la cultura del reciclaje, en el proceso apoya a organizaciones civiles. ⇒ Tang, Bimbo, Colgate y PepsiCo con dos categorías: Gamesa y Sabritas son empresas socias de TerraCycle. ⇒ TerraCycle y las empresas pagan por el envío y además por cada empaque otorgamos 25 puntos que equivale a 25 centavos de peso (4 empaques = 1 peso). ⇒ Cada equipo de brigada decide donar su dinero recaudado a una ONG de su preferencia. ⇒ Actualmente se tienen registrados a más de un millón de personas en México. ⇒ En La Laguna, la cifra supera las 3,500 personas. ⇒ ¿Qué pasa con las envolturas? Son convertidas en nuevos productos upcycle, esto quiere decir en productos de igual o mayor valor o recicladas, transformándolas en nuevos materiales.w.terracycle.com.mx

Painting the outside of a house can be a real chore – a hot, sticky, messy chore. But it’s not so bad when you have hundreds of people to help. Our friends at TerraCycle are hosting the 8^th annual Jersey Fresh Jam this weekend at their “house.” Hundreds of aerosol artists will descend upon the Trenton, NJ property to show off their skills with a spray can. TerraCycle gives them free reign to paint their art (tastefully, of course!), which will remain on the outside walls of TerraCycle’s headquarters until next summer. This one-day event offers the Trenton area’s urban artists a constructive outlet to express themselves while showcasing the more positive side to graffiti art. As this kind of event is becoming more common, often legal graffiti art is showcased in galleries across the country.   And have no fear: the artists use paint that is eco-friendly with low VOC levels. We wouldn’t expect anything less, guys and gals!   During the day, various local and regional emcees, bands and DJs will provide a soundtrack of sorts to the day, and the public is invited to see how these artists work (for free!). Malt-O-Meal is also providing breakfast for everyone that morning to keep them fueled and happy. And, there’s even an official after-party hosted by Jersey Fresh Jam. What’s not to love?

Editor’s Note: We asked our good friend Albe Zakes at TerraCycle, to share his ideas on gamification when it comes to living the eco-friendly lifestyle. Here are his thoughts. Playing games is an integral part of growing up. No matter the type of game, from the playground to living room, we learn valuable life lessons like how to follow rules, the importance of teamwork, and how to set and reach goals. Most importantly though, we play games because it’s fun and rewarding! Companies are now applying the enjoyment we get from playing games to non-game-like contexts – namely education and marketing – in the hopes that consumers will adopt new behaviors. This concept, dubbed “gamification” can be just what the green movement needs to motivate people to fully embrace a more sustainable life. What is Gamification? Companies use gamification to encourage a certain behavior by awarding points, achievement badges, virtual currency, real-life prizes or coupons or by showing progress bars and leader boards. The explosion of social networking and smart phones has made gamification a fundamental part of companies’ marketing strategies and is even used to motivate their own employees. Gamification could change the world by encouraging people to be the best they can: healthier, educated, and more sustainable. It’s so powerful because it can be applied to anything, but it is taking hold in the environmental and socially responsible movements.

Performance reviews are standard protocol in corporate America. The objective seems to be for the company to give formal and direct feedback to employees, who are assumed to understand that the reviews represent an opportunity to get a status check (like a report card) that can help them improve their performance and in the end further their careers.   I don’t believe in formal performance reviews. I think they create an environment where employers risk not confronting unsatisfactory performance when it happens — or acknowledging great work when it is delivered.   At TerraCycle, our approach has been to build a culture where feedback is given often and evenly to all 110 employees. We do this through a weekly reporting process (a topic I blogged about a few months ago) that requires every department to submit a detailed biweekly report to the whole company (every employee). In other words, everyone in the company sees the same reports that I do. Then, as chief executive, I write detailed responses to the reports that are also sent to all employees. This process allows everyone to be evaluated, frequently and without prejudice, in full view of their co-workers. I greatly prefer this approach to a more formal, once-a-year sit-down. Someone who isn’t performing well needs to know about it in real time, and someone who is doing great deserves immediate recognition.