If you visited households throughout Canada, chances are you’d find at least one pair of flip-flops (if not more) in each. Unfortunately, every pair of flip-flops Canadians throw out ends up as waste in landfills. That is changing thanks to a partnership between Old Navy and TerraCycle Canada that now makes flip-flops recyclable.

To achieve maximum sustainability, whose contribution do you think matters the most: businesses, consumers, or our national and state governments? Rather than playing the blame game with any of these parties, I believe that this question should be approached more proactively. Problem identification is just the first step in any equation; it is the solution that ties the loose ends together. As a company that seeks to eliminate the idea of waste, TerraCycle is very much invested in developing and implementing solutions to remedy our environmental woes–but is one company enough? TerraCycle’s collection and solution programs operate on a B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) basis to keep waste out of landfills and incinerators. This means that our efforts are based on a substantial amount of cooperation with our clientele; think of it as an interdependent network of environmental sustainability.

Each year, the sales world seemingly is bombarded with the hot new trend, worthy or not. No matter the trend, the basics of sales can’t be dropped. The tried and true methods of sales, such as relating to the client and being politely persistent with them, will also carry through amidst the changing world of sales. In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, Tom Szaky, chief executive of waste management company TerraCycle, said that the ability to make a sale depends on the sales person’s ability to be concise: He wrote, “When pitching do not use complicated diction. Pride yourself instead on being able to explain the concept as quickly, clearly and simply as possible. This is important because the biggest problem in sales is client confusion. Confusion does not lead to a Yes.”

Packing up drink pouches is a sticky, messy chore, but you do it if you want to earn extra money for your school. That’s why Cynthia Bowen and her student volunteers box and ship about 2,000 pouches each month to Trenton, N.J., where they’re recycled into a variety of items, including tote bags and pencil cases. Bowen, a parent volunteer at Ocean Lakes Elementary School, began the program this year and, so far, the school has earned $408 for the drink pouches they send to TerraCycle, a company that specializes in hard-to-recycle items

TUSSAM se adhiere al proyecto solidario “Reciclaje de Material de Escritura” promovido por al empresa TerraCycle, a través del reciclaje de bolígrafos, rotuladores, subrayadores, lapiceros, portaminas, etc., contribuyendo de esta manera a proteger y conservar el medioambiente. El programa permite que cualquier material de escritura pueda reciclarse en nuevos artículos como estuches, papeleras o regaderas.

FARMINGTON — The plastic No. 6 Solo cup that holds an icy cold beverage this summer can become a 10-cent donation to the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area. Through a special summer promotion by TerraCycle's UpCycle recycling program, the local United Way gets donations for each cup. It has already received $62.60 for its first shipment of 626 Solo cups, Lisa Laflin, executive director, said. Normally the cups might bring a cent or two but through August, they are worth 10 cents, she said. When Sarah Martin visited the United Way looking for ways to give back to the community, conversations led to ways to support the organization, Laflin said. Martin is also a member of the Sustainable Coalition at the University of Maine at Farmington. After talking with Laflin and meeting with the coalition, Martin volunteered to organize the recycling program and named the United Way as the beneficiary, Laflin said.

If we know our readers, we know one thing. You all LOVE free stuff. And we would be jerks if we didn't tell you how to get it. Garnier, the maker of the popular Fructis line of hair care products among others, has embarked on a bus tour called the Beauty Brigade. The brand is partnering with TerraCycle, a pioneer in the practice of "upcycling." What now? Upcycling is when you take something old and turn it into something better. In this case, Garnier wants you to donate your old beauty containers -- shampoo bottles, makeup cases, lip gloss tubes, whatever -- to be turned into new things. When you bring your empties to the bus parked outside select Tampa Bay Walmart locations, you can get FREE SAMPLES of Garnier products and try new products. If you bring at least one empty container, you'll be eligible for a mini-makeover on the bus.