By Rick LeBlanc, About.com Guide One of the challenges in striving to reach zero landfill is what to do with materials that are not readily recyclable. With sufficient volume, there is usually a demand for scrap paper or plastic, or standard 48x40 inch pallets, but what about for other materials? Increasingly, as we push towards diverting more materials from landfills, technologies and infrastructure are developing to address some of these items. The goal is to make more of these exotic materials mainstream recyclables instead. Let’s look at some of these.

Lester C. Noecker School, the Roseland Environmental Commission, the Roseland Green Team and Sustainable Roseland are collecting these and other personal care items in celebration of April as “Earth Month,” as well as Earth Day, which is Sunday, April 22. The school is participating in TerraCycle’s Personal Care and Beauty Brigade.  Each year millions of personal care products and beauty product packages are needlessly discarded and end up in landfills.  To divert them from landfills and to help create a second life for these items, each class will collect used personal care and beauty packages during the month of April.   A representative from the “Green Team” will pick up the items periodically and ship them directly to TerraCycle, where they will ultimately be recycled into fun and innovative products. The class that recycles the greatest number of items will win a certificate for each student and teacher to be used at the  Roseland Farmers’ Market, which opens in June and runs through November at the corner of Roseland and Harrison avenues.  The trip to the market will help teach students about accessing locally grown fresh food, and give them an opportunity to develop relationships with local growers and artisans who are raising awareness about the food system and promoting healthy eating habits.

Ishani rewattkemeet is the march community green award winner in Columbus, GA. Ishani is a seven year member of the girl scouts and started a project with TerraCycle by recycling products and packaging in her community.

Schools render plenty of waste products that’s carelessly gotten rid of when it can be recycled. An extraordinary recycling program known as TerraCycle has brought about a major change in the recycling routines of schools in the United States. This method takes the initiative to recover food packaging items that are difficult to recycle and in addition pays schools for their hard work. According to a MichigansThumb.com report, the plan awards points to schools based on the amount of recyclable goods provided to TerraCycle. The advent of single-serve food items has amplified the amount of disposable waste and added to an evergrowing pile of detrimental waste products in landfills.

En 2012, más que en años anteriores, mientras que algunas empresas y marcas estarán al borde del abismo, a otras les irá muy bien. El informe deTrendwatching de este año nos indica las tendencias para las marcas más creativas y para los empresarios que de verdad cambien según las necesidades de los clientes. Por eso se nos antoja indispensable echar un vistazo a las 12 tendencias de consumo para tener éxito durante los próximos 12 meses.

La crisis es una oportunidad. Una oportunidad para cambiar a una economía sostenible. Es el mejor momento. Los nuevos negocios tiene que pensar en el medio ambiente. En este sentido, hay una nueva tendencia con mucho futuro: lo llaman Eco-cycology. Eco-cycology es un movimiento que tiene como objetivo ayudar a los consumidores a reciclar, recuperando artículos viejos de otros clientes, para hacer algo de provecho con ellos, para darles un nuevo uso. Tiendas de reciclaje y reutilización. Los ciudadanos, como consumidores, cada vez están más preocupados por el medio ambiente y adquieren productos y no sólo piensan en el dinero que cuestan, sino, sobre todo, valoran su valor ecológico y material.

Quem é que não tem um vestido de festa que nunca mais usou, uma saia, ou qualquer peça deroupa. Pensou em doar? Antes disso saiba que você transformar isso numa peça moderna e com o mesmo valor tanto fashion quanto financeiro. Essa prática antiga hoje em dia recebe até nome: upcylcing. Além de ganhar uma roupa nova, você ainda gasta menos e consume menos. Em Londres, a grife Lost Property of London recicla sacas de café e as transforma em bolsas, e por aqui temos a Terra Cycle, que cria bolsas a partir de embalagens, e o Projeto Grael que usa velas de barcos para produzir acessórios.

Para cada embalagem enviada, a TerraCycle e Coppertone doarão R$0,02 para o SOS PRAIS, uma ONG que se dedica a conscientização e educação ambiental da população brasileira quanto aos problemas relativos à preservação dos oceanos, praias e meio ambiente costeiro no país. Veja o filme da campanha: Fonte da imagem: http://atitudesustentavel.uol.com.br

“A moda é uma plataforma incrível para o upcycling”, afirma Chiara Gadaleta, consultora de moda e autora do blog Ser Sustentável com Estilo. Como exemplo de empresas nacionais que já estão seguindo esse caminho, Chiara cita a TerraCycle, que  faz bolsas a partir de embalagens, e o Projeto Grael, que usa velas de barcos para a produção de acessórios. “O que precisa ser sempre levado em consideração são dois pontos: a qualidade de acabamento e estética dos produtos”, explica.