Teachers at Michael A. Maroun Elementary School are always on the lookout for ideas that help develop character and teach students about service to community.
Beginning in September, the kindergarten teachers began a service project that offered a win-win for families, school and the earth as they embarked on a project to collect Capri Sun drink pouches and turned it into a contest which got others throughout Maroun involved as well.
With Fourth of July fast approaching San Franciscans are gearing up for BBQ’s, beach picnics, family, friends and festivities. Summer parties create great memories, but they can also create a lot of left over trash.
While you try your best to separate, recycle and even compost, what can you do with all that difficult-to-recycle food packaging, like Frito-Lay chip bags, Kraft Singles cheese packaging, Capri Sun drink pouches, and plastic cups? This year, there is a better option for dealing with these tricky “non-recyclables.” You can send them, for free, to TerraCycle.
TerraCycle is one of the fastest growing green comapanies in the world. It was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a 20-year-old Princeton freshman. He began by producing organic fertilizer, liquid worm poop, and packaging it for sale in used soda bottles. Today, TerraCycle’s expanded mission is to eliminate the idea of waste all together.
During the summer I enjoy working in my yard. I try to cultivate my own organic herbs, fruits and veggies. Not only does this save money by raising my own small plot, I know my bounty has not been treated with chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
I soon discovered I had a problem with no using fertilizers. Most of my plants were short and scraggly. I asked my elderly neighbor, who has a beautiful array of flowers and a small garden plot, his secret. It turned out to be fresh manure from his brother's farm. While I envied his plants, shoveling manure was not an option I wanted to explore. Instead, I turned to
Terracycle's All Purpose Fertilizer.
Terracycle products are the brainchild of Tom Szaky, who came up with the brilliant mission to upcycle and recycle traditionally non-recyclable waste (including drink pouches, chip bags, tooth brushes and many more) into a large variety of consumer products. They have several "waste brigades" which allow people to send in their trash and be paid for it. How awesome is that?
The All Purpose Fertilizer is made from liquefied worm poop, nature's premiere fertilizer. It sounds gross, but it works well.
Here is some information that might interest hikers who prescribe to the
Leave No Trace philosophy of
hiking. The below information is about a business that will
recycling many of the non-recyclables that hikers regularly throw out. Anyone can send in their used wrappers for free and for every piece of packaging that TerraCycle receives, participants are awarded with two points, which can be put toward buying a specific charity gift, or converted to money and donated to a charity of the participant’s choice. Here is a press release that was sent out by the people at TerraCycle. We thought it was a cool concept.
TRENTON, New Jersey – June 21, 2011 – This summer, instead of throwing out their garbage, hikers and park-goers have another option for their non-recyclable trash after they pack it out: sending it free of charge to pioneering company TerraCycle® to be recycled. TerraCycle collects people’s trash and recycles the non-recyclable into eco-friendly, affordable, and practical products.
The “leave no trace” policy, which has evolved into the “pack it in, pack it out” policy of taking all your trash out of
the park with you, is furthered by TerraCycle’s Brigade® program, through which people can send in difficult-to-recycle food wrappers for recycling and upcycling and earn cash for charity. Usually, wrappers from products including Kashi, Bear Naked, CLIF BAR, and Revolution Foods, among others, are non-recyclable.
TerraCycle upcycles some wrappers into tote bags, coolers, notebooks, laptop cases and mini-speakers. Wrappers that aren’t upcycled are melted down and turned into plastics such as trash cans, flower pots, and clipboards. The snacks that hikers use while enjoying the outdoors can become eco-friendly, long-life products that support the environment that hikers are enjoying. Instead of just leaving no trace on the parks, hikers and outdoorsmen can also leave no trace on the Earth.
Anyone can sign up for TerraCycle’s Brigade programs and send in their wrappers for free. For every wrapper TerraCycle receives, two points are awarded that can be put toward buying a specific charity gift, or converted to money and donated to a charity of the participant’s choice. Most importantly, the Brigade will be keeping these wrappers out of the local landfills and off the ground.
THE TERRACYCLE RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR JUICE POUCHES EARNS SCHOOL A CASH
REWARD.
When students at St. Charles School see a certain juice pouch, they don’t just think “juice.”
They also think about reducing school trash and bringing in 2 cents per juice pouch for their school.
Special education teacher and Student Council advisor Jill Flemming also sees teachable math moments.
Since this past September, the school has been sending Capri Sun juice pouches to TerraCycle.
This school year, St. Charles students, who ended their school year Tuesday, recycled more than 11,000 juice bags, Flemming said Wednesday morning—11,072 to be exact. The recycling idea came, she said, when students were doing an annual walk in September against diabetes. The boxes of juice bags that the Student Council dispensed during the walk said, Flemming pointed out, “Recycle with TerraCycle.”
Visitors who bring specially marked Polly-O String Cheese packaging to Six Flags will receive $15 off general admission any day of the week, or a free kids ticket with purchase of general admission on a weekday.
Six Flags and Kraft have teamed up with TerraCycle to collect and recycle the cheese packaging. Normally, this packaging is not recyclable in most areas of the country , and this is the first time it will be recycled! TerraCycle will make the packaging into eco-friendly plastic products including trash cans, flower pots, plastic plywood, park benches, and picnic tables.
Visitors can continue recycling packaging that is usually non-recyclable by signing up for TerraCycle's Brigade program, through which these items are collected. For every piece of trash that a Brigade sends in, they will receive two points, which can be put towards a specific charity gift or converted to cash and donated to the participant's charity of choice.
When: Jun 15, 2011 12 AM to Oct 10, 2011 12 AMin Agawam, Massachusetts
Cost: Price: (Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00 )
Visitors who bring specially marked Polly-O String Cheese packaging to Six Flags will receive $15 off general admission any day of the week, or a free kids ticket with purchase of general admission on a weekday.
Six Flags and Kraft have teamed up with TerraCycle to collect and recycle the cheese packaging. Normally, this packaging is not recyclable in most areas of the country , and this is the first time it will be recycled! TerraCycle will make the packaging into eco-friendly plastic products including trash cans, flower pots, plastic plywood, park benches, and picnic tables.
Visitors can continue recycling packaging that is usually non-recyclable by signing up for TerraCycle’s Brigade program, through which these items are collected. For every piece of trash that a Brigade sends in, they will receive two points, which can be put towards a specific charity gift or converted to cash and donated to the participant’s charity of choice.
Six Flags Recycling Event/Discount with Krafts Cheese:Kraft and Six Flags are offering discounts at parks across the country for visitors who bring in specially marked string cheese packaging for recycling. The packaging will be sent to my company, TerraCycle, and made into plastic products including plastic lumber and plastic pavers. Visitors who bring specially marked Kraft String Cheese packaging to Six Flags will receive $15 off general admission any day of the week. Polly-O packaging (only available on the East Coast) is good for $15 off general admission every day, or a free kids ticket with purchase of general admission on a weekday. Six Flags and Kraft have teamed up with TerraCycle to collect and recycle the cheese packaging. Normally, this packaging is not recyclable in most areas of the country , and this is the first time it will be recycled! TerraCycle will make the packaging into eco-friendly plastic products including trash cans, flower pots, plastic plywood, park benches, and picnic tables. Visitors can continue recycling packaging that is usually non-recyclable by signing up for TerraCycle?s Brigade program, through which these items are collected. For every piece of trash that a Brigade sends in, they will receive two points, which can be put towards a specific charity gift or converted to cash and donated to the participant’s charity of choice.
