O consumismo exagerado é a porta de entrada para muitos problemas ambientais devido à facilidade com que descartamos os objetos que já não são mais úteis. É um ciclo vicioso, pois é muito mais fácil jogar fora o que não tem mais valor e substituir por algo novo do que tentar reaproveitar o que já se tem. Partindo contra esse conceito, surgiu no cenário da atualidade uma tendência sustentável chamada upcycling, que visa o reaproveitamento e a continuidade do ciclo de vida do produto. O upcycling surgiu com a finalidade

Have you heard of TerraCycle? TerraCycle is a global business that has some free programs to recycle packing and products that we normally throw in the trash, and turns it into raw materials to be used in new products. Things like Gillette razors, Burt’s Bees containers, Cliff Bar wrappers, Van’s shoes, and many more recycling programs for these products are free. Visit TerraCycle.com

TerraCycle: TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky, then a student at Princeton University, on a mission towards Eliminating the Idea of Waste. From these humble beginnings TerraCycle has grown into the global leader in collecting and repurposing hard-to-recycle waste. They operate in over 20 countries, engaging over 80 million people and recycling billions of pieces of waste through various innovative platforms.

In general, candy wrappers aren’t recyclable. Yes, you do have some options — even beyond upcycling them into a dress. TerraCycle, a company focused on hard-to-recycle waste, can handle the shiny wrappers. And in 2016, Mars touted the development of a biodegradable wrapper. But this week, Nestle announced what they bill as a first-of-its-kind, potentially game-changing development: a recyclable paper candy bar wrapper that can be tossed in with other paper recycling in most places.

In general, candy wrappers aren’t recyclable. Yes, you do have some options — even beyond upcycling them into a dress. TerraCycle, a company focused on hard-to-recycle waste, can handle the shiny wrappers. And in 2016, Mars toutedthe development of a biodegradable wrapper. But this week, Nestle announced what they bill as a first-of-its-kind, potentially game-changing development: a recyclable paper candy bar wrapper that can be tossed in with other paper recycling in most places.

Recycling used to be so simple: aluminum cans, glass bottles, newspapers and paper bags. The sheer amount of disposable items has turned a garbage problem into a garbage crisis, says Tom Szaky, founder and chief executive of TerraCycle. The company's mission is recycling the previously unrecyclable, such as cigarette butts, contact lenses and chewing gum.

Designed with cross-angled, multi-height bristles to help remove plaque between teeth, the Tom’s of Maine Whole Care Toothbrush gently cleans down to the gumline and features a raised tip to access hard-to-reach areas. Its soft, BPA-free bristles are colored with food-grade, mineral-based pigments and the toothbrush is recyclable through the Tom’s of Maine collection program with upcycling leader TerraCycle.

After the event ends, the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center staff sorts the trash, consolidating recyclable items, delivering aluminum cans for cash and mailing cigarettes to TerraCycle, a recycling company for the “non-recyclables,” based in New Jersey, Stephens said.

Some companies would like to use more sustainable packaging but feel the nature of their product makes it difficult or impossible with available options. Recycling facilities can’t accept the flexible plastic pouches Buddy Fruits uses for their small-batch fresh fruit purees. Sustainability is an important part of their brand, but the highly perishable product needs to be as airtight as possible. While searching for a more sustainable and equally secure alternative, BuddyFruits has partnered with  TerraCycle. Terracycle collects and recycles hard to recycle products and makes new materials and products. Buddy Fruits customers can request an envelope from TerraCycle to ship-in their empty pouches. Many other food and beverage companies, like White Leaf Provisions, partner with TerraCycle for the same reasons as Buddy Fruits.

Local musicians attended a free recycle and restring event at American Guitar Boutique in Phenix City on June 29. Sponsored by D’Addario® and international recycling company TerraCycle®, musicians could bring any old instrument strings for recycling and get their electric or acoustic guitars restrung with D’Addario NYXL or Nickel Bronze Acoustic strings. In exchange for restringing, American Guitar Boutique asked customers to bring-in non-perishable donations to benefit the local Lazarus Society Food Bank. Old strings collected during the event will be recycled through Playback, D’Addario’s free, national recycling program