Mountain House has been with us since the beginning and we’re excited to have them back! If you’ve seen us at an event, then there’s no doubt you’ve gone home with a sample or two of a tasty Mountain House meal. Mountain House has a lot of exciting things in the works this year but what we’re most excited for is their partnership with TerraCycle to offer a FREE recycling program for their used pouches. TerraCycle is an innovative recycling company that specializes in giving new life to hard-to-recycle products. For those who can make it out to Appalachian Trail Day’s, bring us your empty pouch and we’ll give you a new one and recycle your old one!
Currently, Michigan has a recycling rate of 15 percent, one of the lowest in the nation. According to a 2016 report by the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and Grand Valley State University, most material being disposed of in landfills can be easily recycled and totals nearly $56 million in economic value and 370 jobs. We’ve put together a guide on how to recycle almost everything in your home so you can know exactly what to put in your curbside recycle bin and what to do with everything else in between.
Aluminum
Clean metal objects such as tin cans, aerosol cans and tin foil and license plates can be placed in your city recycling bin.
Ammunition, Explosives or Fireworks
Dispose of ammunition, explosives and fireworks at the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.
AppliancesHabitat for Humanity, In the Image, Padnos, South Kent Recycling & Waste Center, Salvation Army of West Michigan and Nortern Indiana,North Kent Recycling & Waste Center accept used appliances.
BatteriesAllendale True Value, Batteries Unlimited, Kent County Department of Public Worksand your local library accepts rechargeable batteries. Grand Rapids Iron and Metal, A-1 Electric and Advanced Autoparts stores will accept car batteries for recycling. Hearing aids and hearing aid batteries may be recycled through Lions Hearing & Speech Improvement Program, Starkey Hearing Foundation and Quota International – Hear for Good Program. Advanced Technology Recycling (ATR), Batteries Unlimited, and Comprenew accept cell phone batteries.
Books
Paperback books (including phone books) may be reycled in your curbside container. For hardcover books, consider donating to the Grand Rapids Public Library Friends of the Library program or the Kent District Library.
Building and Painting Supplies
Oil-based paint, stain and lacquer, adhesive, caulking and glue, deck, patio and chimney cleaner, furniture stripper, paint stripper and remover, solvent cleaning fluid, roof coating, sealant, thinner and turpentine may be disposed of through the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program. Click here for information on drop-off and collection days
Car Seats
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital offers car seat recycling at a number of locations at periodic days and times (appointments are required). Click here for more information.
Cardboard
Flaten pizza boxes, moving boxes and packaging boxes before placing in your curbside recycling bin.
Cartons
Rinsed our creamer cartons, juice boxes, soy milk, almond milk, wine boxes, boxed water, juice cartons, soup and broth boxes, milk cartons and Tetra Pak cartons can all be placed in your curbside recycling bin. To recycle the cap, put it back on the carton before placing in the bin.
CarpetFIBR Carpet Recycling accepts all types of carpet tiles and offers free carpet reclamation services for bulk recycling projects.
Cleaning Products
Laundry bleach, degreaser, spot remover, drain cleaner, lye, oven cleaner, polish, wax, toilet & drain cleaner, tub, tile, shower cleaner, wood and metal cleaners and polish,ammonia and other household cleaners may be disposed of through the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program. Click here for information on drop-off and collection days.
Clothing and TextilesIn the Image, St. Vincent DePaul, Public Thread, North Kent Community Services, Salvation Army of West Michigan and Northern Indiana, and Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids accepts donations of gently used clothing.
Cosmetics
Many beauty brands offer recycling programs. Garnier and Origins accept packaging and containers from any brand for recycling. MAC, Lush and Kiehls each offer various reward programs for returning their packaging and empty containers for recycling.
ElectronicsComprenew, North Kent Recycling & Waste Center, Advanced Technology Recycling (ATR), South Kent Recycling & Waste Center accept computer, phone, cameras and other electronics for recycling.
Flammable Products
Diesel fuel, gas/oil mix or gasoline, home heating oil, kerosene, lighters, lighter fluid, antifreeze/engine coolant, small, refillable propane tanks, white gas andother flammable products may be disposed of through the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program. Click here for information on drop-off and collection days.
Glass Bottles
Clean bottles can be placed in your city recycling bin.
Glass Windows and DoorsHabitat for Humanity accepts gently used windows and doors.
GlassesCascade Engineering acceps used sunglasses, glasses or bifocals.
Ink CartridgesCascade Engineering, Valley City Electronic Recycling and Advanced Technology Recycling accept spent ink cartridges.
Indoor Pesticides
Insect spray, flea repellent and shampoo, houseplant fertilizer, moth repellent, mouse and rat poisons and baits and other pesticides can disposed of through the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program. Click here for information on drop-off and collection days.
Lawn and Garden Products
Fertilizer, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, pesticide, wood preservative, ant dust, mosquito spray, and other lawn and garden products may be disposed of through the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program. Click here for information on drop-off and collection days.
Mattresses
If the mattress you would like to dispose of is in decent condition, consider donating it to a second-hand store, such as Salvation Army of West Michigan and Northern Indiana or Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids.Paper
Papers, envelopes, paper bags, magazines, cereal & cracker boxes, phone books, soft cover books, newspapers, paper egg cartons, paper towel tubes & shredded paper in a tied, clear plastic bag can be placed in your curbside recycling bin.
Plastic Bags
To recycle plastic shopping bags in your curbside bin, make sure bags are clean and dry and put all bags inside one bag and tie it shut.
School Supplies
Crayons may be recycled through The Crayon Initiative. For information on shipping old crayons or starting your own collection site, click here. Crayola Colorful Marker Recycling accepts Crayola brand markers for recycling. Click here for more information.
Shoes
Donate your gently used shoes to a second-hand store, such as Salvation Army of West Michigan and Northern Indiana, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids or Mel Trotter Ministries. Additionally, recycle your old running shoes at a Gazelle Sports location.
Six-Pack Rings
Six-pack rings are not accepted in curbside recycling. Ring Leader, a national recycling program, accepts six-pack rings. Click here to sign up for a ring leader kit.
Smoke Detectors
To recycle your smoke detector, contact the manufacturer.
Sports Equipment
Donate your used sports equipment to a second-hand store such as Salvation Army of West Michigan and Northern Indiana, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids, Bethany’s Thrift Stores or Play It Again Sports.
String LightsHolidayleds.com has a free mail-in recycling program. Once your package is sent, the company will send you a coupon for 15 percent off their inventory.
Styrofoam
Arvron accepts non-food, clean, block style Styrofoam. Michigan Foam accepts non-food, clean, dry, white-beaded style Styrofoam. Sealed Air will take bubble wrap, air pillow packaging, Instapak foam packaging and polyethylene foam packaging. Harbor Foam will take clean, white styrofoam, but not packing peanuts.
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Toothbrushes and toothpaste can be recycled through the Colgate Care Recycling Program, a partnership between TerraCycle and Colgate. For information how to ship your used items, click here.Wine CorksReCork, a national cork recycling program, accepts cork drop-offs at a number of local places, including Art of the Table, Terra GR, and Houlihan’s Grand Rapids.
Scraping leftovers into a compost pile might not sound like a vacation activity, but on Natural Habitat Adventures’ new seven-day Yellowstone safari, composting is as essential to the experience as camping or hiking. While expert naturalists guide you in search of bison and wolf pups, you’ll also be on an industry-first zero-waste expedition. You’ll drink from reusable water bottles and dine on locally sourced food sans single-use plastics like straws, plates, and cups. Everything that can’t be composted or recycled locally is hauled back to the company’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, to be recycled, upcycled, or handed off to TerraCycle, an innovative company that specializes in the reuse of otherwise unprocessable waste. The hope is that the trip will inspire you with the landscape and wildlife while fostering habits you can take home. From $5,695 —S.P.
Nederland. Local musicians are invited to attend a free recycle and restring event at Brightwood Music in Nederland on April 10, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sponsored by D’Addario® and international recycling company TerraCycle®, musicians can bring any old instrument strings for recycling and get their electric or acoustic guitars restrung with D’Addario NYXL or Nickel Bronze Acoustic strings. Old strings collected during the event will be recycled through Playback, D’Addario’s free, national recycling program.
Brightwood Music is a full-service retail music store in Nederland, Colorado. The store sells, buys and repairs all types of musical instruments and accessories. They also sell PA systems, amplifiers and specialize in recommending, as well as installing, pick up systems in a variety of acoustic instruments.
Through their expertise, they’ve generated a lot of positive word of mouth. In fact, many of their customers, who are professional touring musicians, have recommended Brightwood Music across the nation for their services since they ship instruments all over the country and stock a plethora of unique and hard-to-find repair supplies. The team at Brightwood Music is also dedicated to local school programs, partnering with educators and students alike in many ways. Through their knowledgeable service, good product value and music lessons, they hope to provide better understanding and enjoyment of their products.
Playback is the world’s first instrument string recycling program, launched through a partnership between D’Addario and innovative recycling company, TerraCycle. The program is a part of D’Addario’s Players Circle loyalty program and allows registered users to recycle their used strings in exchange for extra Players Circle points. Musicians attending the recycle and restring events will receive a code at the event, redeemable for extra Players Circle points. Points can be used toward merchandise or donated to the D’Addario Foundation, the company’s nonprofit organization supporting music education in underserved communities.
“We’ve been searching for a solution for old string reuse after installing a new set on a guitar, so it’s great that D’Addario and TerraCycle are helping dealers confront this issue,” says store representative, Doug Armitage. “Recycling these strings, regardless of brand-name, will greatly minimize our store’s landfill contribution.”
D’Addario has been consistently committed to the environment, working to reduce their company’s packaging waste and use the most environmentally responsible packaging available on the market. Their partnership with TerraCycle allows them to further reinforce their role as an environmental leader in the music industry.
TerraCycle is a global leader in recycling typically non-recyclable waste, working with companies to implement recycling initiatives and finding solutions for materials otherwise destined for the landfill.
Musicians interested in recycling through Playback can visit http://www.daddario.com/playback. For more information on the recycle and restring event, please contact Brightwood Music at (303) 258-8863.
D’Addario & Company, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instrument accessories marketed under several product divisions: D’Addario Fretted and Orchestral Strings, Evans Drumheads, Promark Drumsticks, Puresound, D’Addario Woodwinds, and D’Addario/Planet Waves Accessories. A family-owned and operated business with roots dating back to the 17th century and 1,100 employees worldwide, the company manufactures 95 percent of its products in the U.S. employing Toyota’s Lean manufacturing principles. D’Addario musical accessories are distributed in 120 countries, serve more than 3,000 U.S. retailers, all major e-commerce sites, and are the preferred choice of professional and serious amateur musicians worldwide including Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz + more.
TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste®. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers, cities and facilities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding 15 years ago.
To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.
From permeable pavers made from 100% recycled materials to an innovative leader in reclaimed wood, these companies are doing recycling right.
Recycling is one of the best ways to help the environment and economy simultaneously, but it’s overlooked by too many as tedious and unnecessary. But of all the plastic that’s ever been made, only roughly 9% has likely been recycled, according to a 2018 report by Great Britain's Royal Statistical Society (RSS). The RSS named it their statistic of the year.
On top of that, recent investigations in multiple cities across the country have found that even recyclables that have been properly disposed of may not be getting recycled. In Chicago, some recycling bins have been marked “contaminated” and hauled off to landfills when not contaminated at all.
But even though recycling worldwide has a ways to go, many green companies are paving the road to a more sustainable future. Here are 11 green companies working hard to change the way their industries perceive waste.
1. TerraCycle Programs Are Helping to Eliminate Landfill Waste
While growing plants in college, Tom Szaky discovered that worm poop could work as a natural recycler to improve and encourage successful plant growth. That was the beginning of TerraCycle, a recycling company that focuses on decreasing the amount of hard-to-recycle items in landfills. As one of the top leaders in the recycling industry, TerraCycle offers a series of free and paid recycling programs around the world to help cities and industries cut back on waste. The green company also has a team of scientists who work to create innovative recycling solutions, one being the world’s first pen product made from previously used pens. Companies such as Colgate, PepsiCo, and Brita all utilize TerraCycle to make their own companies greener.
2. POLYWOOD Leads in Recycled Outdoor Furniture
POLYWOOD is no stranger to recycling. Spurred on by the environmental movement of the 1980s, the outdoor furnishing company began implementing recycling practices in the '90s and hasn’t looked back. Their furniture is made of recycled plastic lumber, as opposed to wood and particle board, and is built to be enjoyed during every season of the year. POLYWOOD recycles 400,000 milk jugs per day on average.
3. Scranton Products Offer Recycled and Recyclable Products
4. Lack of Sustainable Planters Inspired DeepStream Designs
DeepStream Designs was born one day when Tom and Sheila Boyce were sitting at a cafe surrounded by rotting wooden planters. They were looking for sustainable planters for their own condominium project at the time and came to realize that there just weren’t that many options out there—so Tom created a new option. DeepStream Designs’ Audubon and Mariner modular wood planter systems are made from recycled plastic milk bottles and can be paired with recycling and trash bins, wall systems, and fixtures for hotels and restaurants. In 2017, their products created from this material made up 62% of the company’s sales. In addition to recycling waste, they’re also giving back to the planet in another form: for each product the green company produces, a tree is planted in honor of their sustainable customers through nonprofit Trees for the Future.
5. Sunbrella Shades Sustainably
For days when the sun shines too brightly or a sunny forecast turns grim, Sunbrellaoffers a sustainable solution that provides shade and protection. The company repurposes leftover fibers and yarns from unused or unwanted fabrics in one of their most popular products, the Sunbrella Renaissance. It uses up to 50% recycled Sunbrella materials, and it's crafted into a vintage-like fabric, which the sustainable company promises will offer charm, softness, and high performance. Sunbrella fabrics are honored with a multitude of environmental certifications, like the GREENGUARD Gold certification and OEKO-TEX certification, and are zero landfill.
6. Lego-like TRUEGRID Pavers Focus on a Better Environment
Barry Stiles, CEO of TRUEGRID, has likened his permeable pavers to real-world legos, and the green company is using them to build a more sustainable society. After both Stiles and his son were diagnosed with different forms of cancer, he wanted to make the environment a safer and healthier place for kids. To achieve that, his company has committed to using 100% recycled materials—often water and milk jugs or detergent and shampoo bottles. The materials are also entirely HDPE, and when shipping out their products, TRUEGRID utilizes as little packaging as possible.
7. Coterie Offers Sustainable Custom Furniture
To Jaime and Carrie Covert—the husband and wife duo who own Chicago-based Coterie—reclaimed wood is the best choice for custom furniture. While sometimes expensive, reclaimed wood is both sustainable and artistic. All the pieces the duo has worked on that included reclaimed wood ended up unique in their own right. “When you’re cutting an old beam in a house that’s been there for 110 years, which used to be a 300-year-old tree, you’re getting textures and colors that are unexpected,” Jaime says.
8. FabriTRAK Is Redefining “Green” in the Acoustics Industry
When imagining acoustical solutions, “green” may not be the first word to come to mind—acoustical systems provider FabriTRAK has even said it themselves. But with two green products, EcoTACK and GeoTrak, the company hopes to change that preconception. Both products are 100% recyclable and made from environmentally friendly materials. In addition, neither product contains formaldehyde, a probable human carcinogen commonly used in household products.
9. Recycling Comes Easy to Bright Idea Shops
For Bright Idea Shops’ founder Alan Robbins, the place for recycled plastic wood is in parks. The company’s green designs typically manifest in picnic tables, benches, and trash containers. The impact Robbins’ work has on the planet is best explained by the man himself: “Our hexagonal picnic table weighs 212 pounds. It comes in various colors, and it’s well crafted with a nice design that’s easy to assemble and add an umbrella. That’s 212 pounds, and there are 6.4 milk jugs in a pound of plastic. Do the multiplication and that’s 1,356 milk jugs to make that one product. That’s 1,300 milk jugs that were going to a landfill that now go to make this product. And that’s just one picnic table.”
10. Centennial Woods Reclaims Their Own Wood
As one of the largest providers of reclaimed wood in the world, Centennial Woods knows a lot about recycling. The company offers a variety of services from artistic home decor to rustic interior and exteriors, but no matter the project, the wood all comes from the same place: massive snow fences in Wyoming. Centennial Woods build these fences that line Wyoming’s highways every year, keeping roads safe in the dead of winter. The harsh Wyoming winters actually improve their products by helping to produce weathered wood without the energy-consuming process of kiln drying. Using the wood from the weathered fences ensures their material is carbon negative and offers a never-ending supply of material.
11. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Is Tired of Smog
When designer duo Bob Williams and Mitchell Gold settled down in South Carolina after leaving New York City, they soon found that smog and a lack of care for the environment was not unique to the big city. They discovered that their foam manufacturers were releasing ozone-damaging CFCs into the air and knew they had to make a change. Since then, their company, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, has worked on reducing its footprint by focusing in on recycling. Just by recycling packaging materials and upcycling leather and fabric scraps, the company reduced their annual landfill waste by over 200 pounds.
Weleda has partnered with TerraCycle, making it easier for customers to recycle packaging waste from its entire Skin Food line of products.
The Weleda Recycling Program allows consumers to send in their empty Skin Food packaging, to be recycled for free. Participants sign up on the TerraCycle program page and mail in their packaging waste using a prepaid shipping label.
Collected packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded into new recycled products. Collectors can earn $1 per pound of waste sent to TerraCycle, to be donated to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choosing.
“Preserving the balance between what we take from nature with what we give back is our core value,” said Rob Keen, CEO of Weleda North America. “This respect for nature is in our DNA and it guides everything we do - from our innovative biodynamic farming practices that actually pull carbon out of the atmosphere, to our manufacturing facilities in France, Germany and Switzerland that use energy from 100% renewable sources. We also employ thoughtful ingredient sourcing and ethical partnerships that protect the life energy and potency of our products. Now we are teaming up with TerraCycle to ensure that our recently launched Skin Food packaging has every opportunity to be recycled.”
A 3M e o Makro anunciam uma parceria para levar os pontos de coleta do Programa Nacional de Reciclagem da Scotch-Brite para as lojas do atacadista espalhadas pelo Brasil. Ao todo, as 68 lojas do atacadista já possuem as caixas coletoras que fazem a arrecadação das esponjas.
Animal shelters and homeless shelters need certain items, but you must follow strict guidelines before donating in order to avoid imposing disposal costs on worthy organizations and taking their staffs’ time.
Specifically, some “used” items can be donated to homeless shelters, but only in new, unopened condition. For example, the free toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste you received from your dentist following a cleaning can be donated, but only if it is still sealed in packaging. Similarly, if you did not open the complimentary shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion and shower cap in your hotel room, donate those, too.
Used clothing is almost always better donated to a thrift store than a shelter; however, shelters generally can accept used, freshly cleaned sweatshirts, hoodies, and sweat pants. Similarly, donating used shoes imposes a burden on shelters, but one related item frequently discarded by everyone is desired by homeless shelters. Used, cleaned shoelaces can be donated to a homeless shelter.
Prior to delivering donations, call the Oxnard shelter directly at 805-247-0335. The shelter currently hosts over 100 people, has limited staff and organizes many activities, so they are not able to carefully screen donations or give tours.
Donations of used blankets and towels are welcomed by the Ventura County Animal Shelter. The shelter, in Camarillo, is collecting materials to meet the needs of the 500 animals being hosted. People can drop off items at the shelter: 600 Aviation Drive, Camarillo; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. The shelter is closed on Mondays, but people can also drop off items from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Mondays if they are unable to come during open hours, according to Jennifer Thaler, Supervising Animal Control Officer.
Other items seemingly unrecyclable and not reusable can be given a new life through mail-in recycling programs. One surprising reusable item is used mascara wands. The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge uses these to clean animals in distress. The tight bristles enable volunteers to remove oil, larvae, fly eggs, mites and mud from rescued wildlife. The brushes also work great for animal medical care and wound treatment, according to the organization’s website. The refuge asks donors to clean used mascara wands with liquid soap, place wands in a clean plastic bag and mail them to P.O. Box 1211, Skyland, NC, 28776.
Terracycle provides sponsor-subsidized mail-in recycling programs for products ranging from Burt’s Bees “lip care products” to Solo cups. Additionally, Terracycle has many non-sponsored programs. For example, for $102, you can purchase a small shipping box (11 in. x11 in. x20 in.) and a postage-paid return shipping label to send Terracycle your used chewing gum. According to Brian Hanck, a Terracycle spokesman, “Chewing gum is made from polymers, which are synthetic plastics . . . The . . . gum is sanitized and blended, then converted into plastic pellets. These specific plastic pellets are usually used in creating new products made of rubber or plastic.”
Among other items, the company also has mail-in recycling programs for coffee capsules, pens, plastic gloves, detergent booster pouches, ready-made pasta bags, contact lenses and the blister packs containing the lenses.
Locally, the Surfrider Foundation participates in Terracycle’s mail-in program for recycling cigarette butts, the most common form of litter. Through its “Hold On To Your Butt” campaign, the city and Surfrider have purchased and installed 103 metal containers in areas where cigarette butt litter was common, despite a city ordinance banning smoking in public areas. Volunteers empty approximately 4,000 butts per month from these receptacles; combined with the butts they collect from beach cleanup events, they have sent over 270,000 butts to Terracycle in a little over two years, according to Juli Marciel, Surfrider’s coordinator for the program. A bench made from cigarette butts is on the Ventura promenade next to the pier.
For more information, visit www.terracycle.com/en-US/. Additional items needed by the Ventura County Animal Shelter can be found at www.vcas.us/amazonwishlist. Additional items needed by the Oxnard Homeless Shelter include a large coffee pot, microwave oven and heavy-duty three-prong extension cords. Before delivering, call 805-247-0335.
Animal shelters and homeless shelters need certain items, but you must follow strict guidelines before donating in order to avoid imposing disposal costs on worthy organizations and taking their staffs’ time.
Specifically, some “used” items can be donated to homeless shelters, but only in new, unopened condition. For example, the free toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste you received from your dentist following a cleaning can be donated, but only if it is still sealed in packaging. Similarly, if you did not open the complimentary shampoo, conditioner, hand lotion and shower cap in your hotel room, donate those, too.
Used clothing is almost always better donated to a thrift store than a shelter; however, shelters generally can accept used, freshly cleaned sweatshirts, hoodies, and sweat pants. Similarly, donating used shoes imposes a burden on shelters, but one related item frequently discarded by everyone is desired by homeless shelters. Used, cleaned shoelaces can be donated to a homeless shelter.
Prior to delivering donations, call the Oxnard shelter directly at 805-247-0335. The shelter currently hosts over 100 people, has limited staff and organizes many activities, so they are not able to carefully screen donations or give tours.
Donations of used blankets and towels are welcomed by the Ventura County Animal Shelter. The shelter, in Camarillo, is collecting materials to meet the needs of the 500 animals being hosted. People can drop off items at the shelter: 600 Aviation Drive, Camarillo; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. The shelter is closed on Mondays, but people can also drop off items from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Mondays if they are unable to come during open hours, according to Jennifer Thaler, Supervising Animal Control Officer.
Other items seemingly unrecyclable and not reusable can be given a new life through mail-in recycling programs. One surprising reusable item is used mascara wands. The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge uses these to clean animals in distress. The tight bristles enable volunteers to remove oil, larvae, fly eggs, mites and mud from rescued wildlife. The brushes also work great for animal medical care and wound treatment, according to the organization’s website. The refuge asks donors to clean used mascara wands with liquid soap, place wands in a clean plastic bag and mail them to P.O. Box 1211, Skyland, NC, 28776.
TerraCycle provides sponsor-subsidized mail-in recycling programs for products ranging from Burt’s Bees “lip care products” to Solo cups. Additionally, TerraCycle has many non-sponsored programs. For example, for $102, you can purchase a small shipping box (11 in. x11 in. x20 in.) and a postage-paid return shipping label to send TerraCycle your used chewing gum. According to Brian Hanck, a TerraCycle spokesman, “Chewing gum is made from polymers, which are synthetic plastics . . . The . . . gum is sanitized and blended, then converted into plastic pellets. These specific plastic pellets are usually used in creating new products made of rubber or plastic.”
Among other items, the company also has mail-in recycling programs for coffee capsules, pens, plastic gloves, detergent booster pouches, ready-made pasta bags, contact lenses and the blister packs containing the lenses.
Locally, the Surfrider Foundation participates in TerraCycle’s mail-in program for recycling cigarette butts, the most common form of litter. Through its “Hold On To Your Butt” campaign, the city and Surfrider have purchased and installed 103 metal containers in areas where cigarette butt litter was common, despite a city ordinance banning smoking in public areas. Volunteers empty approximately 4,000 butts per month from these receptacles; combined with the butts they collect from beach cleanup events, they have sent over 270,000 butts to TerraCycle in a little over two years, according to Juli Marciel, Surfrider’s coordinator for the program. A bench made from cigarette butts is on the Ventura promenade next to the pier.
For more information, visit www.terracycle.com/en-US/. Additional items needed by the Ventura County Animal Shelter can be found at www.vcas.us/amazonwishlist. Additional items needed by the Oxnard Homeless Shelter include a large coffee pot, microwave oven and heavy-duty three-prong extension cords. Before delivering, call 805-247-0335.
They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Well, in Trenton, one person’s trash is another person’s art. A new exhibit called “Scrapped” has transformed more than 7 billion pieces of garbage into breathtaking works of art. It’s presented by the BSB Gallery and TerraCycle, a global waste management company based in Trenton.
“There’s an Abraham Lincoln made out of cigarette butts,” said Lisa Pellegrino, business development manager for zero waste at TerraCycle. “Garments that you see here out of Doritos packaging and things that you would never think. It’s this idea of recycling, upcycling, repurposing. It requires a certain amount of creativity.”
Pellegrino says the art is a conversation starter, a way to get the community talking about waste, recycling and human behavior. One way they’re doing that is through presentations that foster discussion.
Terracycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky is the visionary behind the project. He says he’s fine putting himself out of business in a world without waste.
“Our mission is to eliminate the idea of waste, right? And that placement of the word idea is really intentional and brilliant, in the sense that there’s no such thing as waste, just misplaced resources. And this whole exhibit, it’s just incredible to be immersed in the community, have these members here appreciating the art and sharing their own stories of how they have re-imagined everyday items,” Pellegrino said.
Even the building itself is part of the story. Built in the 1900s, it was once a bank that fell into complete disrepair. At one point it was falling into the streets of Trenton. But it’s been restored, and it now serves as the perfect backdrop to the exhibition.
“The Trenton Historical Society picked up the building. They said this is a historical landmark. This was the first skyscraper in Trenton,” said Aine Mickey, curator at BSB Gallery. “We’re right in downtown Trenton as well, so this was a pretty big deal for this area, and for the history of not only Trenton, but also architecture. This is a beautiful space.”
Mickey curated the “Scrapped” exhibit and included descriptions of the trash that was used in each piece.
“We have whole huge, portraits made entirely of found beach plastic. It’s exciting to kind of watch people breeze through, and then they’ll stop at one piece. And they’ll have to look at it for a while, and they’ll say, ‘This is made of cigarettes?'” Mickey said.
“I love when people see something in something else, so that just really excites me,” said Sally Willoughby with Philadelphia Dumpster Divers.
“It was great being in a circle of people who all think deeply about this, so it leaves you very hopeful,” said attendee Nadia Akbar.
The exhibit will be open to public until April 13.
