A school in Southington is in the running for a new playground. For more information about the challenge, visit Terracycle's website here.  

The Drink Pouch Brigade—offered by Capri Sun and TerraCycle—rewards participants and their schools with points and cash donations for collecting drink pouches. Hazelwood Elementary School in Washington did just that, using money generated through collecting drink pouches to help counteract school-wide funding cuts.

The contest is being sponsored by TerraCycle, Colgate and ShopRite. Webster Hill School is in third place, behind schools in New York State and Southington. The school that earns the most playground credits by June 13 wins the playground equipment.Webster Hill Elementary School has long been a TerraCycle partner and continues to recycle juice pouches, plastic bottles and aluminum cans through the TerraCycle program. The school has a great track record for its recycling efforts, with a very active student Environment Global Group, which promotes environmental protection and conservation.

Wendy Caraballo explains. “One interesting thing we do is partner up with Tom’s of Maine to reuse all of their scrap material that accumulates during the tube printing process. They use a third party company called TerraCycle that takes the Tom’s of Maine printed scrap and turns it into colorful tote bags that are sold in specialty grocery stores.

This challenge also resulted in the Green Mountain HQ in Austin gaining an additional onsite recycling option! Next to the batteries, plastic bag and electronics recycling station, we now have a box for toothpaste and shampoo containers and other related materials for recycling through the Tom’s of Main Terracycle program.

As far as up-cycling is concerned, Rocky Mountain Reuse Center is a place one can drop off used construction materials and purchase some for your house. Doors, cabinets, sinks, faucets, lumber and hardware can all be found there. The Resource is also a Terracycle drop off location and they take paired, reusable shoes, Colgate containers, and aluminum cans for the schools (please inform them it is for the school program).

Für jeden gesammelten nichtbrauchbaren Stift werden zum einen zwei Cent an SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. von dem Kooperationspartner BIC® gespendet und durch den Kooperationspartner Terracycle die Stifte wieder dem Stoffkreislauf zugeführt.

Graduating senior Chelsea Lear-Ward from Levant will give the student address. With a major in community health education and a minor in environmental studies, she is interested in helping to promote health through sustainability. She came to UMF as a Mitchell Scholar and has been active on campus interning with the TerraCycle recycling program, coordinating events for the Farmington Farmers Market and helping to raise awareness of domestic violence. After graduation, she will be moving to Washington State to work in the wellness field.