Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or products that cannot be recycled into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. This is a fairly new term in our increasingly eco-conscious world. Upcycling embraces uniqueness and creativity because upcycled products are truly one of a kind. One of the pioneers of upcycling is TerraCycle. They are taking wasteful materials such as drink pouches, chip bags, and tooth brushes and making them into a variety of neat consumer products. TerraCycle’s products are available through a number of retailers including Wal-Mart and Target as well as online. The goal of TerraCycle is to help eliminate waste. They run their own collection programs at many major retailers, theatres, stadiums, and restaurants. In fact, you can sign up on their website to donate certain waste items to TerraCycle and they’ll pay the shipping to get it from you and donate money to a charity of your choice. Find out more about How TerraCycle Works.

Summer is the season for outdoor parties and picnics, and it’s important to take care of the outdoors as you are enjoying it. Instead of filling up your trash can with empty food wrappers and plastic cups after guests leave, you can reuse the packaging yourself or send the waste to TerraCycle, where you can earn money for your favorite charity and keep things out of the local landfill at the same time. There are already some Brigade teams in the area, including Bentley School. TerraCycle, an innovative upcycling and recycling company, partners with brands such as Frito-Lay, Nabisco, Kraft Cheese, Solo, and Scott to reduce the amount of waste being thrown away. Some of the wrappers can also be used for do-it-yourself projects. An easy, crafty summer project is the do-it-yourself chip bowl, which can be made from a Frito-Lay chip bag, and then used for your next party! Or, you can turn your used Solo cups into herb planters for the porch or kitchen. For those who’d prefer to send their waste back to TerraCycle, they’ll earn two cents per item for a charity of their choice.

Ozark Trail coolers, a line at Walmart stores, have a hard plastic line made entirely from snack packaging that has been recycled by a company called TerraCycle. The coolers range in size from 6-can to 42-can (on wheels) and range in price from $5.88 to $29.88. Anyone can send in their used wrappers to the company 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.

Have you ever watched a movie that really inspired you? Well, for some reason, when i'm watching my daughter's cartoons, I always get inspired. Maybe it's because i'm still a big kid myself. The first time I watched Wall-E, I really sat down to think if the world was like that for our great grand kids. Would you want them to miss out on our traditions because the earth was so polluted that they couldn't live here anymore? So many people don't recycle and don't even care to and it's a scary thought for the world to be overrun by trash. You have to think, people have had trash since day one. And unless it's been burned, it's still here somewhere decomposed on this earth. If we don't start trying to recycle more, we are going to run out of space to put trash! And that's where Terracycle comes in. They take ordinary things like chip bags and turn them into reusable items like hanging planters! I was lucky enough to review one of their hanging planters and honestly, you couldn't even tell if was recycled! It was very sturdy and my Zinnias are loving it! So you're looking to help recycle items and save the earth, look no further than Terracycle!

The economy has undoubtedly impacted every aspect of American life, including the way people spend their money. The shrinking retail sales may be a tell-all about a reduction in consumerism — whether by necessity or because it’s trendy — but there’s one other number that may indicate America’s love for “stuff” is changing. For the past few years, the amount of garbage generated nationwide has been decreasing: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, between 2007 and 2009 (the last year available), municipal solid waste (a.k.a. garbage) generation went from 255 million tons to 243 million. Still, considering that amount is double that of four or five decades ago, it’s easy to understand the efforts to promote and encourage recycling. Consumers, of course, are complying, recovering about 34 percent of materials nationwide (from less than 10 percent 30 years ago). But while paper recycling has become second nature (and 64 percent of it is diverted from the landfill), a growing number of people are looking for ways to recycle various other things that usually go into the trash, from candy wrappers and Ziplock bags to potato chip bags and Elmer’s glue sticks.

Colgate, líder mundial en el Cuidado Bucal, lanza una innovadora iniciativa en beneficio del medio ambiente para promover, a nivel nacional, la recolección, reciclaje y reuso de tubos de crema dental, cepillos de dientes y los empaques primarios de ambos. A través de una alianza con la empresa TerraCycle, dedicada al a la recolección, reconversión y reciclaje de materiales sólidos, se forma la  “Brigada de Cuidado Bucal Colgate” que es un equipo de recolección a través del cual se acopiarán tubos de crema dental vacíos, cepillos de dientes usados y los empaques primarios de ambos; para ser enviados a TerraCycle quien les dará una segunda vida a través del reciclaje o la conversión a nuevos productos revalorados. Para Colgate la sustentabilidad es parte de su labor cotidiana: “Estamos comprometidos con el cuidado del medio ambiente y el apoyo de las comunidades” mencionó Jim Shoultz, Vicepresidente y Gerente General de Colgate-Palmolive México. La campaña de acopio estará presente con contenedores en 130 tiendas Walmart Super Center a nivel nacional para que todo el público pueda participar.

The Fourth of July celebrations will be in full swing this weekend. As you plan your party, think about what you will do with all the trash that is leftover. Some of these items can be sent to TerraCycle, an upcycling and recycling company with a unique point of view. They want to “Outsmart Waste”. TerraCycle works with large companies such as Frito-Lay, Nabisco, and Starbucks to “eliminate the idea of waste”. The waste generated by these companies is collected by schools, church groups, and other organizations as well as indivduals. The “trash”, shipped free of charge, is then turned into backpacks, speakers, pencil cases and more which feature the brightly colored packaging. Other items are used to make pictures frames, floor tiles and plastic lumber. These items are available online at www.TerraCycleShop.com, with some items, such as their new cooler, soon to be available at Wal-Mart.

Recycling is a positive action that needs to become more prevalent. However, people should not forget that it is last on the list (reduce, reuse, recycle) for a reason. Since recycling is a process that converts products made from specific materials back into their raw form to be used in the production of new goods, it is only feasible in certain cases. Unfortunately, it is often cheaper (in money and energy) to create new items from scratch. Therefore, reducing the generation of waste and reusing old merchandise for different purposes are both vital tools needed for sustainable living. Upcycling is a combination of the two. Unlike recycling, upcycling leverages the basic material of an object and its physical form. For instance, melting down a bag of chips (after eating the chips, of course) and using the plastic toward the generation of a toilet seat is a form of recycling. This sort of process usually produces downcycled material, meaning it is of lesser quality. In contrast, using the bag as a waterproof wallet (snack size) or purse (family size) would be considered upcycling. Upcycling is an essential combatant against the ever-growing amount of waste in the world, and is most effective through mass organization. Enter, TerraCycle. TerraCycle, headquartered in Trenton, N.J. but active on at least three continents, has established a collection program for traditionally non-recyclable waste that can be converted into a variety of consumer products available for internet purchase or at major retailers such as Home Depot and Whole Foods. The aim of the company is to eliminate the concept of waste by facilitating a status quo of reuse. Any school, community organization or company can sign up online, start collecting specific items (see Brigades), mail them in for free and earn cash or points. For some environmentalists, the idea of partnering with Walmart and other large retailers may be hard to swallow. When asked of any such criticisms, David Smith of Terracycle echoed the company's CEO in his response. The companies we work with are creating sustainable value in ways never before considered, creating greater brand awareness while keeping their products out of landfills. Our mission is to eliminate waste. Working with large producers is the most effective way to do this. Advertisement And their partnerships have proven to be valuable. Currently, one of TerraCycle's powerfully beneficial strategies is taking place in school cafeterias. This past year lunchtime waste was reduced at Lawrence Intermediate School (LIS) in New Jersey through the collection of Capri Sun drink pouches and Frito-Lay chip bags. The LIS recycling campaign – run by a group of sixth-graders – raised over 6000 points, $60 of which was put toward sustaining the program. The remainder was used to provide needy families with clean drinking water, food and school supplies. Similar efforts are now proudly under way in the bay area, at such locations as the Clarendon School, Cornerstone Academy and Glen Park School. These programs not only provide environmental and social benefits, but also serve to educate children on the importance of their future role as stewards of the planet. You can practice upcycling without being as resourceful as MacGyver, extremely creative, or a lover of second-hand shopping. Rather (or in addition), take advantage of the fact that you, or someone you know, has kids. Collection brigades can be facilitated by a school faculty member, classrooms, or an entire grade. Spread the word about TerraCycle's partnership with schools and get involved. Your local school can join at any time, but there are a number of summer incentives for getting started immediately.

Have you ever wondered if there was something that could be done with paper and plastic products not accepted for recycling so they wouldn't end up in the landfill? Several Orlando elementary schools and pre-schools are taking part in a national program geared toward reducing discarded trash. Food packaging such as Frito-Lay® chip bags, Kraft Singles® cheese wrappers, Solo® plastic cups, and Scott® paper towel and napkin wrappers can all be turned into useful products at TerraCycle®. TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by Princeton University freshman, Tom Szaky, who packaged organic fertilizer in used soda bottles. Today, the company reports more than 20,000,000 people have collected almost 2,000,000 units of trash to that created 260 different products and donated more than $2,500,000,000 to charity.

The local TerraCycle Brigade collects difficult-to-recycle waste to make eco-friendly products. It’s a case of one man’s trash being another man’s treasure. TerraCycle is a global company that collects nonrecyclable and difficult-to-recycle waste and uses it to make affordable, eco-friendly products. For each piece of 'waste' sent in through collection programs called Brigades, TerraCycle pays the UPS shipping charges and awards two points, which can be redeemed for specific charity gifts on TerraCycle.net or converted to 2 cents to be donated to the charity of the collector’s choice. While most municipalities accept glass, aluminum, tin and specific kinds of plastic for recycling, TerraCycle is focused on uncommonly recycled items. The company partners with consumer packaged goods manufacturers to upcycle consumer products. With upcycling, the waste is simply cleaned and shaped, sewn, or fused into new products, such as backpacks, messenger bags, lunch boxes, school supplies, shower curtains, and kites.