As consumers have become more supportive of recyclable products, the options for recycling what we used to deem trash have grown. Major manufacturers are partnering with companies such as TerraCycle to recover their (and sometimes even competitors’) products. Cities and counties have ramped up recycling programs to accept a wider variety of items.

The cool thing about corks is that even if you can't recycle them in the traditional sense, there are plenty of ways that you can put them to good use. Companies likeReCork America, the largest cork recycler in North America, take natural corks and turn them into shoes, yoga blocks, and more. You can find cork drop off locationson their site — they've recycled over 100 million so far. TerraCycle, meanwhile, accepts both natural and plastic versions and turns them into products, plus the company will give you rewards for recycling. It's worth looking around, because it may be that a company you already love or support that uses cork has a system to recycle them.

If your kids have left your shower overrun with their old products, there’s an eco-friendly solution that will make you both happy: recycling them. After you’ve finished up the products, companies like Terracycle will take the packaging and recycle it for you, creating new product packaging out of the recycled material. And even if their particular personal care products aren’t your cup of tea, you can always use extra shampoo to clean your makeup brushes or use leftover conditioner as shaving cream.

The hope is that creating awareness around single-use plastic will lead folks to identify and eliminate other single-use waste from their lives—including takeout boxes and disposable cutlery. For instance, Steamboat Springs-based Honey Stinger will provide a water station at their booth and recycle product sample wrappers through the TerraCycle program. The pledge even inspired Patagonia to hire a sustainability auditor for the upcoming show, in order to track the brand’s footprint from booth materials to polybags.

Solution? A company called TerraCycle collects and recycles a small amount. B.C. lets people drop these off at depots. It’s doing research on how to recycle it, and looking to turn some into fuel pellets. Others are also looking into turning the materials into fuel or incorporating it into plywood.

Students took their first load last week to Gerald Subaru of North Aurora, which has a recycling box from TerraCycle. They also have started recycling markers through Crayola ColorCycle, since those also cannot be recycled through the city. The group hopes to continue their efforts next year!

Solution? A company called TerraCycle collects and recycles a small amount. B.C. lets people drop these off at depots. It's doing research on how to recycle it, and looking to turn some into fuel pellets. Others are also looking into turning the materials into fuel or incorporating it into plywood.

Solution? A company called TerraCycle collects and recycles a small amount. B.C. lets people drop these off at depots. It's doing research on how to recycle it, and looking to turn some into fuel pellets. Others are also looking into turning the materials into fuel or incorporating it into plywood.

Similarly, beauty and health items such as lipsticks, contact lenses and product packaging are often thrown out with general waste, most probably due to a lack of knowing how to mindfully bin then. Organizations such as TerraCycle specialize in recycling and up-cycling hard-to-manage waste. After logging your product on a website, you can print off a free postage label and send your unwanted goods off, knowing they will be disposed in a eco-friendly way.

Diane Bérard explique que TerraCycle agit en quelque sorte comme un entremetteur. L’entreprise s’occupe de la collecte des matériaux difficilement recyclables pour le commun des mortels. Un consommateur qui souhaite se débarrasser de certains déchets indésirables n’a qu’à s’inscrire sur le site web de TerraCycle, et ainsi commander une boîte prétamponnée dans laquelle il peut déposer les matériaux qu’il ignore comment recycler.