3. Recycle cosmetics and other toiletries While shampoo and liquid soap bottles can be rinsed out and usually recycled in the curbside bin (they’re usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is resin identification code #2), makeup compacts, upscale face-lotion bottles, and other cosmetics might be a little more challenging to recycle. Many cosmetics companies do their own take-back programs for empty compacts and makeup tubes. For the rest, Terracycle has a mail-in program (you have to pay, so you might want to try to share the cost with some similarly environmental-minded friends).

Back-to-school time is almost upon us, and that means you’re probably in the midst of amassing school supplies for your kids. You may have markers on your shopping list — markers for coloring, markers for labeling your kids’ backpacks and more. Just remember that when those markers dry up or run out of ink, you can do more than just throw them away. Did you know that markers can actually be recycled? In case you didn’t. this Hawaii-based mom has taken to social media to raise awareness around this recycling opportunity. Hali McCloud posted a friendly reminder to Facebook, and it has since gone viral. The post has been shared over 300,000 times, so this is clearly an update that parents needed to hear. “15 pounds of dead markers that will not end up in Maui’s landfill or ocean,” the mom captioned a photo of a box full of markers. She went on tell parents about a way they can recycle these products to make sure they never wind up in a landfill or natural area, through a program called ColorCycle. “Did you know that Crayola has a program called ColorCycle?” she writes. “If you collect the dead markers, they’ll send you a free shipping label and you can ship them back to Crayola to be recycled! My kids found out about this and were so excited to set up boxes at their schools.” According to the post, these markers were collected in just three months — so just imagine how many markers schools across the world go through in an entire school year. According to The University of Southern Indiana, 1.6 billion pens wind up in landfills each year. If the recycling haul at the preschool McCloud’s kids attend is any indication, there’s a huge need for recycling programs like the one Crayola offers. Thankfully, ColorCycle isn’t the only program of its kind out there.

Other Recycling Options

Recycle Nation reports that markers are difficult to recycle at home because doing so requires that the felt tip and ink cartridges be removed. But companies exist that are willing to do that work for you.  

  In addition to ColorCycle, the Prang Power Recycling Program offers collection and recycling services for Prang-branded art markers, and TerraCycle is great for schools or other entities with large amounts of markers ready to be recycled. They’ll send packages to fill up with your dried-up markers and will even host recycling events so people can bring their recyclables from home. Visit these companies’ websites to find out how to get those pre-paid shipping materials for your old markers. Or share this information with a school official and see if you can get your child’s school involved!

Somehow it’s almost back-to-school time once again and that means your kids will need new supplies for the new year. But before you head out to add to the estimated $83-billion spent on back-to-school shopping this fall, here’s how you can make the whole experience easier on the planet and your wallet.

• Think before you buy all those new notebooks and folders - Chances are your kids have leftover notebooks they didn’t finish off last year, so tear out and recycle the used pages and let them use the rest to start the year off. And when it’s time to get new ones, there are eco-friendly options like Sustainable Earth sugarcane notebooks and folders made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, so you can save some trees.
• Reuse backpacks - Instead of running out to get a new backpack every school year, play around with fabric paint, patches, or stickers to spruce up last year’s. And when you do need a new one, consider getting one from places that offer a lifetime guarantee, like Patagoniaand JanSport.
• Go for a PVC-free binder - If you want to avoid PVC, a plastic that lingers for decades in the environment and has been linked to health concerns, check out alternatives from Naked Binders that are made from earth-friendly materials like wood and recycled plastic.
• Make lunchtime more sustainable - You can skip those single-use items, like plastic baggies and water bottles, in kids’ lunches if you have the right essentials. A small reusable water bottle and reusable bagsmade of silicone that can hold snacks and sandwiches go great with a plastic-free lunch box and they’re kinder to Mother Earth.
• Be mindful of tossing last year’s stuff - Don’t just throw old school supplies in the trash if you can recycle them. Elmer's will take old glue sticks for you and TerraCycle will take used pens, pencils, and markers.

TerraCycle, the company known for recycling the 'unrecyclable,' offers easy, environmentally friendly recycling options for life's most common waste items. Through the company's Zero Waste Box platform, consumers looking for new ways to reduce are invited to make an impact with TerraCycle's most popular solutions.

TerraCycle is offering easy, environmentally friendly recycling options for life's most common waste items... Through the company's Zero Waste Box platform, consumers looking for new ways to reduce are invited to make an impact with TerraCycle's most popular solutions.

Des chercheurs ont trouvé une manière insolite de recycler les mégots de cigarettes. En les intégrant dans un nouveau type d’asphalte, ces déchets pourraient non seulement disparaître mais améliorer aussi les performances de nos routes. 2h du matin, samedi soir à Paris. Devant les bars ça discute mais surtout ça fume et rapidement le sol fini par être jonché de mégots. Côté fumoir, les cendriers débordent pendant que les traits de notre ami en face s’estompent dans une brume toxique. Finalement, qu’on se retrouve à fumer dans cet espace exigu ou par -5 dehors, les ravages sont les mêmes et les déchets s’accumulent.

Trois conseils citoyens (centre, stade parc, terrasse Basly), se sont réunis ce lundi soir afin de valider leur projet. Une première à Bruay. Pour encourager les fumeurs à adopter un comportement civique, 3 800 cendriers de poche customisés et personnalisés au nom de chaque conseil, seront distribués aux habitants de leurs quartiers.

As part of the program, Lotus employees are utilizing TerraCycle’s All-In-One Zero Waste Boxes. Lotus Pictures, a New York-based production company, has launched a zero waste program in an effort to divert more of its waste from landfill. “Lotus Pictures wants to reduce our footprint and adopt environmentally friendly measures wherever possible,” said D. Michael Aspite, partner and executive producer of Lotus Pictures, in a statement. “Right now, we’re a small company, but we believe small steps can make a significant impact.”