One of my kids made this bag at a camp this summer out of individual-sized cereal boxes. I use it to hold flowers and herbs I cut in the garden so that they don't blow away as I'm gathering. I love that she made it and I love that it recycles materials. And so, I was thrilled to discover a company, TerraCycle, that's doing some really amazing things with recycling, in which kids can help.
According to its website:
TerraCycle produces a potent, all-natural, eco-friendly plant food that is the first mass-produced product in the world to be packaged in used plastic soda bottles. To go even further, the entire product is made out of garbage - from the contents to the packaging. As a result, TerraCycle Plant Food is the first mass-produced consumer product to have a negative environmental footprint.
TerraCycle encourages schools and other organizations to save soda and water bottles by sending collection bins and donating money for bottles collected. But TerraCycle doesn't stop there. In addition to what it calls The Bottle Brigade, TerraCycle now has two additional recycling programs: The Yogurt Brigade and the The Juice Pouch Brigade. After you sign up for either (or both!) programs, you receive collection boxes (for used yogurt containers) and pouches (for used juice pouches). You fill them up, send them back via UPS (it is prepaid by TerraCycle) and you get to donate money to your choice of one of 39,000 charities--or right back to your school. Interestingly, the juice pouches are manufactured into handbags, pencil cases, and more, and the yogurt cups are turned into planting cups.
I love this program. I love that it helps keep items found in many daily lunchboxes from going to landfills. I love that it reimburses at a higher rate for its organic partner's products (Stoneyfield Farms and Honest Tea), I love that it serves as a fundraiser, and I love that it recycles the materials in a creative way.
And so, my commitment this week? My children and I are going to contact our local community center, where there is an endless stream of soccer games and more, filled with children drinking juice pouches, and see if there is interest in including this recycling component. I'll report back.
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3 comments:
I just read your blog and can proudly say that I have been collecting bottles, juice pouches and even yogurt container for TerraCycle for the past month. I am a big fan on the company and my girl scout troop has already raised over $100. Way to go!
This seems great! I am always saving my yogurt cups to mail back to Stonyfield Farms.
I just tried to sign up for the Terracycle thing though, and it is not available in GA. There are only about 10 states that they will send boxes to. I don't know why...
Yikes. Let me contact the company and find out.
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