TerraCycle - New Green Option

In my pursuit of all things new this month, I have discovered a new disposition for disposable items that are not typically accepted as part of municipal recycling facilities. It is a recycling company called TerraCycle. 

According to the website, "TerraCycle partners with Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers to administer free programs which pay consumers to help collect non-recyclable packaging, which is then upcycled or recycled into eco-friendly products."

You can sign up for a "Brigade" and send relevant empty containers to them, postage paid.  They take the waste and either up cycle it (use potato chip bags to make a purse) or recycle it.  Each brigade is sponsored by a consumer products company, which pays the postage (and may help with the recycling).  If you send enough material for recycling, you can earn points and money for your local non-profit.  This seems like a great opportunity for a local school or club. 

I signed up for every Brigade possible, but many of them had waiting lists.  I focused on the brigades for diaper packaging (sponsored by Huggies), toothbrush & toothpaste (sponsored by Colgate), and beauty care packaging (sponsored by Garnier).  They also have brigades for potato chip bags and juice pouches, but we do not really consume much of those in my family. 

I promoted and collected packaging at my church and local moms clubs. Most of the brigades have minimum ship amounts (by weight) to earn points.  I can not accumulate anywhere close to the minimum on my own.   Although I do not need the points, I want to make the shipment worth it from an environmental perspective as well. 

After 3 months, I felt like I had enough to ship, so I printed out the free shipping label, packaged it up and dropped it at a local FedEx store.  Super easy. After several weeks, you can see the actual weight that was received and if you earned any 

Points. Even after 3 months and collecting through my network, I did not meet the minimum for the diaper packaging or beauty care brigade. Maybe I can expand where I collect next time. 

I hope they are making good use of the materials I sent.  Like your municipal recycling program, it is difficult to tell how much actually gets recycled, but I would like to make every effort I can to keep waste out of the landfill.  

Check it out at www.terracycle.com