April 27, 2010

One Person's Trash

From plastic bottles to ointment tubes,
Landfills grow but we can stop the cycle
What can't be reused in the same way
We can send away to be upcycled!

Mercury's rising as spring is in full gear, and a garage sale is popping up on every corner. Yard sales and donations are a well-known way to get rid of things you know someone else can use. But there's also a way to recycle the things you're sure must get thrown away.

• Don't throw away your trash from meals and snacks on the go - candy wrappers, yogurt containers, juice boxes and chip bags can all be saved, "upcycled" and created into something new, such as a clipboard, picture frame or purse by TerraCycle.
• If your kids throw away their lunch, or if you toss these wrappers and containers into the waste basket, you could be costing yourself money! For every item you give to TerraCycle, you can earn two cents, which really adds up.
• Simply register your school, sports team, office or other group to collect together in a "brigade"- a great way to multiply your efforts for the environment as well as to earn more money for your organization or for a charity. Print a free shipping label, visit your local UPS store, and send it off!
• TerraCycle even collects items such as tape dispensers and toothpaste tubes-your junk may become someone's awesome sustainable treasure, at an affordable price.

Iowa teenager Elizabeth Rasmuson made headlines a couple of weeks ago for fashioning her prom dress out of gum wrappers - a cheap and eco-friendly way to keep trash out of landfills and show your unique identity!

Search for the products and brigades offered at TerraCycle and start doing your part to upcycle for the Earth!