Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2012 | Page 74

Reduce Waste & Earn Money

for Your School

By Lauren Taylor
of TerraCycle

TerraCycle collects about 50 different kinds of hard-to-recycle products and packaging
through its Brigade programs. The waste you send us earns you points that can later be
converted into money for schools and charities. Here’s how you can get involved:
Q: What types of waste do you collect?
A: We collect approximately 50 different kinds

of products and packaging including MOM
brands Malt-O-Meal cereal bags, writing
utensils, GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches,
Elmer’s glue bottles and sticks and Huggies
diaper packaging.

Q: What happens to the garbage we
send you?
A: We turn it into new products through up

cycling or recycling. An example of upcycling is turning drink pouches into a
backpack, such as the ones seen at terracycleshop.com. When waste streams are
recycled, we use the plastic pellets to create
an entirely new item, such as a picnic table.

Q: Can I collect waste for more than
one Brigade?
A: Absolutely! You can sign up for as many

Brigades as you want. All collection programs are listed on our website.

Q: Who can collect?
A: Any individual, family, organization or

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school can join the Brigades. We have families, offices, churches, Girl and Boy Scout
troops and, of course, many schools be-

cause they can collect a lot of items through
students and parents. Talk to your child’s
teacher a &