Today, there’s a lot of stuff that can be recycled–newspapers, magazines, bottles, cans, plastics. But there’s a lot of other stuff, especially newfangled containers such as juice pouches, the cellophane-type material that encases packages of cookies, and energy bar wrappers, that can’t be recycled. Until now. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, a company called TerraCycle is taking such materials and turning them into umbrellas, shower curtains, backpacks, binders, computer bags, and more. It’s called “upcycling” – taking something disposable and turning it into something more useful and valuable. You can find upcycled products at Target, OfficeMax, and Walgreens.
TerraCycle pays schools, churches, and other non-profits to collect the packaging materials from specific branded products. Check its web site for more information.
In a related story, Home Depot recently announced that its stores now accept compact fluorescent light bulbs for recycling.
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