Out with the old and in with the eco-capitalism
AHS will receive 5 cents for every used soda bottle deposited at Home Depot
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
 | | TerraCycle Inc. makes plant food from worm castings and sells it in recycled plastic bottles. |
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ALLENTOWN - TerraCycle Inc. is trying to turn consumerism on its head by revolutionizing the way people view waste.
Starting
this week, residents of Allentown and the surrounding area will aid the
Trenton-based company in its quest to build the world's most
eco-friendly product, according to Jennifer Wilkie, of TerraCycle Inc.
"TerraCycle's
goal is to save thousands of bottles that would otherwise go to
landfills by reusing them as packaging," Wilkie said. "Reusing the
bottles is even better than recycling them since it eliminates the
shredding, melting and reforming needed in the recycling process."
TerraCycle Inc. was founded a couple of years ago
by two Princeton University students. The concept behind the company is
to use environmentally friendly components in every aspect of
production to create an Organic Materials Review Institute
(OMRI)-certified organic product, according to Wilkie.
The
TerraCycle product, which compares favorably to synthetic chemicals
used by the majority of gardeners, is a plant food actually made from
waste as well, according to Wilkie.
The
product is manufactured by feeding organic waste to millions of worms.
Then, according to Wilkie, the worms' castings, which is worm poop, is
brewed into a ready-to-use liquid food for plants.
The product is stored in the recycled bottles.
"To date, TerraCycle has saved over a million bottles from going to the landfill," Wilkie said.
Students
at Allentown High School (AHS) and other area schools have already
pledged to help TerraCycle in its recycling goals. Other local student
and adult organizations, families and individuals are encouraged to
help.
Consumers can drop off used
20-ounce (591 ml) plastic soda bottles at the Home Depot in
Robbinsville, located at 750 Route 130. The bottles will be reused to
package the all-natural plant food.
The
Home Depot in Robbinsville has a TerraCycle Eco-Pallet, or a cardboard
receptacle, where people can deposit their used soda bottles.
For each bottle returned, TerraCycle will donate 5 cents to AHS and other participating schools, according to Wilkie.
The
company will also donate 5 cents for each bottle returned to
Zerofootprint, which provides information, products and services to
consumers and businesses around the world that want to reduce their
environmental impact, according to Wilkie.
"Zerofootprint
will use the donated funds to offset the environmental impact of
driving to and from Home Depot to drop off empty bottles," Wilkie said.
Zerofootprint
anticipates that roughly four bottles will help offset the average
shopper's trip to and from Home Depot, according to Wilkie.
TerraCycle encourages community members to participate in this recycling program.
"This
will not only help raise money for some local schools and
Zerofootprint," Wilkie said, "but will [also] aid TerraCycle's mission
of creating a product made entirely from waste and helping save our
environment."
Because TerraCycle has
become America's fastest growing fertilizer company, in July, Inc.
magazine named it "The Coolest Little Start-Up in America." The company
is the first in the world to use nothing but garbage in both the
manufacturing and packaging of its products, according to Wilkie.
Many
of the used soda bottles are collected through the TerraCycle Bottle
Brigade, which is a fundraising effort by schoolchildren and nonprofit
groups throughout the U.S. and Canada, according to Wilkie.
TerraCycle
Plant Food debuted at Home Depot in Canada in 2005 and was honored with
Home Depot Canada's 2005 Environmental Stewardship Award.
This year, Home Depot USA and other large chains began featuring TerraCycle products across the country.
For more information about TerraCycle, contact Tom Szaky at (609) 365-7557 or visit www.terracycle.net
For more information about Zerofootprint, visit www.zerofootprint.net.
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