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April 1, 2008
Schools, community groups challenged to join recycling fundraisers nationwide
Schools and other groups are being challenged to start collecting used
soda bottles, yogurt containers, energy bar wrappers and used drink
pouches as part of a nationwide program. The programs allow schools to
fundraise while teaching their students about recycling and the
environment. Anyone can sign up for this free and easy program and
start earning donations for a school or local nonprofit.
TerraCycle has teamed with Honest Tea and Stonyfield Farm to create two
programs called the Drink Pouch Brigade and the Yogurt Brigade. These
programs allow schools, houses of worship and other community groups to
collect previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle items in return
for cash.
Schools, churches and other community
groups can sign up for free, pay no shipping costs and earn 2 cents for
each used drink pouch they collect in the Drink Pouch Brigade. In the
Yogurt Brigade, schools and other groups can earn 2 cents for every
6-ounce yogurt container and 5 cents for every 32-ounce clean yogurt
container they return. The Bottle Brigade pays 5 cents for every
20-ounce soda bottle, and the newest program, the Wrapper Brigade, pays
2 cents for every energy bar or granola bar wrapper returned.
Fruit drink pouches are a staple in American school cafeterias. According to the Container Recycling Institute,
over 5 billion drink pouches are produced every year. Because the
material used to make these pouches is nonrecyclable, virtually every
one is currently sent to a landfill.
Similarly, more
then 10 billion yogurt containers are consumed each year in America. In
the case of Stonyfield Farm, its yogurt cups are made from
polypropylene plastic no. 5. A study by the Center for Sustainable
Systems determined this was the most environmentally preferred choice
of plastic available for Stonyfield Farm yogurt because it allows the
cups to use a minimal amount of plastic. However, since many recycling
centers are not equipped to handle no. 5 cups, Stonyfield Farm teamed
up with TerraCycle to save these from the landfills.
There are already over 400 Yogurt Brigade and 700 Drink Pouch Brigade locations involved in the program.
"The environmental mantra is 'reduce-reuse-recycle,'" said Gary
Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm CEO. "We've reduced by using No. 5, and this
project offers an opportunity to reuse some of our yogurt cups."
The programs are open to any school, community group or charity. Go to www.terracycle.net/brigades to sign up.
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