New recycling efforts under way

    NEW JERSEY – Two new recycling efforts are taking place in communities across Maine. Schools and other community groups are being challenged to start collecting used yogurt containers and used drink pouches as part of a statewide program that allows schools to raise funds while teaching their students about recycling and the environment.     Schools and other community groups can sign up for free, pay no shipping costs, and will earn a 1 cent for every drink pouch or 2 cents for Honest Kids Drink Pouches. In the Yogurt Brigade, schools will earn 2 cents for 6-ounce yogurt containers, and 5 cents for 32-ounce yogurt containers. All yogurt containers must be cleaned. To sign up, visit www.terracycle.net/brigades.
    Fruit drink pouches are a staple in American school cafeterias. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 3.6 billion drink pouches are produced each year. Because the material used to make these pouches are non-recyclable, virtually every single one is sent to a landfill.
    Similarly, more then 10 billion yogurt containers are consumed a year in America. In the case of Stonyfield Farm, its yogurt cups are made from Polypropylene Plastic #5. A study by the Center for Sustainable Systems determined that #5 was the most environmentally preferable choice of plastics available for Stonyfield Farm yogurt because it allows for the cups to use a minimal amount of plastic. However, since many recycling centers are not equipped to handle #5 cups, Stonyfield Farm has teamed with TerraCycle to save these containers from the landfill.
    “The environmental mantra is ‘reduce-reuse-recycle,’” said Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield chief executive officer. “We’ve reduced by using #5, and this project offers an opportunity to reuse some of our yogurt cups.”
    To help combat this huge loss of resources, TerraCycle has teamed with Honest Tea and Stonyfield Farms to create two programs called the Drink Pouch Brigade™ and the Yogurt Brigade. These programs allow schools, churches, and other community groups to collect these previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle items in return for cash.
    The programs are open for any organization or charity to sign up.
    The programs are designed to allow our nation’s schools, houses of worship, and other organizations to help save the environment while raising money for charity. Most importantly, it teaches kids about the importance and benefits of recycling, while investing in their community or the charity of their choice.
    Honest Tea and TerraCycle are challenging America to help rescue and reuse 1 million pouches in the next 12 months. The pouches will be made into handbags of various sizes and styles, and are tentatively scheduled to be sold at major retailers in 2008.