Ziploc recently announced a partnership with TerraCycle to provide a fundraising opportunity exclusively for schools. Through the Ziploc® Brigade, schools can collect bags and containers of any size and send them free of charge to TerraCycle to be turned into new plastic-based products. For each bag or container collected, Ziploc® and TerraCycle will pay two cents back to the school. The program is a fun and easy way for parents and teachers to empower children to make a difference while learning about the importance of recycling and reusing.
“We are really pleased to be adding new materials to our collection programs,” said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. “It’s exciting to be able to find new uses for more and more materials that would otherwise be ending up in landfills and giving schools a much needed fundraising opportunity at the same time.” Many recycling centers around the country only accept plastics 1 and 2, and this program is targeted at keeping plastics 3 thorough 7 out of landfills.
Schools can take this awesome initiative one step further by incorporating a reusable grocery bag fundraiser to make even more money for schools. We think that this trend towards more eco-friendly fundraisers that teach our youth and change mindsets about reusing and recycling is wonderful. Anytime we bring reusable shopping bags in lieu of plastic and paper bags, recycle meal containers, or take any other small step towards a better environment—while making money for our schools—is a win-win situation!
The Carbondale, Colorado, Board of Trustees voted 5-1 in favor of a plastic grocery bag ban, rather than adopting a usage fee. The ban takes effect in May 2012 and closely mirrors one passed by neighboring Aspen’s City Council.
