We are in the INDEPENDENT!

Middle school class earns cash for trash.

Colette Carrabba’s sixth-grade class is earning cash for their school by collecting items otherwise thought of as trash – used drink pouches, candy wrappers, and more. Many of the products are sent to TerraCycle, a company who ‘upcycles’ the items, making reusable items and sending money back to the school." rel="lightbox[parent7154000]">

Photo by Holly Roeder, Independent
Colette Carrabba’s sixth-grade class is earning cash for their school by collecting items otherwise thought of as trash – used drink pouches, candy wrappers, and more. Many of the products are sent to TerraCycle, a company who ‘upcycles’ the items, making reusable items and sending money back to the school.

With hundreds of students eating lunch every day, sixth-grade teacher Colette Carrabba of Chester County Middle School used to see a lot of used drink pouches, cookie wrappers and chips bags get thrown away. Now the school earns two cents for every one of those wrappers or pouches Carrabba and her students collect and return to a company, TerraCycle, who uses their non-recyclable waste to make affordable, eco-friendly products. The enthusiastic students at Chester County Middle have diverted over 12,000 pieces of waste from the landfill and earned nearly $250 for their school.

“I believe that it is important to teach the younger members of our society the importance of reducing our waste, reusing everything we can and recycling what is left over. With TerraCycle as my classroom partner, my students have fun collecting trash and are learning why it is important to keep these items out of our landfills,” said Colette about her experience with the program. “I love that TerraCycle has partnered up with public schools to teach about the importance of recycling and reducing our trash. Our children need to learn this lesson from every possible perspective.”

Carrabba’s class collects chip bags, cookie and candy wrappers, pens, markers, glue sticks, diaper packages, Lunchable boxes, tape dispensers, cereal bags, and energy bar wrappers, as well as many other recyclables in addition to the TerraCycle ‘upcycling’ items. The project has proved very successful largely due to her students’ involvement.

“The earth isn’t going to get crowded up with junk, so we’ll be able to live longer on it,” explained student Sarah Sells.

“I don’t like the idea of living in trash,” added Aspen Gray.

Malcolm Poe stressed that recycling helps the community, and was supported by Hannah Richardson, who pointed to financial gains for the community as a result of recycling.

The students further explained that trash leads to pollution, which kills trees, which are vital for our survival.

Chester County Middle School is part of a free nationwide program called the ‘Brigades’ that pays schools and non-profits to collect non-recyclable waste that would otherwise go to the landfill. Now the programs are coming full circle back to Henderson through an exciting partnership with local Walmart locations.

TerraCycle uses waste material to make a wide range of products like Seed Starter kits made from yogurt cups and pencil cases made from drink pouches, which will be sold for the first time in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day this month.

In fact, for a limited time Walmart is selling the widest range of TerraCycle’s ‘Upcycled’ products ever. For the month of April, TerraCycle’s products will be sold right next to original items, so tote bags made from Frito-Lay wrappers will be sold with bags of Frito-Lay chips and backpacks made from Capri Sun drink pouches will be sold next to boxes of the popular juice! This will help educate consumers about resource conservation and drive participation in TerraCycle’s program.

Nationwide, over 50,000 schools and community groups have signed up to help collect over 25 million used pieces of packaging. Through the TerraCycle Brigades school and non-profits will earn close to one million dollars this year!

Any interested organizations can learn more or sign up for free today at www.terracycle.net.