As outdoor enthusiasts, most of us realize the importance of trying to do our part in living sustainably in effort to minimize the resources we use and protect the outdoor environment that we love and enjoy. Many of us put forth the effort to recycle, separating containers into piles for the recycling companies to pick up on “garbage day”. We at 14erskiers.com typically recycle more than we throw away, and we make the extra effort to haul recyclable materials that are not collected by our local recycling company (such as office pack and newspaper) down to the recycling center in Gunnison.
Still, there is more that each of us can do. For example, check out TerraCycle. This program allows outdoor enthusiast such as ourselves to upcycle things that we’d typically throw away, like our wrappers from granola bars, gels, and energy blocks. So, now, the things that we “pack out” to keep the slopes clean can be diverted from landfills and upcycled. Better yet, this process can earn money for charity. Check out the press release below and the TerraCycle website for more information.
Instead of throwing out their garbage, hikers, park-goers and outdoor enthusiasts have another option for their non-recyclable trash after they pack it out: sending it free of charge to pioneering company TerraCycle® to be recycled. TerraCycle collects people’s trash and recycles the non-recyclable into eco-friendly, affordable, and practical products.
The “leave no trace” policy, which has evolved into the “pack it in, pack it out” policy of taking all your trash out of the park with you, is furthered by TerraCycle’s Brigade® program, through which people can send in difficult-to-recycle food wrappers for recycling and upcycling and earn cash for charity. Usually, wrappers from products including Kashi, Bear Naked, CLIF BAR, and Revolution Foods, among others, are non-recyclable.
TerraCycle upcycles some wrappers into tote bags, coolers, notebooks, laptop cases and mini-speakers. Wrappers that aren’t upcycled are melted down and turned into plastics such as trash cans, flower pots, and clipboards. The snacks that hikers use while enjoying the outdoors can become eco-friendly, long-life products that support the environment that hikers are enjoying. Instead of just leaving no trace on the parks, hikers and outdoorsmen can also leave no trace on the Earth.
Anyone can sign up for TerraCycle’s Brigade programs and send in their wrappers for free. For every wrapper TerraCycle receives, two points are awarded that can be put toward buying a specific charity gift, or converted to money and donated to a charity of the participant’s choice. Most importantly, the Brigade will be keeping these wrappers out of the local landfills and off the ground.
So far, TerraCycle has kept over two billion pieces of trash from leaving their mark on the Earth, and with its partners, dispersed over $2 million to charity through the Brigade program.
For more information on how to sign up, send in trash and earn extra cash for your favorite school or charity, visit www.terracycle.net.
Photo courtesy of TerraCycle
So, please, and an outdoor enthusiast, do your part to keep our outdoors a beautiful playground. If you don’t recycle, consider making a recycling plan for yourself as part of a New Year’s resolution. If you recycle already, begin TerraCycling! We all make a difference in the world in which we live! Live it and treat it well 
