Over the years I have expressed my love of creative recycling. While I do share a large variety of craft projects using trash, no one can certainly make crafts using all of their trash. I discovered a wonderful alternative to crafting with your own trash. You can send it away to be crafted by others.There is an eco-friendly company called TerraCycle that uses certain types of would-be-waste materials to make new products. For example, they take Capri Sun pouches or Frito Lay potato chip bags and make tote bags out of them. They get all of the 'trash' to make their products from individuals and schools all across America as part of their 'trash for cash' fundraising program. They pay any non-profit organization, chosen by the person or team sending in the 'trash', $0.02 for each piece of trash they receive. Voila, you can get cash from your trash!
TerraCycle has several "Brigades" you can join. Brigades are national programs where you can earn cash for your trash (all money is paid to schools and non-profits). Each Brigade is sponsored by different brands and items. You can participate in any or all of TerraCycle's Brigade for free. There are no sign-up fees and all the shipping is covered by the program. All of the items sent to TerraCycle will be transformed into new cool products. For each approved item TerraCycle receives, $0.02 will be paid to the non-profit organization or school of your choice.
Their newest Brigade to collect toothbrushes and related items is sponsored by Colgate and is called the Colgate Oral Care Brigade, but they will take any brand toothbrush, toothpaste tube, or toothbrush plastic packaging. The folks at TerraCycle were nice enough to share a fun toothpaste tube craft with us:
Colgate Toothpaste Tube Toothbrush or Pencil Holder
Tiffany Threadgould, TerraCycle's Chief Designer, submitted these directions to teach you how to upcycle toothpaste tubes. This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush or pencil holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.
Make this craft using toothpaste tubes and then send the rest of your other oral care products in the the Colgate Oral Care Brigade. Also explore all of the other brigades which include a drink pouch brigade, candy wrapper brigade, writing instrument brigade, chip bag brigade, and many more.
RELATED:
- Recycling Crafts
- Sign Up for the Creative Recycling Newsletter
- Creative Recycling Books
(Photo submitted by TerraCycle)