WIN A FREE HIP & STYLISH MESSENGER BAG BELOW!!! (Keep reading for details)
Ever wonder what happens to all that material on a billboard every time the advertisement changes?
Well, Terracycle…the upcycling pioneer…did too. And, you know what they found?
3 million billboards end up in a landfill every year…that’s 10,000 tons of vinyl!!! Of course, when Terracycle decides to sink their teeth into something, it doesn’t merely stop at finding answers; it becomes obsessed with finding solutions. And a solution it did find! Say hello to the first billboard messenger bag. An ingenious example of garbage gone gadget.
$35 at http://www.terracycle.net/
The best part? Terracycle is GIVING AWAY one FREE billboard YakPak messenger bag to a lucky Green Girls winner!
To enter the giveaway:
1. Visit http://www.terracycle.net/ and pick out your favorite product
2. Post a comment on this Green Girls article about your favorite product and why.
– Don’t forget to provide a correct email address –
3. The best answer wins and will be announced on the blog…and the winner will receive a direct email on how to collect their prize.
This durable backpack, made by YakPak and Terracycle is built to last, making it a great gift idea for the holiday season. Each backpack is constructed using a different cut of billboard, which means that whether you’re enjoying the bag for yourself or giving it away as a gift, it will be totally one-of-a-kind.
The bag is very affordable, at only $35, and is manufactured at a hydroelectric powered facility in El Salvador, where workers are paid fair living wages and provided safe working conditions. In addition to the backback, the billboard line of products also includes shoulder bags, messenger bags, laptop cases and totes; ranging from $4.99 and up. “The distribution and brand awareness of Yak Pak and TerraCycle will enable our two companies to substantially reduce the amount of billboard vinyl going to landfill” said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle’s CEO and Founder.
Terracycle is a forward-thinking organization that takes post-consumer goods and “upcycles” or gives them new life by developing practical products from their materials. As a result of their work, the entire population benefits from smaller landfills and more useful, affordable goods.
About the Author
Katherine DalPra is owner/designer of Green Diva, a sustainable jewelry boutique.
See your business here, click to learn more.
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My Favorite item is the recycled garden pots, made from e-waste.
http://www.terracycle.net/products/1-Recycled-Pots
Many people who bring in their computers, televisions cell phones, and used electrical appliances for e-cycling don’t realize that much of the waste is shipped to other countries, so to know that the e-waste is actually truly being converted into a usable item is great.
I’m someone who makes their living by being on the computer full-time (as a web developer), but I also am a gardener, so this product truly combines two items close to my heart. We must convert all of our holiday shopping and gift-giving to items that are truly recycled, repurposed, and reused — then we will do right by our planet and the coming generations.
Toxic "E-Waste" Gets Cached in Poor Nations, Report Says
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1108_051108_electronic_waste.html
Thanks for this giveaway!
I love the drink box lunchbox. I think it would be fun to not only carry the lunchbag into the office, but to then sit in the lunchroom and pull out a matching drink, look down and make some witty comment. Of course, this is me, so witty comment will probably occur in my head at a later date.
I’m a fan of the Capri Sun Rectangular Lunchbox, since most seem to be made from plastic, and always wind up lost or broken.
Personally, I love the Cookie Wrapper Messenger Bag the most (http://www.terracycle.net/products/25-Cookie-Wrapper-Messenger-Bag). It’s probably a combination of the colors and the fact that it’s hard to resist Oreos. I remember reading about TerraCycle on Treehugger.com a few months back, and at the time I don’t think there was a way to buy them here in the US (I could be wrong about that). So, it goes without saying that I’m excited that there’s a way to get these cool products locally!
I love the Urban flower pots. I think it is great that they are made out of the plastic from computers that would normally end up in a landfill as waste. Plus it is done by artists helping the environment and supporting themselves by expressing themselves through their artwork.
I love all Terracycles’ products because of the thought put into them and because they are reducing our landfills,but the one item that I find ingenious is the speakers made of Frito lay wrappers…way cool!
thanks for keeping us informed. who are you?
Definetly the cookie wrapper messenger bag is my fav. I would love to go around and show off my oreo cookie messenger bag since it’s my favorite cookie and can’t eat them a lot since I’m watching what I eat.
I don’t think I can really pick just one item as my favorite, but rather a collection… I’m particularly partial to the drink pouch products. I have a vested interest in them since I’m the sole collector of the used pouches at my daughter’s school. Every week I bring them home, rip ‘em, rinse ‘em and ship ‘em off to Terracycle. However, if someone put a gun to my head and MADE me pick a favorite, I’d have to say that although it’s close between the backpacks (LOVE the new colors!!) and the shopping bags, I’d have to go with the shopping bags, simply because they’re SO incredibly useful! I take them with me everytime I go to the grocery store and I always get lots of comments and kudos. Plus, I get to talk about TerraCycle and all of the great work they’re doing so I’m kind of like a one-woman PR firm for TerraCycle… I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen! Keep up the great work!!
I love the circuit board frames. I run a company that makes populated circuit boards (yeah, most people dont know what that means either)… and I TOTALLY LOVE to see the new life that products like we build can have when they are reincarnated!
I love trash!!!
I love the billboard bags like the YakPak Messenger Bag. Talk about being unique! Every bag would be an individual and I bet you’d get nothing but compliments when using it out and about. It would also be great conversation starter and a fun way to spread the word about recycling!
I love the school supplies made from recycled juice pouches and cookie wrappers! Even very young kids recognize the brands used to make the supplies, making the products a great way to teach kids about the importance of recycling. I like to give the pencil cases as gifts, especially to kids who participate in recycling the juice pouches through programs in their schools.
I love the YakPak messenger bag — functional, fashionable and uber eco-friendly. Perfect for biking around the streets of Portland on the way to work!
I love the Frito Lay woven bag! Even though it is made out of recycled chip bags, it looks like a bag that could have been designed from new material. The colors, shape and texture make it unique, hip, and fun!
Terracycle is one of my favorite companies for many reasons. I love that my 2 girls’ schools are getting involved and collecting items to send in to earn money. I love that my girls chose their pencil cases, which are very durable, and show that they care about the environment. What I love the most (besides that adorable YakPak mini messenger bag!) is their line of cleaning products. Very strong, cuts through grease well, and leaves a nice shine. Tend to last longer than other bottles of cleaner, as it seems to be more effective. I just love this company
I love ALL the Terracycle products–my nonprofit, Trash to Treasure Creative Reuse Center, is a member of the yogurt cup brigage, the cookie wrapper brigade, the chip wrapper brigage, the juice pouch brigade, and the energy bar brigade. We also collect other materials for people to creatively reuse in the South Florida community so we are extremely aligned with the Terracycle mission. If I win, I will place this bag for sale in our Zen of Scrap boutique where it’s sale will help support our all volunteer center!
The cookie message bag.
I’m loving the Drink Pouch Tote Bag. With all the drinks my kids have gone through I could have made several totes
I LOVE the film bags but try not to purchase items I don’t really NEED & I really don’t NEED another bag. I love all the products that people re-purchase on a regular basis, like the backpacks & pencil cases each year for school, because it just makes sense to re-use these items. I also love the bike chain frame. How cool is that? How often do people purchase new photo frames each year for themselves or as gifts. I’d like to see more frame ideas!
I love all of the terraCycle Stuff, but my absolute favotie is the backpack. I can hardly believe that there is a company out there doing great stuff like this. We need TC to start building everything!
great website too, by the way, cool video.
The Rooster.
MYy favorite item is the Cookie Wrapper kite because it reminds me of my childhood. Both of my brothers’ birthdays are in MArch, which is a windy month on the East Coast ! We had many laughs trying to et the kites to fly properly!
Thanks for the happy memories!
I love the pencil pouch made from drink pouches. My students love to see what the "trash" they collect is made into! We use the special colored pencils inside the pouch only for certain projects, so it makes it even more fun to open up!
Everything by TerraCycle is way cool … but my favorite creation is the Cookie Wrapper Tote. I guess being a cookie monster myself, I think cookies are such happy things! Having gone through more than my fair share of cookie packages, it’s so thrilling that someone came up with this idea to eliminate the waste side-effect of my addiction. Now if they could just figure out how to help me get rid of this extra ten pounds around my middle ….
As a 5th grade teacher I am constantly teaching my students to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I am starting up a few birgades at my school and to get the kids excited about it, I have been showing all the classes some of the terracycle products that will be made from the items they bring in! They are very excited about starting! My favorite terracycle products are the school supplies…..all of them!!! Thank you terracycle!
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