TerraCycle Wants To Upcycle Your Junk Everywhere

TerraCycle has been on the forefront of upcycling, reinventing everything from candy wrappers to yogurt containers as new, functional products. Now the company is escalating their upcycling efforts with a new program that will collect even more waste items from major chain stores everywhere.

According to GreenBiz, TerraCycle will placing bins in major chains like Petco, Home Depot and OfficeMax to collect used items that customers wish to recycle or dispose of. Each store will be collecting a different assortment of items that is relevant to that store and their clientele.

Petco bins will be used to collect pet food bags that will eventually be upcycled into tote bags . Home Depot bins will be used to recycle everything from old caulk containers to paint brushes and more. Old saw blades will get a second chance as recycled clocks. And those cheap, brittle flower pots that fall apart at the drop of a hat will be recycled into stronger, sturdier pots.

GreenBiz reports that TerraCycle hopes to have their collection bins in 10,000 stores by 2010. For now, however, the company will spend the next three months starting the collection program in New Jersey and New York area stores.

TerraCycle has been upcycling waste items into new, inspired products since 2001. they originally got their start with fertilizer made from worm poop and they've been creating clever new upcycled products ever since.