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TerraCycle Partners with OfficeMax to Take Recycling to a New Level

By: 62 Comments

32807-hi-EcoBinder

Want to win a free eco-binder or cleaning products? See details below.

As the lazy days of August start, I am reminded that I have to get my children ready for school. This include shopping for clothes, school supplies, and doctor appointments.

Last year, I wanted to buy eco-friendly binders for them. I looked into both the recycled vinyl coated and cardboard binders. The vinyl coated ones were too expensive especially when you have to buy multiple notebooks for many children. The cardboard notebooks were only available via the Internet, so I was not able to see how sturdy they were. Plus, I had to pay shipping for a box full of binders. So, I ended up buying the standard heavy duty binders hoping they would last the whole year. Guess what? They did not and are clogging up a landfill as I write this article.

When I received a press announcement from TerraCycle, the worm poop people, that they had teamed up with OfficeMax to carry TerraCycle’s eco-friendly office/school supplies, which included the cardboard binder, I was beyond excited. Since OfficeMax is nearby, I no longer had to pay for shipping, and I could see if the binders were sturdy. In addition to the binders, OfficeMax will carry TerraCycle’s eco pencil holders, All Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Degreaser, trash cans and recycling bins.
TerraCycle is an innovative company that turns waste into usable products. The Company collects such items as yogurt cups, Nabisco and Chips Ahoy cookie wrappers and Cliff Bar wrappers from schools and other not for profit institutions via fundraising programs. I have previously written about their fundraising programs in my article entitled, “Eco Fundraising Made Easy and Profitable” and “TerraCycle, Teaching to our Young through Worm Poop.”

Why office supplies? When I questioned Albert Zakes, Director of Press Relations about this decision, he replied that Tom (the CEO) sees TerraCycle as the new Proctor and Gamble offering a multitude of eco-products for our needs.

OfficeMax’s expertise in office supplies combined with TerraCycle’s ingenuity in making trash into treasure is a wining combination. “At TerraCycle, we believe that OfficeMax is the ideal retailer for our products,” said Tom Szaky CEO and Founder of TerraCycle as stated in the OfficeMax press release. Szaky further states, “they share our vision of making products from waste and supplying them to a mass audience without charging a premium. We are excited to help achieve that goal with the help of an industry leader like OfficeMax.” The key is that these products are being offered at competitive prices and are relatively easy to obtain.

The binders are made out of sturdy 100% recycled cardboards and 90% recycled metal rings. They are priced as follows:

1 Inch: $3.99

1.5 inch: $4.49

2 inch: $4.99

As I mentioned above every Fall, I buy a bunch of vinyl clad binders which evidently fall apart in a couple of months. The vinyl skin comes apart and the corners fray. So, what happens to the notebooks? I tear them apart and recycle the cardboard and throw out the rest. What a waste…literally.
With the new eco-binders, I will no longer have to throw away the vinyl part, which will not decompose in the landfills. As protection for the corners I figured I would cover the binders with a book sock to see if this helps the corners not to fray. If your kids are creative, then they can decorate each of the cardboard binders in their own styles to distinguish them for each different subject. OfficeMax will take back the binders when the its life has been exhausted.

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The pencil holders are made out of old juice pouches collected by TerraCycle as part of a school/not for profit fundraising program. The program pays schools two cents a pouch. “The program helps to challenge kids to rethink what happens to the materials they discard and ways those materials can be re-used,” as stated in the OfficeMax press release.
The first time I opened a pencil holder, I smelled a grape juice smell. Zakes assured me that all the juicy pouches were cleaned. I happen to love grape juice so reaching in to get a pencil will be delightful rather than a chore. The pencil case is priced at $1.99 for a small case and $2.99 for a medium case. My wish is that the pencil cases had holes in them so that they could fit in the binders. This way the case could not get lost.
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While we are on office and school supplies, what office would not be complete without a nice trash can or recycling bins? Better yet, how about a trash/recycle bin made out of recycled plastic to close the loop? I have the TerraCycle recycling trash can conveniently located right by my desk. However, it could easily be placed under my desk. Now, everyone has no excuse not to recycle paper. Priced at $10.99.

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If the school and office arena is not enough, then TerraCycle wants to clean up your life too with their TerraCycle Natural Cleaners bottled in one liter used soda bottles. The Company offers an All purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner, and Degreaser. According to OfficeMax’s press release, “over 80 billion plastic bottles were discarded and ended up in landfills.” Zakes explained that the plant based cleaners are all non toxic, biodegradable, and have received the Canadian government’s EcoLogo certification.

I am not a big fan of smelly cleaners. However, the faint smell of these cleaners did not bother me. I tried both the all purpose and window cleaners, and liked both of them. Priced at $3.99 for the Window and All Purpose cleaners and $5.99 for the Degreaser.

Let me know your experience with any of the above products. I would not be surprised if you visit OfficeMax, and find more TerraCycle products that I did not mention in this article. It is really hard to keep up with them!

The Giveaway:

TerraCycle has been very generous and has offered five lucky Green Talk readers a choice of either a binder or a set of All Purpose and Window cleaners.This contest is for US residents only.

In order to win, all you have to do is leave a comment about something you would like to learn about. Winners will be randomly selected, so the quality of your comment does not matter. It is just fun for other readers to read. However, if you do not leave a comment as requested, you will not be considered. The contest will end August 14, 2008 at 6 pm eastern time. The company will send your choice to you directly. Good luck!

Photos via OfficeMax.

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Comments

  1. 1

    it is very comforting to read about the important progress in recycling materials.
    in a mature society, there should be no waste.
    planning the many creative ways to re-use spent goods will teach the next generation to enjoy resources to the ultimate best.
    ah! the sound of a clean conscience..
    thank you…

    Reply
  3. 3

    I’d love to learn about how to make your own fabric softener. I hate all the harsh chemicals on the store-bought ones.

    Thanks for the giveaway chance!

    Reply
  7. 7

    I am so impressed with the number and assortment of green products that are available now. Thanks for the info on these. Please enter me in the giveaway.

    Reply
  8. 8

    As a teacher, I would love to have these eco-friendly supplies and cleaners to emphasize to students the importance of protecting the environment.

    Reply
  9. 9

    I’d like to learn more about how to get involved in our communities and to get restaurants/schools/neighbors to recycle more. At this point, when we have to pay to recycle….there aren’t too many willing people!!

    Reply
  10. 10

    I love the fact that this company reuses just about anything to make things new. Why can’t we use our garbage to make stuff? What a great concept. I’d love to learn more about how they get their products for recycling. Do they take donations? I’d definately set aside all of my soup can labels or juice boxes to know they were going to such a great company. Thanks for the great contest and for drawing attention to such a great company. Thanks!

    Reply
  12. 12

    I am looking forward to learning more about green kippot in your future post which sounds great! hope the sponsor will give you one for a giveaway b/c I would definetly walk around the city promoting it. 🙂 anyways, thanks for another great green giveaway, the eco-friendly cleaning products is specifically the kind of things our family aims to use and this would be a great addition.

    Reply
  13. 13

    I would like to learn a new language. We have a lot of Spanish speaking customers and it would be nice to know what they are saying and to be able to help them better.

    Reply
  15. 15

    These are great! Just what I have been looking for. I would love to learn how to make stuff out of juice pouches. I have seen bags and wallets that are made out of them also, and would love to be able to make them!

    Reply
  17. 17

    i’d like to learn about how to remove stains from clothes. i’ve heard many diff ways, but my (kids’) stains tend to be very stubborn. it’s getting to be a big headache!

    Reply
  19. 19

    Sherrill, they only take a particular juice box so check their site. In addition, you can call them to see if anyone in your area is collecting them or in the alternative, if you belong to a religious organization or have kids at a school, you can start on yourself by signing up on their website.

    As of a while ago, they stop collecting soda bottles because of freight costs. I am hoping they will resume this great program. Again, check with them and see where the soda bottle collection stands. If you have any problems, getting in contact with them, contact me and I will get your questions answered. Anna

    Reply
  21. 21

    What a wonderful company!!! I’d like to learn about other recycling fundraisers out there- it’s such a great way to involve kids with recycling and with supporting an organization. I’ve seen fundraisers where your organization earns money for each used ink cartridge sent in…any others out there?

    Reply
  23. 23

    Half-Past, I can totally relate. With four kids, you can imagine. This is why this year I am buying these binders and putting book socks on them. Anna

    Reply
  24. 24

    I would like to see schools involved in recycling and start using some used school supplies in arts and crafts classes.

    Reply
  28. 28

    i would like to learn about different eco-friendly art products, since most art supplies have a lot of chemicals in them

    Reply
  29. 29

    i would really like to learn about different products that i usually buy that are eco-friendly, so i can continue to buy them

    Reply
  30. 30

    I have been cleaning and saving all of the plastic containers food products come in from coffee cans, creamer bottles, plastic trays etc. and would like ideas on how to use them to keep them out of the landfills. I would also like to learn how to use discarded organic matter for pest control, gardening etc.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  33. 33

    I am so glad these are now available near me. No more shipping cost. I hope to convince my daughters school to start recycling their juice pouches and cookie wrappers. Thanks for the info.

    Reply
  35. 35

    These are neat, but check out Sustainable Group’s Rebinders. The rings can actually be removed making the cover recyclable. They have other great accessories to go with the binders as well. Our school has been using them for some time and the kids love them!

    Reply
  39. 39

    Brian, to be honest, I did not think Rebinders are very durable without a book sock. I looked at them and thought they were thin. Terracycles’ are so much heavier and thicker. Right now we are in our second month of school and the Terracycle ones are holding up. Anna

    Reply
  40. 40

    Too bad I missed the contest, but oh well.

    Just wanted to drop by and let you know that I think it is pretty cool all the new sustainable and green products that are available.

    Anyword on whether WholeFoods will carry any of these kinds of items? I know they primarily focus on food, but they have the whole body section, and the clothing store now….

    Matts last blog post..Quantum of Solace

    Reply
  41. 41

    Matt, not that I know of. I would like to see Office Max carry it on their online store so they are accessible to everyone. But, it does not hurt to mention it to your store manager. Perhaps they would consider selling them! I do lots of contests, so you should either check back, or sign up for my email or RSS feed! Anna

    Reply
  43. 43

    Recycling is so very important. Where I live it is mandatory in a way. They make us purchase our garbage bags so that we have to rethink about throwing cardboard and plastics in it. It can get rather expensive, but I feel it is something every town should do.

    Reply
  48. 49

    The Terracycle all purpose cleaner is a no brainer. We should be using that over the other harsh chemical-filled all purpose cleaners not only for the environment, but for our own health too.

    Reply
  52. 53

    During the 1960’s and 1970’s, it seemed virtually inconceivable that smoke stack industries like big steel and obsolete oil refineries would do anything other than remain a fixture in the US industrial scenery. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the coalitions of citizens, environmentalists and business people who stopped incinerators and brought about recycling throughout the US assumed that landfills will always be needed. Yet today, as the recycling movement has moved irreversibly toward sustainable development and zero waste, we can envision a “no new landfill” strategy. The limited ability of the waste industry to adjust to a resource management industry is all too visible.

    The new US recycling movement is steadily moving forward based on its strong tradition of imposing new rules from below as well as leveraging pressure from the top down approach used in Europe and increasingly in Asia and South America. At the same time by expanding its scope of concerns and participation in networks and coalitions the US recycling movement is defining a future sustainable industrial economy and providing the practical steps needed to get there. Its relationship with the sustainable development movement is critical.

    Hamza
    Job Vacancies

    Reply
  53. 54

    As a school teacher who has our 600 students now collecting drink pouches, glue sticks, paper, plastic caps, ink cartridges and cell phones, I must say that working with Terracycle is both rewarding and simple. I am SO pleased to see all that the company is coming up with in terms of upcycled products. Wish I could work for them, or buy stock!!

    Reply
    • 55

      Maureen, I would love to work with them too. I love how they keep adding to what they will take for recycling. Congratulations to your school for being good stewards of the Earth. Which one of the items do you seem to collect the most of? Anna

      Reply

Trackbacks

  7. […] Buy durable, recycled, and recyclable school binders School binders are often very frustrating to frugal and environmentally conscious families. They are very difficult to reuse, often tear apart midway through the school year, and are very difficult to recycle. By buying school binders from Terracycle (sold in OfficeMax stores), you will get a much sturdier set of unique school supplies that won’t leave you frustrated when you try to recycle them. Having finished a good amount of shopping you are probably hungry now, you just remember! Your fridge has run out of snacks. Here is a simple trick of the snack-shopping trade: don’t buy those individually-packaged products. Say you are buying potato chips, and you only need a small-sized bag because it is convenient to carry it around. You decide to buy 5 bags of those. One small bag of potato chip is 2 oz and costs $2, and 5 bags make it 10 oz of chips for $10. However, if you buy a big package, which is 8.5 oz, it costs you roughly $4. See the difference? If you want to walk around enjoying your chips, you can always put them in a reusable lunch box, saving you money, reducing overeating habits, and reducing the amount of garbage you put out on the curb. Once you have everything you need, let’s proceed to the checkout line. Don’t forget to  bring your eco-friendly bag with you! They are available for purchase one at the counter and you just have to remember to bring it next time. The use of the “Eco-Friendly” Bag will greatly reduce the number of plastic bags you use, and many stores are now offering small credits to customers who bring their own shopping bag! […]

    Reply

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