Website Reviews: Terracycle.net

Everyone wants a better environment and future for the planet, right? For those seeking to contribute to the task in their own little way, a website named Terracycle.net may just be the opportunity you have been seeking. Founded in 2001 by a then Princeton University freshman, the brilliance behind Terracycle lies in it's ability to serve as a venue to recycle items that may not have previously been considered recyclables - or at the least extremely difficult to recycle. You mail your recyclable off to Terracycle (often with free postage) and then they in turn produce approximately 1,500 new items from your trash that is resold at vendors at large as Walmart. But what is in it for you? Points are allotted to customers sending in recyclables that in turn can be donated to your local schools or directed toward some truly worthy charitable causes.

For example, you send Terracycle 50 Solo cups that are valued at 2 points each or 2 cents each by the company, which equal 100 points or $1.00. Chip bags are worth 2 points each also and digital cameras are valued at 250 points each or $2.50 and so on. There are dozens of items Terracycle accepts ranging from recyclables from the home and office to pet and garden products and many others in between. Some of the ways Terracycle points can be redeemed are to feed one meal to an American facing hunger for 50 points, provide diapers to a child in need for one day for 180 points, or to plant one tree in an American forest for 300 points - and there are tons of other projects to redeem points that are simply wonderful.

To date using statistics taken directly for the Terracycle website they have collected over 2 billion units of waste and distributed over $4.1 million to schools and charities in total, and in the process made a major impact on the issue of reducing landfill waste.

The best part of participating in this website is that everyone wins in some fashion - those in need receive much needed aid, the load on the environment and ecosystem is lightened with each unit of waste sent to Terracycle and those that contribute get the satisfaction of knowing that a minor amount of effort made a big difference in the betterment of all concerned. You can visit the Terracycle website at http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/ take a look around and see what you can start saving at home to contribute.