Recycling with TerraCycle at Our Lady of Guadalupe
99% of the total material flow in the US becomes garbage within 6 months. That's a lot of waste! For
recyclables, many municipalities do not have the infrastructure to process and repurpose it all.
Non-recyclable materials are sent to either a landfill or incinerators.
What is the impact of throwing away my garbage?
Garbage that is thrown out goes to a landfill or incinerator, where it will release carbon emissions that
have a negative impact on the environment. Landfilled garbage also takes up limited space on the earth
and produces other side effects like leaching toxins into the soil and groundwater. Garbage that’s
recycled goes to a processing plant and is converted into new raw materials to make new products. This
not only eliminates the negative effects of landfilling/incinerating it, but processing garbage into new
raw material releases fewer emissions that producing new materials.
What about non-recyclable materials?
Non-recyclable materials CAN be recycled! However, these materials must be collected, sorted and
processes differently than what we consider traditionally recyclable materials. For example, plastics with
either no plastic identifier number (like sandwich bags) or numbers 3-7 listed on them are not accepted
at most recycling facilities since those facilities do not have the ability to recycle them. These plastics
sometimes have multiple layers of material or are a blend of different types of plastics that are hard to
separate and therefore require different technologies that many municipalities do not have access to
or the funds to acquire.
What is the environmental benefit of sending garbage to TerraCycle?
By sending garbage to TerraCycle, the waste is not landfilled or incinerated. Instead, new products are
made with the collected garbage, reducing the need to extract new materials from the planet and
subsequent environmental impact. This impact is not small; for an average cotton pencil case, 91.1% of
the carbon emissions associated with this product comes from raw material processing. Making these
products out of garbage eliminates the need for the raw materials processing, meaning that the
upcycled product will have a much smaller carbon footprint.
The environmental impact goes beyond carbon emissions. By making that pencil case out of garbage,
instead of cotton, we reduce resource depletion, water withdrawal and the overall negative impact on
ecosystem quality. TerraCycle products are made from waste materials so there are major carbon
savings when using a TerraCycle product as opposed to a product made from virgin materials.
How do I Participate?
Gather the accepted waste or collect it throughout the week (no need to sort) and drop it off at the
Pastoral Center or in the collection box outside the Parish Library.
Every piece of waste we collect raises money for our parish and has a
positive impact on our environment!
Help Raise Money for OLG by Recycling!
We are currently collecting ONLY the following recyclables:
Toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, floss containers
Natural care packaging
Hair care, skin care, deodorant and cosmetic packaging
Drink pouches (Capri Sun, etc)
Lunchables/Lunch kit waste (please rinse)
Cell phones, IPod/Mp3 players, tablets, laptops and E-readers
Tape dispensers and cores
PUR and Brita water filters, pitchers and waste
Pens, markers, highlighters, and mechanical pencils
Baby food pouches and lids (GoGo Squeeze, Earth’s Best, etc.)
TerraCycle offers national programs (Brigades®) to collect previously non-recyclable or hard to recycle
waste. To find out more about how the Brigade program works call (206) 935-0358.
Every piece of waste we collect raises money for our parish and has a
positive impact on our environment!
Updated 2/23/2015