New Rockford, ND

May 24th, 2013 – The staff and those they support at 4th Corporation in New Rockford are doing their part to keep our community clean and planet healthy, all while raising money to help sustain their organization. With the help of national recycling and upcycling company TerraCycle, 4th Corporation is collecting six different kinds of hard-to-recycle waste products, and earning two cents for every single item returned through the program.

“Helping the planet and community by recycling more is already a no-brainer,” said Coordinator of Staff Development Misty Cronin, “but the fact that we can raise money and provide meaningful work for the people we support at the same time is almost too good to be true.”

TerraCycle specializes in difficult-to-recycle items that are not always accepted in traditional recycling programs. The products currently being collected by 4th Corporation are:

• Candy wrappers
• Cheese packaging
• Chip bags
• Paired shoes
• Personal care and beauty items
• Solo cups

These items do not need to be pre-sorted; they can all be collected together in homes and businesses, then dropped off for sorting at 4th Corporation. 4th Corporation also collects aluminum cans for traditional recycling.

Participation in this nationwide recycling program, called the Brigade programs, is completely free and TerraCycle pays for all shipping costs. For every piece of waste the group collects, TerraCycle donates two cents to 4th Corporation or another charity of their choice. The collected items are recycled into a variety of affordable, environmentally responsible products ranging from plastic decking to park benches to watering cans and recycling bins.
More than 70,000 schools and community groups around the country have signed up to help collect almost 50 different kinds of products and packaging TerraCycle accepts. The participating organizations have collectively earned over $5 million dollars and helped TerraCycle divert almost 3 billion pieces of waste that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

The 4th Corporation and the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation have launched a collaborative effort to bring recycling in all forms to the New Rockford community. The Terracycle program is the first phase in a larger project that will be announced as it progresses. Volunteers and interested parties may contact the NRABC at (701) 947-2205 to learn how they can get involved to help start recycling in the area.

Terracycle products for recycling can be dropped off at 4th Corporation (120 11th St N) anytime during regular hours. If your local business would be willing to host a Terracycle collection tote, or for more information on the products being collected, contact Misty or Vicky at (701) 947-2147. Learn more about the Terracycle program online at www.terracycle.com.