TRENTON — TerraCycle® announced its Recycled Playground Challenge - a new initiative in partnership with Colgate, the global oral care leader, and ShopRite, which has more than 250 stores in the northeast - to help encourage healthy smiles and environments among school children and consumers.
Now through June 30, schools located throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Maryland are eligible to compete for a new playground made completely of recycled material by joining TerraCycle’s Oral Care Brigade® program.
ShopRite on Marshall Hill Road has a special display set up for the collection.
Through the Oral Care Brigade, a free recycling program run by Colgate and TerraCycle, schools will earn one ‘Playground Credit’ for each shipment of empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, and floss containers sent to TerraCycle. Schools can earn additional playground credits by encouraging parents and teachers to vote online by logging onto www.terracycle.com/colgateshopriteplayground.
“Colgate is committed to contributing to our communities and respecting the environment,” said Justin Skala, president, North America and Global Sustainability, Colgate-Palmolive. “Programs like the Colgate® Oral Care Brigade™ and Recycled Playground Challenge offer us an innovative way to reinforce these commitments and for consumers to positively impact the environment by repurposing their Colgate® oral care products.”
The winning school with the most playground credits will be announced by July 18, 2014 and the playground will be installed during the 2014/2015 back-to-school season. The first runner-up school will win 500 upcycled tote bags, 500 upcycled pencil cases, 500 upcycled pens and a $750 ShopRite gift certificate. The second and third runner-up schools will win 250 upcycled tote bags, 250 upcycled pens and a $500 and $250 gift certificate, respectively. Finally, five honorable mention participants will win 250 upcycled pens and $150 ShopRite gift cards.
In addition to donating gift certificates for the runner-up schools, ShopRite is also encouraging community participation in the contest with displays throughout its stores.
“ShopRite has a long history of caring for the communities it serves,” said Karen Meleta, Vice President of Consumer and Corporate Communications for ShopRite. “This program is a fun way to engage our customers in this commitment and to bring to light the importance of recycling and preserving our resources for generations to come.”
All participants in the Colgate® Oral Care Brigade™ program are making a difference for the environment and their community. The Brigade initiative is an ongoing activity open to any individual, family, school or community group. For each piece of waste sent in using a pre-paid shipping label, participants earn money toward donations to the school or charity of their choice.
“At TerraCycle, collecting the oral care waste is only half of the story,” explained Tom Szaky, TerraCycle founder and CEO. “The real magic happens when our partners choose to reuse the waste in a way that has a lasting benefit a community, like Colgate and ShopRite have done with these playgrounds.”
TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste, working with more than 40 major brands globally to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. TerraCycle repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit www.terracycle.com.
For instructions on how to participate in the Recycled Playground Challenge, visit www.terracycle.com/colgateshopriteplayground or your local ShopRite retailer.
To learn more about the Colgate® Oral Care Brigade™ program and to sign up, visit www.terracycle.com/colgate.