This month, the Johnson College Green Team announced its latest sustainability initiative. The College is teaming up with TerraCycle to help reduce waste by repurposing items normally considered garbage.
TerraCycle makes eco-friendly products by upcycling various non-recyclable waste materials. While recycling breaks the existing material down so that it can then be reformed into new products, upcycling uses waste in its existing form to create new products. The waste is cleaned and can be shaped into backpacks, lamps, shower curtains, and much more.
TerraCycle runs national programs called Brigades, which focus on collecting certain waste items. Johnson College has joined the Frito-Lay Chip Bag Brigade and the Writing Instruments Brigade.
Frito-Lay snack bags can be deposited in the Frito-Lay/TerraCycle collection bin located in the College’s Moffat Building Cafeteria. Pens, pencils and markers from Paper Mate, Sharpie, and Expo can be dropped in the Writing Instruments/TerraCycle collection bins located in several different buildings on campus.
Donna Pretko, Johnson College Senior Accountant and Green Team Chair, explains, “Johnson College is excited to be participating in the TerraCycle collection brigades. It’s a step toward reducing the amount of waste put into our landfills. The program creates an awareness of the trash we generate and how it can be repurposed. We look forward to seeing positive results.”
The Johnson College Green Team is comprised of students, faculty, and staff. Its mission is to research and identify opportunities to make the College a greener campus. For more information about the team, contact Donna Pretko at 570-702-8945 or dpretko@johnson.edu. To find out more about TerraCycle, please visit http://www.terracycle.net/.
From left to right: Stephanie Orzalek, Administrative Assistant for Development; Tami Pease, Associate Director of Development; Danielle Roth ‘10, Veterinary Technology, Erie, PA; Eric Schappert, Johnson College Chef, Metz & Associates, Ltd.; Donna Pretko, Senior Accountant; Robert Applegate ’10, Computer Information Technology, Hop Bottom, PA
