Berkeley, Calif.’s Clif Bar Inc. is teaming with recycling firm TerraCycle Inc. on the nation’s first program designed to recycle the wrappers around energy bars.

The program, called the Wrapping Brigade, allows companies or people to donate 2 cents per wrapper to nonprofits. Under the program, wrappers will be mailed to Terracycle to be recycled into backpacks and other products, the East Bay Business Times reports.

Terracycle has similar programs for yoghurt containers and empty soda bottles. Carly Lutz, Clif Bar’s brand manager, says the program fits with the image the company’s trying to build of using organic ingredients and slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

The company has previously replaced the shrink wrap used for shipping with recycled paper board.

But the energy bar wrapping has been a somewhat more difficult proposition.

“It’s tough to find material that will maintain the product’s integrity, but also keep (the wrapper) out of the landfill,” Lutz says. Lutz says she expects the recycling program to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, but also to organizations like scouts and schools who can use it for fundraising.

bizjournals: Clif Bar unwraps program to collect, recycle waste