Sustainable Products & Services

Waste products worm their way to Sandy

The Sandy Post, Apr 10, 2008

Liquefied worm dung in a used soda bottle isn’t exactly something most people would think to purchase.

But challenging conventional thinking about waste and recycling is exactly what New Jersey-based TerraCycle, Inc. wants to do.

In seven years, the self-described “eco-capitalist” company has grown from just two college roommates collecting worm waste to a firm that sells its organic garden products to various retail outlets across North America.

Now, TerraCycle is testing its products in Oregon, and local residents will have access to a number of the company’s organic and environmentally sustainable goods at Sandy Fred Meyer, 16625 S.E. 362nd Ave.

The flagship item of the company is its fertilizer, which is made from worm waste. TerraCycle feeds paper and garden waste to millions of worms, and the worms compost the materials into an organic, high-quality fertilizer – the main ingredient in the plant food. The finished product is then packaged in used, 20-oz., one-liter or two-liter bottles or used one-gallon milk jugs.

These benefits of these products aren’t limited to the environment. Local schools and community groups can benefit through TerraCycle’s four nationwide “upcycling” programs.

The programs donate several cents for every used 20-oz. bottle (5 cents), yogurt container (2 cents for 6 oz., 5 cents for 32 oz.), drink pouch (2 cents for most) or energy bar wrapper (2 cents). Anyone can sign up, as long as the donations go towards a school or non-profit organization.

All of the collected products then are “upcycled” into new products, or are used as packaging for TerraCycle’s other products.

Already more than 5,000 locations nationwide are collecting in one of TerraCycle’s four programs.

Visit www.terracycle.net/brigades to learn more about upcycling or to register for the program.

For more information about TerraCycle, visit www.terracycle.net. Sandy Fred Meyer may be reached at 503-668-2363.

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The products

The following products will be available for purchase:

• Ready-to-use plant foods — TerraCycle’s flagship product is made of worm dung, which produces an organic high-quality fertilizer. The finished product is then packaged in used, 20-oz., one-liter or two-liter bottles or used one-gallon milk jugs. Varieties of plant food include All-Purpose, Orchid, Herb, Cactus and Tomato. Also available is a concentrated lawn fertilizer, which is all-natural and non-toxic. $4.99 at Fred Meyer.

• All-natural Potting Mix — Made from worm poop and coconut coir, this potting mix comes packaged in reused one-gallon milk jugs. $5.99 at Fred Meyer.

• Bird Feeder — Pre-filled with high-quality Pennington Seed, the TerraCycle Bird Feeder is made from a used two-liter soda bottle and a base composed entirely of recycled plastic. $7.99.

• Urban Art Planting Pot — This eco-friendly pot is the first pot ever to be made entirely from mixed waste plastic, salvaged from the billions of tons of electronic equipment discarded every year. The plastic is remolded into a durable, lightweight, 8-inch planting pot, which is then hand-painted in several colors and styles by inner-city artists.