Through Program, Sheehan Students Can 'Upcycle' Drink Pouches

Westwood has certainly shown its fair share of effort in educating residents on how to be environmentally friendly by engaging in . 

But the truth of the matter is, not everything can be recycled. That, however, doesn't mean the only other destination for such items is a landfill. Now, thanks to a company known as TerraCycle, these items can be "upcycled". 

is one of thousands across the nation working with TerraCycle, which takes certain waste items and coverts them into a variety of products, such as backpacks, toys and gifts. 

The efforts come from the hands of Westwood resident and mother Jessica Cole, who originally got the idea to work with TerraCycle from an article she read in an October 10, 2010 issue of Boston Globe magazine, titled, Reduse, Reuse, Upcycle.

"There was a woman up on the North Shore who had talked about how she was raising money for her town," Cole said.

The article explained how a Westford resident helped her neighbors convert trash into treasure by taking non-recyclable items and sending them to TerraCycle, which paid 2 cents for every item sent in. 

Cole then spoke to Sheehan Principal Kristen Evans about implementing a project that would help the school strengthen its green thumb by finding a way to reuse items that can't be tossed into a recycling container. 

By late October, students began turning in their Capri Sun, Kool Aid, and Honest Kids drink pouches during their lunch time. The new program was also mentioned in a Sheehan newsletter that same month.

"I've taken it upon myself to collect them every four weeks," Cole said. "I go into the cafeteria, we collect them, and get 2 cents for every container. It hasn't added up to a lot of money."

But in the end, that's not the goal. The goal, she emphasized, was on helping the environment. 

"It wasn't a money-making thing," Cole said. "I thought we should do something green. I thought juice boxes would work best because that's what they have the most of at Sheehan." 

The money raised from the juice pouches - 2 cents per pouch - goes back to the Sheehan School. 

So far, Cole has shipped back about 2,000 pouches, which she collects in Westwood Recycling containers she obtained from the Carby Street Municipal Building.

What's more, it didn't cost her a thing - TerraCycle pays for the UPS shipping labels on all items turned back in. 

For more information on how TerraCycle works, click here.