My newest opportunity to redefine and reduce waste comes courtesy of Subaru and TerraCycle. Subaru was the first manufacturing facility in the United States (Indiana) to reach zero-landfill status. This occurred in 2004, and ever since Subaru has not sent any waste to landfills. So it was only natural that Subaru and TerraCycle formed a partnership to help further reduce waste. In 2018, the two companies combined forces to encourage people to drop off certain items at over 550 participating Subaru dealerships. The list of items currently includes:
Snack bags
Candy wrappers
Disposable cups and lids
Plastic straws
Coffee and creamer capsules (K-cups)
Earlier this year, Subaru announced it had recycled over 1,000,000 pieces of this “waste” through TerraCycle in less than a year after launching the program. This program is completely free of charge, which probably accounts for its popularity.
With two active teens in our house, we generate many snack bags, both big and small. And with Halloween around the corner, we will have our fair share of candy wrappers. Before this program was put in place, there was no easy or cost-effective option to recycle these items. But now there is, and I really am thrilled to be participating and sharing the good news.
Depending on your eating/drinking habits, these wrappers, cups, and K-cups can add up pretty quickly in your trash. Instead of sending them to a landfill, consider saving them in a bin or large bag and then taking a trip or two a year to your nearest Subaru dealership to recycle them at no cost. Doing this is now a part of my routine and is a big reason we are able to keep our trash to a minimum.
Just make sure you check if your local Subaru dealership is participating and what items they accept, as not all locations take all items.
This is an awesome tip!