Ziploc(R) Launches World's First Collection Program for Reusable Containers and Bags

Leading Brand Creates Schools-Only Fundraising Brigade to Educate Kids about the Environment

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May 04, 2010, 10:07 ET

TRENTON, N.J., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Ziploc® and TerraCycle, Inc. today announced the well-known food storage brand has become a sponsor of TerraCycle's newest Brigade, and will provide fundraising opportunities exclusively for K-12 schools. Through the Ziploc® Brigade, schools can collect bags and containers of any size and send them free of charge to TerraCycle to be turned into new plastic-based products. For each bag or container collected, Ziploc® and TerraCycle will pay two cents to the school actually doing the collection. Signups are beginning immediately at www.terracycle.net/brigades.

The Ziploc® Brigade is introducing a new material to the TerraCycle collection programs through the food storage containers. With most recycling centers around the country taking only plastics 1 and 2, this is an excellent way to keep plastics numbering 3-7 out of landfills.

"We are really pleased to be adding new materials to our collection programs," said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. "It's exciting to be able to find new uses for more and more materials that would otherwise be ending up in landfills and giving schools a much needed fundraising opportunity at the same time."

Brigades are a fun and easy way for parents and teachers to empower children to make a difference locally and globally while at the same time learning about the importance of recycling and reusing.

TerraCycle's Brigades divert packaging waste from landfills and help raise consumer awareness about reducing, reusing and recycling. They are also a great way to earn money for charities, schools, and non-profits through the collection of hard-to-recycle items such as drink pouches, chip bags, yogurt cups, glue bottles/sticks, tape dispensers and pens. By encouraging people to rethink 'what is waste,' TerraCycle is making it simple for consumers to have a positive impact on the environment. Participation is free and all shipping costs are paid. Sign up today at www.terracycle.net/brigades.

"At SC Johnson, we think about how future generations will be affected by the choices we make today," said Kelly M. Semrau, vice president, global public affairs and communication. "This concern for the environment is part of our DNA. So whether it's looking for ways to decrease what consumers send to landfills or working to reduce greenhouse gases, SC Johnson has made an enduring commitment to change. The TerraCycle collaboration provides one more way to lessen our environmental footprint while also helping schools reap rewards."

SC Johnson: Doing its Part

SC Johnson's partnership with TerraCycle to launch the Ziploc® Brigade is just one way the family company is doing its part to help the environment. Going as far back as 1935, the company daringly invested time and research into finding a sustainable source of wax, the main ingredient in many of the company's products. Throughout the decades, SC Johnson has made strides to continue developing and improving its products.

In 1975, the company voluntarily and unilaterally eliminated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from its aerosol products worldwide -- a full three years before the U.S. mandate to do so, because of concerns about CFCs impact on the ozone layer.
In 1993, SC Johnson eliminated paradichlorobenzene (PDCB) in toilet products because it affects ozone in the upper atmosphere and is also a water contaminant that may accumulate in the food chain.
In 2002, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was eliminated from SC Johnson packaging because it is not biodegradable and has been linked to health problems and other issues.
Also in 2002, the company eliminated chlorine-bleached paperboard packaging because the chlorine can cause contamination of air and water.
In 2004, SC Johnson eliminated the organophosphate insecticide DDVP because of links to human health and environmental risk.
In 2006, insecticide, propoxur, was eliminated because of its toxicity and persistence in the environment.
In 2008, the company began working with its suppliers to eliminate phthalates from the fragrances they supply for SC Johnson's products because of consumer concerns about the larger class of substances in the phthalate family.

Building on the company's environmental and community service efforts, today SC Johnson:

Utilizes renewable energy from wind turbines, waste palm shells and cogeneration turbines to power manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indonesia and the Netherlands
Sources approximately 36 percent of its worldwide electricity usage from renewable energy
Sets aside 5 percent of pre-tax profits globally for corporate giving – nearly four times the average

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, ECHO®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 124-year old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About TerraCycle

TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net) represents a new generation of company, putting as much emphasis on its social and environmental impact as its profits. In 2001, college freshman Tom Szaky founded TerraCycle in hopes of building a new, more responsible way of doing business. Since then, TerraCycle has revolutionized the industry by making eco-friendly and affordable products from waste materials. To learn more about joining a TerraCycle Brigade, go to www.terracycle.net/brigades. TerraCycle products are available online at www.greennationgardens.com and www.shoponlygreen.com.