Mom'sGreenGuide: Be Green, Earn Green

with Capri Sun and Terracycle

Let's face it, sometimes it is very difficult to be environmentally friendly especially when our children go to public school. At school, our kids are bombarded with what everyone else brings. From toys to food, kids want what others have because almost everything looks so fabulous in the hands of others no matter what it is or how it affects the environment.

I try to send snacks in reusable containers but the drink has always been an issue for my conscience. This week, at the grocery store, I was choosing snacks for my girls to take to school. While in the juice aisle, I noticed something different on a couple of the boxes. After reading, "Be Green, Earn Green," I quickly made my decision and brought two of those boxes home. After unpacking all of my groceries, I finally had a chance to look a the box better.

Capri Sun has partnered with Terracycle in a program that encourages schools to save juice pouches and, in turn, earn money. Schools are always looking for ways to raise money for various projects such as updating playground equipment or other such endeavors and this seemed easy enough and would help ease my green guilt over the drinks.

I showed my daughter the box and she informed me this program was already in place at her school. She said they have been saving the pouches for quite some time now. Of course, I was delighted.

Terracycle recycles the Capri Sun juice pouches into some pretty cool products such as backpacks, lunchboxes and pencil cases. Last night, my other daughter and I stopped in Toys R Us on a mission to find a very special birthday present. To my surprise, hanging there in front of me, I saw a Capri Sun backpack from Terracycle. I gave it a once over and the overall quality looked very nice. I actually liked it and would consider buying one in the future. What a great gift idea for an eco-friendly child! The backpack was blue just like the one pictured below.