Kashi Joins TerraCycle, Inc. in National Upcycling Program to Reduce Landfill Waste

TerraCycle to Repurpose Kashi Natural Foods Packaging Into Eco-Friendly, Affordable Accessories

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

LA JOLLA, CA, USA, June 2009 – Kashi Company, the premier natural food company, has announced that it has partnered with TerraCycle, the eco-friendly pioneer, to create the Kashi Brigade, a program in which Kashi fans in any city nationwide can join together to collect and mail in their used Kashi boxes and wrappers to TerraCycle, which together with other Kashi packaging will be repurposed into eco-friendly, affordable products. As part of the program, which is of no cost to consumers, fans sign up to create local Brigades. For each Kashi package returned to TerraCycle, the company will donate $.02 cents to the Brigade's charity of choice. Kashi is the largest natural food company committed to this program.

"At Kashi, we believe a healthy lifestyle isn't only about what you eat, it's also about how you interact with the world around you," said Keegan Sheridan, Kashi's natural food and lifestyle expert.

"We're excited to collaborate with TerraCycle on the Kashi Brigade because it provides our friends another simple way to make smarter choices and feel good about their food purchases. We encourage Kashi fans everywhere to start a brigade in their own neighborhood as a positive move towards living a natural lifestyle."

Developing a Kashi Brigade is quick and easy, beginning with registration on TerraCycle's Web site, where participants provide their brigade's location and select a nonprofit organization or school to receive a donation. Once signed up, TerraCycle will send participants pre-paid shipping labels to return the collected Kashi packaging for free. TerraCycle utilizes the returned materials and other Kashi packaging to create eco-friendly, affordable accessories, such as office supplies and tote bags, which are sold by major retailers nationwide. TerraCycle also carefully tracks each Brigade's activity and distributes donations to designated charities twice a year, in June and December, based on the total amount of materials collected by each brigade. For each approved package received, $.02 is donated to the nonprofit organization or school of each Kashi Brigade's choice, or one from TerraCycle's list.

"The Kashi Brigade stands out in our eyes because we are able to upcycle more than just Kashi's cereal boxes, but most of their all-natural foods packaging including wrappers and liners," commented Albe Zakes, vice president of TerraCycle. "Kashi also complements TerraCycle considering both companies are committed to helping others live their best life by taking small steps every day towards a brighter future."

For more information on TerraCycle and the Kashi Brigade, please visit TerraCycle.net or Kashi.com.

TerraCycle in one of the only companies in existence that produces products entirely made of waste. In this TerraCycle stands in a category or "landfill" unto itself.

But TerraCycle is more than just a company; it is a group of people that has defined the power of a product made solely from waste and who are passionate about what they do. I know, I have read Tom Szaky's book and spoke to TerraCycle's Chief Publicist George Chevalier III.

Since its inception, TerraCycle has saved over 70 million drink pouches, 10.5 million cookie wrappers, and 3.1 million plastic bottles from ending up in a landfill.

Founded in 1984, Kashi is a company on a mission to redefine how people eat to achieve their best lives. As a pioneering health food brand, Kashi is dedicated to providing great tasting, healthy and innovative foods that enable people to achieve optimal health and wellness. Its products are natural, minimally processed, and free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives and preservatives. Kashi brands include: GOLEAN cereals, bars, shakes and waffles; Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, instant oatmeal and waffles; Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, Honey Puffs, Nuggets and Flakes cereals; Kashi Vive Digestive Wellness cereal; Kashi Good Friends and Kashi Good Friends Cinna-Raisin Crunch cereals; Kashi Mighty Bites cereal; Kashi Organic Promise cereals; Kashi TLC chewy and crunchy granola bars, fruit & grain bars, soft-baked cereal bars, TLC party and snack crackers, and Kashi TLC Chewy Cookies; Kashi All Natural Frozen Entrees; Kashi All Natural Frozen Pizzas, Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal, Kashi U and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf.

As per usual we can be sure that TerraCycle is going to turn those wrappers into great upcycled products the main important part of which, aside from the fact that they keep the material upcycled out of landfills, is the fact that the products are indeed affordable and do not come at a high premium as is so often the case with “green” and recycled products from other makers.

This is something that TerraCycle has been doing from its very inception and this is something that others can and should learn from.

TerraCycle's eco-friendly, affordable products are available at major retailers nationwide and online at www.shopONLYgreen.com or learn more at www.terracycle.net

© 2009
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