Tom’s of Maine, a provider of natural oral and personal care products, has partnered with recycler/upcycler TerraCycle to give a second life to product packaging with the launch of the Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade®. In keeping with the Tom’s of Maine stewardship model, this free collection program enables consumers to keep packaging from all Tom’s of Maine products and other brands out of landfills. To celebrate the launch, the company has announced the Tom’s of Maine Less in Landfills Sweepstakes, through which brigade participants can earn $1,000 for the nonprofit or school of their choice.
The Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade accepts toothpaste tubes and caps, mouthwash bottles and caps, deodorant/antiperspirant containers, plastic soap wrappers, and floss containers, regardless of brand. For each piece of packaging collected and sent in, the collector earns points that can be put toward charity gifts or converted to cash and paid to any school or nonprofit organization. Any individual, family, group or school can join for free, and all shipping costs are pre-paid.
Through the Less in Landfills Sweepstakes, Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade leaders have up to three chances to earn even more money for their school or charity. Until Nov. 30, 2012, each shipment from a brigade location will count as an entry into the sweepstakes to win $1,000, with a maximum three entries per brigade location.
Tom’s of Maine is constantly working to reduce its waste stream in Maine and in communities across the country. For example, all Tom's of Maine deodorant sticks are made of a single plastic that can be recycled from canister to cap—a first of its kind in the industry, says Tom’s—and all product boxes are made of recycled/recyclable paperboard.
“At Tom’s of Maine, one of our core values is to make packaging as recyclable as possible. We do this directly with our own packaging innovation and standards, but we also invest in partnerships like TerraCycle to help eliminate packaging waste,” says Susan Dewhirst, goodness programs manager at Tom’s of Maine. “Our partnership with TerraCycle helps us connect with others who care passionately about taking care of the planet.”
TerraCycle collects more than 50 different kinds of products and packaging through its brigade programs, which are open to any individual or organization. It has already kept more than 2 billion pieces of trash from going to the landfill, and with its partners, has dispersed almost $4.5 million to charity.
