Fundraise for your school by recycling with TerraCycle

Art supplies, new uniforms, instruments, and the spring musical—fundraising for your school can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. You can earn cash for school simply by recycling and fundraising with TerraCycle! When you recycle with us, you earn points for each shipment of hard-to-recycle trash you send in. These points can then be redeemed in the form of a donation to your school! And better yet—you’ll help inspire the next generation of recyclers.

Sign up as a school →

Note: If you are already signed in and would like to create an account for your school, please sign out to create a new account.

How it works

  1. Sign up as a school. Make sure to choose a school option when filling in your organization type.
  2. Join as many free recycling programs as you want! Check out some of our most popular programs for schools so you can recycle items like snack packaging, drink pouches, and more.
  3. Go to our Rewards page, click “Add new charity,” and fill out your school's information to sign up as a charity.
  4. Set up a recycling station and collect accepted waste.
  5. Tell staff, students, and parents about how they can help raise money for the school by recycling and ask them to bring in hard-to-recycle trash from home.  
  6. When your collection bins are full, download a free shipping label and ship your trash back to us for recycling.
  7. Earn points for each eligible shipment you make.
  8. Redeem those points for cash for your school!

Sign up as a school →

Important note! Add us to your email address book so you never miss out on the exciting news, activities, and helpful tips from TerraCycle. 

 

Featured programs

From snack packaging to beauty products to toys, there are all kinds of free recycling programs for your school to participate in! Find the programs that are perfect for your school. Join as many as you want and earn points for each valid shipment.

Join a program →

 

Resources

Teachers are everyday superheroes—but fundraising for your classroom shouldn’t take superpowers. That’s why TerraCycle is here to help! Check out some of our recycling resources to get your students and staff started. You’ll be super-recyclers before you know it! 

 

Get noticed

Want to show off your recycling skills? We can help you get noticed through a local, regional, or even national press release! You can also use the sharable social media graphics on our Resources page to spread the word about your recycling journey. Click here to tell us all about how you’re bringing TerraCycle to your classroom.

 

Contests

Get even more involved with our contests. By participating in our free recycling programs, you can win extra TerraCycle Recycling Rewards points and even upcycled or recycled products! Keep an eye on our Contests and Promotions page to stay involved.

Now through April 30, the top five schools that recycle the most in select programs can win amazing prizes for the classroom, like a Zero Waste Box bundle worth over $1000+ and $500 upcycled school supplies! Plus, ALL schools get DOUBLE the points for all valid shipments in select recycling programs. Details here.

 

Questions? We're here for you

Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. Still looking for answers? We’ve got a whole page of school recycling FAQs to help you along the way!

  • How do I sign up for my school? Create a TerraCycle account here and fill out all required fields with the school’s information. Please sign up as one of the following organization types: public elementary school, private elementary school, public middle school, private middle school, public high school, or private high school.
  • Why are the free recycling programs so specific? Our free recycling programs are funded by brands and retailers. They specify which type of waste is accepted by their programs, meaning that some programs only accept one brand’s waste while others accept all brands.
  • How do I set my school up to receive donations? After you create an account for your school, check for your school in our charity database; if you're new to fundraising with TerraCycle, add your school here. If your request is approved, your school’s information will be in the system when you’re ready to redeem your points.

We’re here to help you set up a successful recycling fundraiser for your school. Visit our full Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, or you can reach out to our customer care team, and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

Sign up as a school →

Note: If you are already signed in and would like to create an account for your school, please sign out to create a new account.