Schools around the country are always trying to find ways to add money to their budgets and enhance the learning experience of their students. A group of schools from Genesee County in Michigan has teamed up with New Jersey recycling company TerraCycle to be reimbursed for everything from empty potato chip bags to empty juice pouches. According to the Flint Journal, the program only pays about two cents for each piece of trash, but over the course of a school year, this can add up to a significant amount of money. Best of all, these schools are doing their part to divert tons of waste from local landfills and are working to create a sustainable community.

"We live in a world of throwaway everything...it's good to see something in our kids showing that they recycle and reuse," Elizabeth Beholz, a support staff instructor at Carman-Ainsworth's Randels Elementary School, told the news source.

TerraCycle takes these materials and either recycles or repurposes them into new products. The system works by schools sending packages of recyclables to the TerraCycle warehouse where they accrue points that can be redeemed for cash or donated to a nonprofit group. While the recycling program is a huge boost for school budgets, administrators are far more excited about teaching the students about the importance of recycling and protecting the environment.

Even in pre-school classes at Swartz Creek's Mary Crapo School, teachers have been teaching 3 and 4-year-olds about the importance of recycling, air quality and where their trash ends up. The Genesee County schools have been making this an important part of their overall curriculum to teach children about the importance of sustainability from a young age. This can help the schools raise money for the future, and encourage kids to do their part at home to create a greener environment.