Stemming from its Subaru Loves the Earth initiative, Subaru of America, Inc. has provided co-branded TerraCycle collection boxes to REI stores nationwide.
The Camden automaker and Trenton recycler aim to collect snack wrappers accumulated from outdoor activities ahead of REI’s annual #OptOutside anti-Black Friday event.
The snack wrappers, commonly thought of as hard-to-recycle, will be melted down by TerraCycle and turned into park benches, picnic tables and playground materials for Subaru community partners.
“Here at Subaru, we realize that along with our shared love of the great outdoors and all of the enjoyment it brings, it also comes with the responsibility of keeping our communities clean, not only for ourselves, but for future generations,” said Alan Bethke, senior vice president of marketing at Subaru of America, Inc. in a statement.
“We are thrilled to welcome REI stores into our Subaru Loves the Earth program, joining our motivated network of environmentally conscious retailers across the country who have already shown great initiative in our quest to keep the outdoors beautiful and make the world a better place, one piece of recycled material at a time,” Bethke said.
There are 157 REI locations nationwide and four in New Jersey, including Paramus, East Hanover, Malton, and Princeton.
As part of the program, Subaru will host several one-day upcycling collection drives for consumers to dispose of unwanted recreational equipment such as yoga mats and bike tires. None of the one-day drives are taking place in New Jersey.
