Malt-O-Meal Recycling Program for schools

Malt-O-Meal® Cereal Bag Brigade™

Frequently Asked Questions

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the process of using waste in its existing form to create new products. Recycling, by contrast, breaks the material down (e.g., a plastic bottle is turned into plastic pellets) so that material can then be reformed into new products. With upcycling, the waste is simply cleaned and shaped, sewn or fused into new products like backpacks, pencil cases, tote bags, lunchboxes and so much more!

What is recycling?

TerraCycle recycles Malt-O-Meal packaging collected through the Cereal Bag Brigade into a variety of plastic products. The cereal bags are broken down (e.g. the cereal bags are turned into plastic pellets) so the material can then be reformed into new products. Malt-O-Meal packaging can be made into plastic for trash cans, watering cans, benches and paving stones.

What is a Cereal Bag Brigade?

A Cereal Bag Brigade is a school of students and parents who are collecting used Malt-O-Meal Cereal bags to help divert the bags from going into landfills.

How many bags can my school send in?

There is no maximum amount of bags your school can send in. Remember you are helping TerraCycle by eliminating the idea of waste®!

What kinds of cereal bags are acceptable?

Any used Malt-O-Meal cereal bag is acceptable! The following are examples of acceptable cereal bags:

TerraCycle

Please keep in mind we donate $0.02 to your school for each acceptable cereal bag.

Who can apply for the Malt-O-Meal Cereal Bag Brigade?

The Brigade is only open to schools. Please keep in mind if you are a student, you must be atleast 13 years or older to sign up. If you do not meet the age requirements, please have a teacher or parent associated with your school sign up for the brigade.

What do I need to do to sign up for the Brigade?

You will need to provide 1) a contact person to oversee the Malt-O-Meal Brigade at your location and 2) a valid email address and 3) a valid mailing address. If you choose to redeem your points towards a non-profit or charity of your choice, you will also need the mailing address and contact information for the 501(c)3 charity and its Federal Tax ID number. (Please note: The federal tax ID number will be formatted XX-XXXXXXX, please be sure that you do not have the state sales tax exempt number).

If you do not have your own charity, you can choose to redeem your points towards one of TerraCycle's charitable gifts.

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My school applied for the program, but we haven't received a confirmation e-mail.
What should I do?

Please check to see if the confirmation e-mail from info@terracycle.net was sent to your brigade leader's spam or junk mail. Please email customersupport@terracycle.net with subject line: "No Confirmation E-mail" along with your phone number or call 1-866-967-6766.

Can my school or organization apply more than once?

No. Each individual and organization, including schools or student groups at a school or university, can only have one Malt-O-Meal Brigade account. Any additional accounts will be suspended. If you have any questions please contact customersupport@terracycle.net.

What if my information changes or needs to be updated?

If for any reason you need to change or update your information, please select the PROFILE tab (located on your account) and then simply click "Edit My Profile". If you still need assistance or have questions please contact Customer Support at 1-866–967–6766 or email customersupport@terracycle.net.

Do I have to pay for shipping?

Nope! You will be able to print pre-paid UPS shipping labels from our website through your online account. This will bring your Malt-O-Meal collections back to our factory to be recycled into TerraCycle other products! You win, we win, and the environment wins!

If you request to download a shipping label - simply print the label and affix to a reused box stuffed with used cereal bags and mail to us. Visit www.ups.com to find a drop off location.

Do I need to clean the bags before putting them in the box for shipping?

As a courtesy, please remove any leftover crumbs from the bag.

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Is there a limit to the number of cereal bags I can send in?

There is no limit to the amount of cereal bags you can send in; however, we do encourage you to send the cereal bags in a standard size copy paper box. As long as you have been sending in a slow, steady stream, you are doing well. For additional information, please see the "Shipping Instructions", which you can download from the "RESOURCES" tab located on your account.

How can I check the number of cereal bags my school has collected?

Once you have joined your Brigade as team member you can sign in and view your school's collection progress and donation status. TerraCycle will provide regular updates on the number of bags each Brigade has collected on www.terracycle.net. You can also contact Brigade Services at customersupport@terracycle.net or call 1-866-967-6766.

I checked my status. Why is it incorrect?

Please check back frequently to see your status update. If there is a serious problem with collection status please call Brigade Services at 1-866-967-6766 or e-mail customersupport@terracycle.net.

What if my School requested shipping materials and never received them?

If you have not received requested shipping materials within 4 weeks of initial sign up, please call Brigade Services at 1-866-967-6766 or e-mail customersupport@terracycle.net. We may need to verify your shipping information for tracking purposes.

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Our organization is done collecting cereal bags, can we unsubscribe?

To unsubscribe, return all collection bags and any extra UPS shipping labels to TerraCycle and contact customersupport@terracycle.net to unsubscribe your account.

I've sent collections in. Why didn't I receive a check?

Charity checks are mailed DIRECTLY to the school not to an individual. Charities will receive a check in June for collections received in between November - April. Charities will receive a check in December for collections received between May-October.

Which states can participate in the TerraCycle Brigades?

TerraCycle® Brigade programs are open to all U.S. States EXCEPT for ALASKA, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. If you live in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico and sign-up for a Brigade, your account will be automatically deactivated and your location will not be able to print or request labels. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have brigade programs running in those states and territories in the future.

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Is there a minimum/maximum amount of packaging to collect before my school or charity will receive a check?

You can redeem your points at any time for one of TerraCycle's charitable gifts, or towards a cash donation (check) to any non-profit or charitable organization, including schools. Please keep in mind that there is a minimum of 1,000 points or $10 needed for a cash donation. Cash donations are mailed directly to the charity, twice a year in June and December. All cash donations requested between May 1st and October 31st will be disbursed in December. All cash donations requested between November 1st and April 30th will be disbursed in June.

I forgot to select a charity during sign up. Can I still select one?

Yes. You can select, add or change your preferred charities via your account on the TerraCycle website. Simply log into your account at www.terracycle.net and click on the "MY IMPACT" tab. To add a new preferred charity to your account, please select the "Manage Charities" link. Please note that during the check out process when redeeming points, you will also be given a chance to choose an existing charitable gift and update or change your preferred charities.

You can also call 1-866-967-6766 or email customersupport@terracycle.net with the charity name, address, contact person and Tax ID #.

How do I ship the packaging back to TerraCycle?

Option 1 (Eco Friendly way!): If you already have a reused box or bag, you can download your own pre-paid UPS return label by clicking the red "SHIP YOUR WASTE TO US" icon located on your account and select the Cereal Bag Brigade under the drop down menu. Print the pre-paid label and affix to the reused box or back and drop off at a local ups drop off location.

Option 2: You can also have us ship 2 UPS pre-paid return labels, by clicking "Send Me Mailing Labels." Your pre-paid return labels will be shipped to your address. Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery time. Delivery times may vary depending on your location.

How much will my organization be paid for the Cereal Bag Brigade?

Each piece your location sends in will earn 2 points or $.02 to the non-profit of your choice. Each cereal bag will be counted based on weight, using .025 lbs. as the average weight.

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