© 2026 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

School Turns Trash Into Cash

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Ari Shapiro.

An empty juice box may only be worth a couple of cents, but for 20,000 of them, you can get a nice chunk of change and a messenger bag. A school in Flint, Michigan gathered tens of thousands of potato chip bags, juice boxes and other lunchtime trash. They made almost $500 selling the trash to a company called Terracycle, which turns the junk into backpacks made of Skittles wrappers and placemats made from Cheetos bags. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.