Can Everything Be Recycled? Welcome to TerraCycle | One Small Step | NowThis

Summary

In this episode of *One Small Step*, Lucy Biggers visits TerraCycle, a company that recycles even the most challenging waste, like chewing gum, snack wrappers, and contact lenses. Co-founder Tom Szaky explains TerraCycle's mission to solve the waste crisis by recycling everything, and how companies can take responsibility for their packaging waste. By breaking down items into raw materials, TerraCycle turns them into new products like dog bowls and cooler liners. Viewers learn about the environmental benefits of recycling and simple actions they can take to help reduce waste.

Takeaways

• 😀 TerraCycle, founded by Tom Szaky in 2001, started by recycling plastic bottles into fertilizer and expanded to recycle almost anything.
• 🌍 TerraCycle's mission is to help recycle difficult-to-recycle waste, such as snack packages, contact lenses, and chewing gum.
• 🛍️ TerraCycle offers free programs for individuals to recycle everyday items, while businesses and schools can purchase zero waste boxes to recycle larger quantities.
• ♻️ Despite 75% of waste being recyclable, only around 30% is actually recycled, highlighting a significant recycling gap.
• 🏠 TerraCycle’s zero waste boxes range from $50 to $500, making it accessible for individuals and organizations to reduce waste.
• 💡 Companies that fund TerraCycle’s programs are encouraged to innovate and redesign packaging to be more recyclable and reduce their reliance on these recycling solutions over time.
• 🌱 Recycling with TerraCycle helps offset the need for virgin materials, reducing the environmental impact of producing new products from raw resources.
• 🍬 TerraCycle recycles snack wrappers by melting them into plastic pellets that can be used to create new products, like dog bowls and trash cans.
• 👓 TerraCycle’s contact lens recycling program helps recover the plastic and aluminum from used contact cases for reuse in manufacturing.
• 🌿 TerraCycle’s process allows for a wide variety of products to be created from recycled materials, including gum-based products like a gum collector.
• 🔄 The company's goal is to reduce consumption and encourage smarter, more sustainable product packaging, while also offering practical solutions for recycling non-traditional items.

Q & A

What was the initial product TerraCycle started selling in 2001?

TerraCycle initially started selling fertilizer made from worm poop in upcycled plastic bottles.

How did TerraCycle evolve over the years?

TerraCycle evolved by pivoting from selling fertilizer to helping larger companies solve their waste problems by recycling everything, from everyday items like snack packages to more complex waste streams.

What types of waste can TerraCycle recycle?

TerraCycle can recycle a wide range of waste, including Brita filters, toothpaste tubes, classroom supplies, flip flops, athletic balls, plastic bags, old kitchen supplies, alkaline batteries, corks, snack packages, sandwich wrappers, and even power cords.

What is the main challenge with recycling according to Tom Szaky?

Tom Szaky highlights that while 75% of our waste is recyclable, only about 30% is actually recycled due to inefficiencies in the recycling process, especially with materials that cannot go into traditional blue bins.

How does TerraCycle make recycling easy for individuals?

TerraCycle offers free programs where individuals can sign up online, collect waste, and send it back using free shipping labels. They also offer zero-waste boxes for individuals, schools, or companies to send various waste streams for recycling.

What are zero-waste boxes, and how do they work?

Zero-waste boxes are available for purchase, ranging from $50 to $500, and can be used to collect a variety of waste streams. Once filled, the box can be sent back to TerraCycle for recycling, with shipping costs included in the price.

How does TerraCycle address concerns that recycling might let producers off the hook for better packaging design?

TerraCycle ensures that companies fund recycling programs for challenging waste streams, which motivates them to eventually redesign packaging for local recyclability, reducing long-term waste and the need for funding recycling programs.

What was TerraCycle's approach to collecting chewing gum waste?

TerraCycle has a specific collection box for chewing gum waste. Once collected, gum can be processed and reused, preventing it from ending up in landfills or sticking to the bottom of shoes.

Why does TerraCycle's recycling process offer an environmental benefit over traditional disposal methods?

By recycling, TerraCycle offsets the need for virgin materials, which often require significant energy and resources to produce. Instead, the company reuses existing materials, reducing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing new products from raw materials.

What was one of the unique products made from recycled materials in TerraCycle's process?

One of the unique products made from recycled materials at TerraCycle includes cooler liners, which are made from recycled polypropylene plastic, showcasing the practical applications of their recycling efforts.