Terracycle Recycles Odds, Ends at Popular Retailers
According to GreenBiz.com, Terracycle, an organization known for its creative recycling of everyday trash, will begin rolling out store-specific collection bins at Home Depot, Petco, OfficeMax and Best Buy to encourage consumers to recycle products typically associated with that store.
For example, when you walk into Petco, you may be in need of a new bag of dog food since your bag at home is empty. Why not bring in the old bag for recycling, while you’re out picking up a new one?
Terracycle takes products that aren't generally recycled in community programs and turns them into usable products, like this messenger bag from cookie wrappers. Photo: Terrcacycle.com
“First, it’s what materials are going to make sense for the customer at that retailer,” said Albe Zakes, Terracycle’s vice president of media relations. “It also has to be something that we either have a use for or are developing a use for and feel confident that we will have a use for by the time we start stockpiling the materials.”
If you’re into do-it-yourself projects around the house, Home Depot’s recycling bins are right up your alley. “Some of the items Home Depot will take include caulking tubes, paint brushes, saw blades, nursery pots and furnace filters. Saw blades will be turned into clocks and flimsy plant pots will be shredded and turned into sturdier pots, something that the company decided to do after hearing complaints from gardeners,” according to GreenBiz.com.
The program will initially launch in stores in New York and New Jersey for the next three months, with Terracycle aiming to have collection bins in 10,000 locations during 2010.
Terracycle specializes in “eliminating the idea of waste” by taking end-of-life products and making them into something new. Through its use of “brigades” for various products, the company collects everything from used corks to cookie bags. Recently, Terracycle partnered with ReCellular to form phone brigades for cell phone recycling. For each item brought in, a small amount (around 2 to 5 cents) is donated to a charity of your choosing.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Trey Granger
posted on March 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I think it’s worth noting that many of the accepted items will be reused instead of recycled, which is even better for the environment. As you can see from the picture, Terracycle will often take some of the difficult to recycle packaging (because it’s a mix of materials) and reuse it for new packaging. If it were to be recycled, there would be extra energy-using steps like de-inking and conversion back to pulp or resin.
David Holland
posted on March 4th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Actually both of you are wrong the products will be Upcycled instead of recycled or reused.
Cheryl Grimm
posted on March 6th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Terracycle is my hero. Not only do the reuse/recycle/upcycle, but they work with nonprofits, such a few I am affiliated with, to help them help the environment. I just love, love, love their innovative methods to respect and preserve our main mother. Bravo!
Carroll
posted on May 5th, 2009 at 11:33 am
We Purchased one of your wine barrel Rotary composters from Sam’s Club. The instructions say for more detaied instructions please see the enclosed booklet. There was no enclosed booklet. Can I get a booklet by US Mail or by E-mail?
Thank You, Carroll Pinkley
1700 Jenks Ct.
Pea Ridge, AR 72751
Don
posted on November 15th, 2009 at 3:36 am
I was watching Natgeo and saw a show about you guys and was really impressed.
As I was watching and looking at some of the materials you where gathering I had an idea.
How about taking the billboard material and make reusable shopping bags.
I don’t know how stiff the material is but I was also thinking you could use the Oreo bag material but I doubt it would be strong enough to handle being used in this manner.
Another use for the Billboard material would be patio table umbrellas.
Very strong, water resistant and resistant to tearing.
It would also be a very art deco look depending on the Billboard it came from and also be one of a kind and very artsy.
Just a couple of ideas…
Marcia
posted on December 5th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Haiti Charity fund raiser
I would like Terracycle to set up a link where we could donate and then they could send this fertilizer to poor families in Haiti. Who would like to participate in that?