From cigarette buts to flip-flops, Tom Szaky of TerraCycle believes everything can be recyclable. In Tom Szaky’s vision of the new economy, nothing is garbage. Not cigarette butts. Not dirty diapers. Not even used tampons.

N.J. RECYCLING IPO — Bloomberg’s Stacie Sherman and Elise Young: “In Tom Szaky’s vision of the new economy, nothing is garbage. Not cigarette butts. Not dirty diapers. Not even used tampons. Szaky, the founder of TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based garbage startup, has built a $24 million business around the belief that everything is recyclable.

In Tom Szaky’s vision of the new economy, nothing is garbage. Not cigarette butts. Not dirty diapers. Not even used tampons.

As anyone with kids knows, parenthood isn’t always easy. Add in the decision of leading a zero waste lifestyle and it can seem next to impossible. However, being a zero waste parent is not as far-fetched as it might seem. We’ve tackled a few zero waste parenting ideas in the past. And yes, it can take a bit more effort at first, but the small steps you take now will set your children up for a brighter and cleaner future! With that in mind, let’s get into our next zero waste parenting adventure and head back to school!

Thirty-seven erasers, 15 barely used notebooks, 105 pencils, 4 holey backpacks and 2 smelly lunch boxes. That is our inventory of perfectly usable school supplies. And I only have one child! Even so, I just received the dreaded list of required school supplies from my daughter’s new teacher, and the pressure is on.

TRENTON – Are you in a bind about what to do with your old binders? Well, you don’t have to throw them away any more. Office Depot, Inc. launched its Binder Recycling Program last year, which encourages shoppers to assist in preserving the environment by recycling binders through recycling company TerraCycle. Shoppers across the country can bring old empty binders to an Office Depot or OfficeMax retail location and receive a $2 instant discount off a same-day binder purchase, according to a release. In the past, binders often ended up in the trash can at the end of a school year, but Trenton-based TerraCycle has the ability to recycle the binders, reducing the amount of waste going into a landfill.

Environmentalism and sustainability are now essential aspects of brand building, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, effectively engaging consumers poses many challenges. For starters, the expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with products and services. E-commerce sites, dynamic mobile apps, and text message ordering systems afford infinite possibilities for communicating sustainable initiatives and marketing; standing out from direct competitors and defining oneself as a leader in the category requires an extra level of value strategy. Getting back to basics may help businesses and major brands better communicate their dedication to the circular economy, engaging the consumer through an invitation to participate. Through our partnerships at TerraCycle, we’ve seen several consumer product brands and businesses experience success with in-store recycling collections. Recycling is already one of the most accessible and easily understood aspects of environmental stewardship for the average consumer. Activating a promotion around recycling using a brick-and-mortar retail program, a time-tested mode of marketing, can offer benefit to sustainable brands on many fronts, and to lasting effect. Drives Foot Traffic One of the invaluable positives to an in-store recycling promotion is the foot traffic it generates. Though marketing experts like to attribute the burgeoning trend of e-commerce to millennial shopping behavior, the reality is that all generations of consumers find themselves taken with the convenience of shopping online. But brick-and-mortar retailers offer customers what online shopping can’t: the opportunity to physically touch, feel and experience products for themselves. The advantage created by making recycling the reason a customer enters a brick-and-mortar retail store is a two-fold: number one, you get them in the store and, number two, they have something to feel good about before they even buy anything. For example, just in time for Back-to-School 2016, TerraCycle activated the Binder Recycling Program with workplace supply leader Office Depot. Consumers are incentivized with $2 off of the purchase of any new binder and the opportunity to divert their old and used binders from the trash by dropping them off for recycling. Creating in-store foot traffic around an empowering behavior like recycling inspires goodwill and positive feelings in the same environment where purchases occur, maximizing profit potential for each retail transaction.

Environmentalism and sustainability are now essential aspects of brand building, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, effectively engaging consumers poses many challenges. For starters, the expanded retail landscape has altered the way consumers interact with products and services.  E-commerce sites, dynamic mobile apps, and text message ordering systems afford infinite possibilities for communicating sustainable initiatives and marketing; standing out from direct competitors and defining oneself as a leader in the category requires an extra level of value strategy.   Getting back to basics may help businesses and major brands better communicate their dedication to the circular economy, engaging the consumer through an invitation to participate. Through our partnerships at TerraCycle, we’ve seen several consumer product brands and businesses experience success with in-store recycling collections. Recycling is already one of the most accessible and easily understood aspects of environmental stewardship for the average consumer. Activating a promotion around recycling using a brick-and-mortar retail program, a time-tested mode of marketing, can offer benefit to sustainable brands on many fronts, and to lasting effect.   Drives Foot Traffic   One of the invaluable positives to an in-store recycling promotion is the foot traffic it generates. Though marketing experts like to attribute the burgeoning trend of e-commerce to millennial shopping behavior, the reality is that all generations of consumers find themselves taken with the convenience of shopping online. But brick-and-mortar retailers offer customers what online shopping can’t:  the opportunity to physically touch, feel and experience products for themselves.   The advantage created by making recycling the reason a customer enters a brick-and-mortar retail store is a two-fold: number one, you get them in the store and, number two, they have something to feel good about before they even buy anything. For example, just in time for Back-to-School 2016, TerraCycle activated the Binder Recycling Program with workplace supply leader Office Depot. Consumers are incentivized with $2 off of the purchase of any new binder and the opportunity to divert their old and used binders from the trash by dropping them off for recycling.   Creating in-store foot traffic around an empowering behavior like recycling inspires goodwill and positive feelings in the same environment where purchases occur, maximizing profit potential for each retail transaction.   Builds Brand Loyalty   We know that consumers are now more willing to pay more for sustainable products and services than ever before. But while cost, performance and credibility remain prohibitive factors standing between consumers and “doing the right thing,” creating and strengthening brand loyalty for these eco-conscious companies is essential for driving sales against well-established competitors. This is especially true for smaller, specialty brands like Earthborn Holistic, a premium pet food brand available in select stores. Presented for purchase alongside well-known dog food brands like Purina or Iams, Earthborn Holistic is faced with the tall order of offering the consumer a promise of value exceeding that of other pet foods.   Earthborn has chosen to provide customer-facing recycling boxes for its product packaging to communicate its commitment to sustainability to both retailers and customers. Retailers can promote themselves as a collection point for Earthborn packaging, and shipments of empty Earthborn bags sent to TerraCycle for processing earn them points which can be exchanged for cash donations to the local pet charity of their choice, or to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).   This type of sustainable marketing rewards the consumer by giving them the opportunity to invest in a charitable cause. Emotional and social value benefits are prevalent here, as the activation plays to emotional sensibilities and allows the consumer to make a social statement by favoring a brand dedicated to causes like recycling and the humane treatment of animals.     In-store recycling collections are a visual, tactile way to engage customers with the product you are trying to sell. Consumers are driven to purchase by a variety of factors, and it’s up to manufacturers and brands to figure out what those are, and market accordingly.

Office Depot, partnered with TerraCycle, will offer binder recycling at its stores. Shoppers can bring old empty binders to Office Depot or Office Max and receive a $2 coupon good toward the purchase of a new binder. TerraCycle will recycle the binders; there is a limit of six per household.