TERRACYCLE NEWS

ELIMINATING THE IDEA OF WASTE®

Understanding zero-waste shopping with Loop and TerraCycle's Tom Szaky

How did you come up with the idea for TerraCycle and Loop?

I got the idea for TerraCycle as a college freshman at Princeton University in 2001. The original business model was vermicomposting (converting garbage into worm poop), packaging it in used soda bottles and selling the resulting fertilizer. To find a larger supply of bottles, we created a national collection program, which was the precursor for our current free recycling programs. While we no longer produce fertilizer, we have moved into finding recycling solutions for some of the world’s toughest garbage problems, proving that everything is technically recyclable and developing solutions for nearly every waste stream you can think of, including drink pouches, used toothbrushes, cigarette butts and even dirty diapers. In short, TerraCycle takes waste that is not recyclable through conventional methods (i.e. your municipality’s curbside recycling program) and turns it into raw material that is then used to make new products. TerraCycle is operational in 21 countries. The idea for Loop emerged three years ago where TerraCycle and leading packaged goods manufacturers discussed the idea of restructuring the life cycle ownership of packaged goods to be durable and reusable. TerraCycle in partnership with 25 participating brands, including founding partners Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Nestle, officially unveiled the Loop platform during a panel discussion at the 2019 World Economic Forum.

Kroger Reaps As You Sow’s Disapproval, as It ‘Lags’ Commitments Made by Competitors

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. announced this week its new sustainable packaging goals that, according to anti-plastic activist group As You Sow, “fail to acknowledge the urgency of the plastic pollution crisis, and lag competitor commitments.” This statement came after As You Sow filed shareholder resolutions with Kroger, urging the company to make its private-label packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The proposals were strongly supported by shareholders, earning nearly 40% support in 2019 and 2020, according to the activist group, which typically puts forth proposals requiring a vote at shareholder corporate meetings. Regardless of the outcome, it’s never enough for As You Sow. “As the largest grocery retailer in the country, Kroger has a responsibility to be a leader in this space and set a high bar for sustainable packaging,” said Conrad McKerron, Senior Vice President of As You SowKroger’s commitments “fall far short of what the company needs to be doing,” he added.

Report highlights reusable models that can instill confidence during the pandemic

Washington, DC – Greenpeace USA released a report today highlighting various reuse and refill models around the globe that have continued or can be used during the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring strong sanitization or contactless systems for containers. The report, Reusables Are Doable, assures restaurants, retailers, and consumer goods companies that a pandemic does not need to mean shifting toward widespread disposable plastic that threatens the environment and the health of communities worldwide. “Reusable systems are not only possible during a global pandemic, they are needed more than ever,” said Greenpeace USA Plastics Campaigner David Pinsky. “Communities of color on the frontlines of the plastic pollution crisis face increased risks from COVID-19, but the plastics industry continues to churn out dangerous throwaway products and claim they are safe. It is time for restaurants, retailers, and large brands to end their reliance on useless plastic packaging, bags, and containers once and for all.” Greenpeace’s report features a number of reusable systems globally that can instill confidence during the pandemic. Those systems include:
  • Contactless coffee systems have been embraced by hundreds of cafes worldwide to minimize waste. With this system, a customer places their reusable container on the counter, backs away, and allows the barista to fill it with a separate cup that doesn’t touch the customer’s.
  • Loop, which launched in 2019, offering well-known grocery brands to customers in reusable containers. The company collects used containers, sanitizes them according to FDA standards, and uses them for future products. Loop has reported a sales increase during COVID-19.
  • The Wally Shop, which recently expanded to nationwide operations, and Zero, which also offer grocery delivery with reusable containers.
  • To-go reusable models, such as CupClub, which enable customers to borrow a reusable cup, use it, then return it at a dropoff point to be cleaned.
  • Takeout meal systems, such as Dispatch Goods, which partner with local restaurants to provide meals in reusable containers that customers return for commercial cleaning.
  • Algramo, based in Chile, which uses vending machines and an electric vehicle delivery service that allows people to pay for only the amount of product they need in reusable containers.

Unidade de Educação Infantil da Ufal promove projetos virtuais com as crianças

Quando o assunto é a Educação Infantil, nem todo mundo lembra da Universidade Federal de Alagoas (Ufal), maior instituição de ensino superior do Estado. No entanto, além de espaço de formação de inúmeros pedagogos, psicopedagogos e demais profissionais que atuam no ensino infantil, a Ufal também oferece essa modalidade de ensino para crianças oriundas da comunidade acadêmica: filhos de alunos ou servidores da Ufal, ou ainda, moradores da comunidade circunvizinha.

Invest in TerraCycle Stock to Stem Our Waste Management Crisis

In our consumer-driven culture and economy, we rarely give a second thought about our waste footprint. Yet according to industry experts, per-capita waste generated in North America is approximately 2.5 kilograms daily. Worldwide, the figure will only increase, inspiring recycling firm TerraCycle to offer a bold new solution: scale up the recycling infrastructure to include virtually any product that we touch. This groundbreaking proposition is at the heart of why you should invest in TerraCycle stock.   Currently, the broader recycling industry has massive end-result inefficiencies. Yes, we have a “culture” of recycling in the sense that we separate unrecyclable garbage from recyclable goods, putting waste into their appropriate containers. However, this creates two problems: first, the garbage that we throw away ends up in landfills, and second, our recyclable goods often end up in someone else’s landfill.   Indeed, the waste problem has severe geopolitical implications. Last year and prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, The Atlantic sounded the alarm, noting that for decades, Chine has taken the bulk of our recycling raw materials. But increasingly, China and many other developing nations have restricted or rejected America’s trash.   Therefore, we may eventually find ourselves being suffocated with our own waste, recyclable or otherwise. Further, most waste products are traditionally considered unrecyclable, thus accelerating our trash crisis. Hence, this is why forward-thinking investors have sought how to invest in TerraCycle stock.   To summarize, here are the three key reasons why you should consider this particularly compelling equity crowdfunding opportunity:  
  • Help solve a rapidly accelerating waste production crisis
  • Partnerships with major corporations
  • Purpose-driven business for a purpose-driven generation
  Below, we’ll discuss in greater detail why this private investing offer can change the trajectory of waste management.  

Invest in TerraCycle Stock to Advance a Necessary Cultural Shift

  As I mentioned above, every person in North America on average produces 2.5 kilograms (that’s slightly more than five-and-a-half pounds) of waste every day. What may surprise people is that much of this collective garbage gets sent to other countries. However, as developing parts of the world grow their economies, they don’t want to put up with this indignity.   Who can blame them? But that’s not the worst problem. When these nations shift their economies from elemental, agrarian- or commodity-based commerce to advanced manufacturing or even technological, their consumer base will be elevated in terms of purchasing power.   As we saw with the almost miraculous ascent of China, when people have money to spend, they consume. And when they consume, that leads to greater waste. Therefore, the idea to invest in TerraCycle stock isn’t just centered on profitability concerns, as is the case with many equity crowdfunding opportunities. No, we desperately need a solution.   What separates TerraCycle from the crowd is its unique ability to repurpose previously unrecyclable goods that would ordinarily end up in landfills into economically viable end products. Better yet, this mission statement isn’t just pie in the sky. Multiple blue-chip organizations, including Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP), have partnered with the innovative firm.   Really, even taking aside the profit motivation, both corporations and regular people see the writing on the wall. According to Rubicon.com, 90% of all solid waste in the U.S. does not get recycled. Thus, TerraCycle’s CEO, Tom Szaky, believes his underlying business is “the biggest and most powerful tool for change.”   But it’s not just the operational side of recycling that he’s concerned about. Rather, with his concept, Szaky would like everyone to rethink the idea of the consumption and waste process. By eschewing one-use containers for multi-use ones, individual consumers can participate in meaningful social change.   For example, think about Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) and its reusable coffee cup policy: consumers save a little and Starbucks can mitigate some of their overhead costs. As well, we have collectively less waste. Bring this concept to scale and you’ll likely promote wholesale efficiencies. Thus, you can also see why so many want to invest in TerraCycle stock.  

Repurposed Risks

  Like any equity crowdfunding opportunity, there are many risks involved with TerraCycle. First, private investing offers are usually illiquid. Therefore, if you invest in TerraCycle stock, you’re basically committed for the long haul.   Further, due diligence is a must for any investment. But for equity crowdfunding, this takes on greater importance due to the lack of information available relative to blue-chip investments. Therefore, you should think carefully before diving into private investing.   On the business end, the catalyst to invest in TerraCycle stock seems like a no-brainer. As detailed above, you have a critical crisis driving the narrative. If we don’t solve the problem, at some point, our rabid consumption will be our downfall.   Here, the purpose-driven millennial generation is a major plus for TerraCycle. This and the emerging Gen Z will likely lay the groundwork for positive climate change policies. With TerraCycle’s myriad solutions, the company offers easy, perhaps even fun ways to participate in ethical climate-friendly behaviors.   But the problem is getting the rest of America – including millennials – to get on board with the program. Again, according to Rubicon.com, “The U.S. recycling rate is around 34.5%. If we’re able to get the rate to 75%, the effect will be like removing 50 million passenger cars from U.S. roads.”   Clearly, for those who are on the fence on whether they should invest in TerraCycle stock or not, this recycling participation rate must move higher. Supposedly, the people are willing. However, the coronavirus has thrown a wrinkle into this assumption.   As you know, we have quite a few Americans that are raising a fuss about wearing a face mask. If such a simple thing causes uproars, recycling initiatives may not achieve much participation.  

A Groundbreaking Solution

  At the end of the day, I believe many will come to the conclusion that the good far outweighs the bad, and therefore invest in TerraCycle stock. Someone has to create a solution to this global crisis. Here, TerraCycle is both a thought leader and platform provider.   If you’d like to take a shot, visit TerraCycle’s investor page website. Shares are offered as Regulation A securities, which are exempt from Securities and Exchange Commission registration. Please note the nuances associated with Regulation A stocks, as well as TerraCycle’s own disclosed risk factors.   A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.   The post Invest in TerraCycle Stock to Stem Our Waste Management Crisis appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Uncovered: The Recyclability of Plastic Packaging

Becoming more environmentally friendly starts with reducing waste, but is it possible to recycle plastic beauty product packaging? Rose Inc. investigates.

Reducing one's carbon footprint requires a multipronged approach that inevitably impacts every corner of our lifestyle choices, from travel to diet to personal care. When it comes to beauty products, a focus on sustainable ingredientstransparent supply chains, and a reduction of potentially-hazardous chemicals are all vital to consider when going green, but there’s one issue that causes a disproportionate amount of confusion: recycling.   The best way to discard plastic beauty product packaging, like empty face cream jars and lipstick bullets, is as confusing as it is discouraging. As many of us strive to improve our impact, we’re left wondering about the end of life for our everyday consumer goods. How can we prevent the products we buy from building up in landfills or polluting our oceans? Rose Inc. investigates the world of plastic recycling.       Plastic: The Origin Story   Since the 1950s, when plastic as we know it was introduced into society as a durable, cheap alternative to glass and metal, it has been grossly overproduced. Decades later, we’re at an impasse: We simply have too much plastic on planet earth, yet we continue to create it at a staggering rate. It’s estimated that 91% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics that we’ve produced has not been recycled, the vast majority of which is piling up in landfills or polluting the oceans.   The irony of this issue is that the very thing that makes plastic so revolutionary—it’s strong and won’t shatter—is the very thing that’s left our planet in peril. It takes over 400 years for something like a plastic bottle to decompose, and during that lengthy process, it turns to microplastics that leach into the water and soil. Since many types of plastic are made from petrochemicals—like crude oil—the long-term effects of its microplastics are just now being studied.    

Recycling: Reading The Signs

  Recycling your empties is the best course of action for products you already own, so understanding the stamped symbol on the bottom of a plastic container is vital. Although it seems like the iconic, three-arrow shape denotes a product is recyclable, its only purpose is to identify the type of plastic.   “Some common misconceptions about the recyclability of plastic consumer goods and packaging, like beauty products, are that if there is a recycling symbol on it, is it recyclable,” says Marina McCoy, a recycling expert and the founder and CEO of Waste Free Earth, an organization that creates systems to help companies improve their environmental impact. The reality is that only products marked 1 (PETE), 2 (HDPE), and 5 (PP) are widely accepted in curbside bins. Some of these types of plastic commonly include clear and light-colored jars, bottles, and caps.   Tossing products with other numbers into recycling bins is actually harmful to the entire system. “This process is referred to as 'wishful' recycling,” McCoy says. “It leads to high contamination rates at recycling facilities, making it harder for them to separate the recyclable materials amongst all the contaminates.” It’s also important all products placed in curbside bins are squeaky clean, since excess makeup or cream disrupts the sorting process and often leads those products, even if they are accepted, to be thrown away along with anything they’ve dirtied.   Types of plastic that are not accepted in curbside bins often include mascara tubes, lipstick bullets, lip gloss, and anything that has dark or brightly-colored plastic or metal components, like pans and springs. There are, of course, exceptions to these rules and things are changing as more environmentally-friendly plastics increase in popularity, like bio-based plastics made from corn, which many experts believe is the future of consumer goods sustainability.        

Municipal vs Possible

  Another important aspect of plastic recyclability boils down to what programs are in effect where you live. That is, what’s possible to be recycled versus what’s actually accepted at your municipal facility, which may change from time to time based on its value. “Go to your waste facility’s website and search for its recycling guidelines,” McCoy suggests. “Occasionally you may need to email or call them if your product isn't listed.”   Sarah Teeter, global project manager for TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based private recycling business that specializes in hard-to-recyclable waste, notes that if a product was not specifically designed to have post-consumer value, it will probably end up being thrown away. "Up until this point, many brands that have been making common products have not really been considering what their end of life solution is,” Teeter says. "Fortunately, that is starting to change, which has a lot to do with consumer awareness and demand." While glass and aluminum are viable options—albeit they have their own downsides—one of the best solutions for 2020 and beyond is recycled plastic.        

Post-Consumer Plastic: A Better Choice

  Arguably the best current solution for the beauty industry is simply slowing the production of new plastic by using post-consumer materials. This prevents new plastic from being made and temporarily reduces the risk of waste ending up in places like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of trash three times the size of France currently floating in the sea. Some brands, like Kevin Murphy and REN, even use plastic reclaimed from the ocean for their packaging, while others, like Pipette Baby, have created metal-free pumps that allow its post-consumer plastic packaging to also be recyclable.  

Take-Back Programs:

  As consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly solutions grow, many beauty brands that sell plastic packaging have implemented ‘take-back programs’ that provide a better end of life solution. Some, like L'Occitane and M.A.C., have internal options for dropping products off at stores, while brands like Le Labo offer discounts for refilling bottles instead of purchasing new packaging. Others, like Boscia and Saie, have partnered with companies like TerraCycle to offer mail-in recycling at no charge to the consumer.   While the beauty industry is still on its path towards sustainability, taking time to identify the types of plastic you purchase, then properly recycle them, is the first step in creating a more beautiful future.

Reciclagem do Bem

Edla Couto e Claudio Fernandes, nomes a frente do Grupo Trino, empresa com quase 30 anos de atuação na área de prestação de serviços e logística, fecharam parceria com a empresa TerraCycle que este presente em 21 países desenvolvendo soluções ambientais para produtos e embalagens de difícil reciclagem. O programa nacional de reciclagem da TerraCycle gera pontos para a empresa que se coloca como ponto de coleta e esses pontos serão transformados em ajuda financeira para o Lar do Neném. O Grupo Trino, localizado no Espinheiro, é ponto de coleta para buchas de cozinha (ação com a empresa 3M) e de material de escrita (ação com a Faber-Castell) para receber canetas que acabam a tinta ou lápis que serão trocados, assim como marcadores de texto, lapiseiras, destaca texto ou borracha.