TerraCycle is a global recycling company that turns non-recyclable waste into sustainable raw materials. The CEO and founder of TerraCycle, Tom Szaky, talks the challenges and opportunities in the circular economy, and how the company is going in New Zealand.

These items cannot be placed in kerbside recycling bins and are usually thrown in the rubbish bin, but thanks to TerraCycle, an innovative business known for recycling the “non-recyclable”, you can now recycle toothpaste tubes, plastic toothbrushes and floss containers.

n addition to domestic players, TerraCycle, a waste management company from Trenton, New Jersey, which won the UN Monument Award, is helping to tackle China's plastic pollution problem. In 2016, the company arrived in China with a program sponsored by home products manufacturer Colgate to recycle used toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes. Since then, it has collected 63,000 pieces of oral care waste. The company recently launched a contest among primary schools in Shanghai to encourage children to recycle oral care waste and collect votes on drawings themed "Green Future". The winning school will receive a 3D printer. "A green future will not happen without a clean and healthy environment - that's the educational message we want to send out," said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle's founder and CEO.

SOUTHINGTON — Students of two schools have been collecting recycled materials for the chance to win a new playground. The Recycled Playground Challenge, a partnership between Colgate, ShopRite and TerraCycle, challenges schools to submit recycled materials, such as toothpaste tubes, dental floss containers and toothbrushes, for credits toward a new playground. Schools can also help their chances by receiving votes through the challenge’s website.

“Participating in the Colgate, Mejier, TerraCycle recycling contest has been a wonderful learning experience for our students and one they are very excited about,” said Susie Brauns, assistant principal of Highland Elementary School.

A Gwelup school is seeking used toothbrushes and empty toothpaste tubes as part of a recycling competition. Students at Lake Gwelup Primary School have been busy collecting oral care waste items to recycle for the Colgate Community Garden Challenge.

Kelley Elementary In Southington Needs Votes To Win New Playground   Kelley Elementary School is vying for a new playground. (Southington Public Schools) Hayley HardingContact Reporterhharding@courant.com A new playground could be in Kelley Elementary School’s future — but it will take some help from the public. The school is competing in the Colgate & ShopRite Recycled Playground Challenge, and it’s eligible to win a playground worth up to $50,000. The school is neck and neck with John H. West Elementary in Bethpage, N.Y. Kelley Elementary Principal Marilyn Kahl said organizers welcome community support to help give them an edge. “We’re one of the oldest schools in Southington that hasn’t been renovated,” Kahl said. “Some of our playground equipment is rather aged, so if we can get a new one, that would be really great.” Kelley has been involved with TerraCycle’s recycling program for 15 years, Kahl said, and the school gets points for votes submitted online as well as by collecting material that can be recycled. That recycled material would be turned into the playground, something Kahl said would bring the program full circle for her students. “It’s a great lesson for the kids,” Kahl said. “It brings it home for them on why it’s important to recycle, and it has something tangible that allows them to enjoy the benefits of it.” Flanders Elementary School, also in Southington, won the contest with help from others in the community in 2015, and Kelley parents decided this year to go all in to help their school win. Kristen Curley, Kelley’s parent coordinator for the program, said that after taking second place in a similar contest, she decided the school should make this their year to win a playground. She is now leading a team of about a dozen parents to make sure people vote and donate. Specifically, the school needs “used, post-consumer oral care product packaging and products,” according to the contest’s website. That includes things such as used toothbrushes and empty toothpaste containers, which can be difficult to gather because it’s so specific. With help from a school with over 300 students as well as the local community, however, the challenge has gotten easier. “Parents started reaching out to dentists’ offices and working with them to help us win this, because those offices produce a lot of the exact stuff we need,” Curley said. “Local dentists’ offices and parents working with them have been absolutely instrumental.” She’s feeling optimistic about the competition despite there being hundreds of schools and organizations in the contest. With community help, Kelley has been a top contender for the length of the program. The contest ends June 30. A drop box will be set up at Kelley Elementary for people to donate material, or you can vote online here.

Besides domestic players, China also welcomed aides from the outside. TerraCycle, a UN Monument Award-winning waste management company based in Trenton, New Jersey, has joined the cause to tackle China's plastic pollution. TerraCycle came to China in 2016 with a Colgate-sponsored program to recycle oral care waste such as used toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes. It has since collected 63,000 pieces of oral care waste from Chinese consumers. A contest was launched recently among elementary schools in Shanghai for young children to recycle oral care waste and get votes on children's drawings under the theme of Green Future. The winning school will receive the prize of a 3-D printer. "A green future will not happen without a clean and healthy environment - that's the educational message we want to send out," said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle in an interview with Xinhua.

Besides domestic players, China also welcomed aides from the outside. TerraCycle, a UN Monument Award-winning waste management company based in Trenton, New Jersey, has joined the cause to tackle China's plastic pollution. erraCycle came to China in 2016 with a Colgate-sponsored program to recycle oral care waste such as used toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes. It has since collected 63,000 pieces of oral care waste from Chinese consumers. A contest was launched recently among elementary schools in Shanghai for young children to recycle oral care waste and get votes on children's drawings under the theme of Green Future. The winning school will receive the prize of a 3-D printer.

Preferential policies combined with strong and urgent demand are encouraging players into the recycling business The monthlong 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is expected to attract an estimated 3.4 billion viewers worldwide, according to research firm GlobalWebIndex. That means nearly half of the world's population will be following the 64 matches to decide the one winner to raise the golden trophy. One of the key features that makes this World Cup edition special is its eco-friendly commitment, as indicated in the Sustainability Strategy promoted by FIFA and the Russian Local Organizing Committee, which aims to make this a "greener and more sustainable" World Cup.