A floating swimming pool in New York’s Hudson river and a business turning cigarette butts into plastic pellets, hope to change perception of pollution and waste. By definition, a circular economy is a term for an industrial economy that is by design or intention, restorative.

Sold as fertilizer in used soda bottles, worm excrement set the scene for the still unfolding Cinderella story of TerraCycle. Founder Tom Szaky began TerraCycle in his Princeton University dorm room, then moved operations into a Trenton warehouse where the quirky company has expanded its recycling mission to include everything from cigarette butts to used diapers.

This new docuseries - part The Office, part Silicon Valley- follows TerraCycle, a New Jersey start-up that aims to end human waste.

When Tiffany Threadgould moved into her Fairmount apartment in 2012, the first thing she did was trash the place. But for Threadgould, 40, that didn't mean making a mess. On the contrary, it's all about discovering beauty - or at least function - in objects that might otherwise be destined for the landfill.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A new show wants to redefine the meaning of trashy television. "Human Resources," which debuts Friday on the Pivot network, will focus not on hard-partying beachgoers but on a socially conscious recycling company. The "reality docu-drama" chronicles what it is like to work at the Trenton-based company TerraCycle Inc. Founded in 2001 by then-20-year-old Princeton University student Tom Szaky, TerraCycle collects hard-to-recycle items, from potato chip bags to cigarette butts, and transforms them into colorful consumer products. It donates a portion of its proceeds to charity.

Albe Zakes Global VP of Media, and Dan Harris - Director of Zero Waste Box Sales were featured on The Weather Channel segment "AMHQ" regarding the new TerraCycle Show "Human Resources"

At this point, most reality shows are really just scripted series starring non-professional actors. And while I don't mind that concept, it does irritate me that the most publicized ones depict people doing pretty horrible things to each other. That's one reason it's refreshing to see Pivot's new "docu-comedy,"Human Resources. The show follows the real day-to-day happenings at TerraCycle, a Trenton, N.J.-based company that makes recycled products. And sure, the employees have their quirks, but their intentions are good, and they treat one another with (gasp!) humor and respect. TerraCycle is one of those workplaces where almost anything goes: You can bring your dog to work. You can wear a superhero costume at the office and do yoga outside. You can sit on one of those cool fitness balls instead of a chair. Led by its enthusiastic founder, Tom Szaky, episodes follow the team members as they make new products and expand their business. I'm not super-crafty, but I'll admit I was impressed by the employees' ability to whip up a set of speakers out of old Mason jars and turn a Styrofoam cooler into a footstool. Though rooted in reality, it's obvious that parts of Human Resources are scripted and planned, but the show doesn't attempt to hide that. Its simple production fits the theme, and the creators seem genuinely interested in making an environmental impact on their audience. (The website already features a sectionwith tips on how to recycle better at work.) The show premieres tonight at 10 ET on Pivot, but the first episode is online now. Show it to your boss, and maybe by next week, you'll be taking tai chi classes in the conference room.

"Human Resources," a new show from the millennial-targeted Pivot channel, follows the recycling start-up TerraCycle, which includes employees who do rain dances and take yoga breaks. TerraCycle CEO Tom Szacky joins Lunch Break with Sara Murray.

A new show wants to redefine the meaning of trashy television. Human Resources, airing on the Pivot network, focuses not on hard-partying beachgoers but on a socially conscious recycling company. The debut episode aired Friday and can be watched in its entirety atwww.pivot.tv. The “reality docu-drama” chronicles what it is like to work at the Trenton-based company TerraCycle Inc. Founded in 2001 by then-20-year-old Princeton University student Tom Szaky, TerraCycle collects hard-to-recycle items, from potato chip bags to cigarette butts, and transforms them into colorful consumer products. It donates a portion of its proceeds to charity. Szaky hopes the show will inspire a new generation to become socially conscious business entrepreneurs. “A lot of people have said the show is like a 20-something socially conscious reality version of The Office,” Szaky said, referring to the long-running mockumentary-style comedy that had British and American versions. “I’m a big fan of content with a purpose; there isn’t that much TV out there like this.” Szaky is confident the show will have wide appeal, and he sees it as part of “trying to accomplish different ways of getting our message out.” Szaky is main draw A trailer for the premiere episode featured quick-cut edits of droll and jokey asides from employees who both embrace and mockingly disdain TerraCycle’s workplace culture. The indefatigable, Budapest-born Szaky, now 32, is a main draw, as he offers a frenetic tour of the graffiti-walled, recyclables-filled office and evangelizes about a trash-less future and his goal to “eliminate the concept of waste.” A bit of Tarrant trivia: In 2008, Szaky married pianist Soyeon Lee, who competed in the 2005 and 2009 Cliburn Competitions; as a publicity stunt to promote recycling, Lee wore a dress made of recycled plastic juice pouches for her debut at Carnegie Hall. “I have a lot of garbage samples in my home,” Lee told the Star-Telegram in 2009. “We’re like New Jersey’s second landfill.” The couple have since divorced, and Lee married fellow 2009 Cliburn competitor Ran Dank last year. With its “superhero socks” theme days, Nerf gun fights, dogs wandering the office and yoga breaks, a green company that is both successful and socially conscious can be a lot of fun, Szaky said. “The main point is to get more people to know about TerraCycle,” Szaky said. “The second is to really inspire young people to look at becoming entrepreneurs for socially responsible reasons.” The company is committed to remaining in Trenton, Szaky said, bringing what he describes as a “Silicon Valley vibe” to the city that once boasted “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” — words that still appear on the Lower Trenton Bridge spanning the Delaware River — but has since fallen on hard times with the large-scale flight of manufacturing. Szaky said the company’s 22 other offices around the world are located in similarly economically depressed areas. Szaky says he wants people to feel inspired when they watch the show and to realize they can make a difference, one cigarette butt or discarded juice box at a time. “If people like the show, send us your garbage — totally free,” he added, pointing out that TerraCycle’s website offers free pre-paid shipping labels for people to mail in their trash. Belisa Balaban, executive vice president of original programming at Pivot, said the network was immediately impressed by TerraCycle’s employees and mission. “We knew they were a perfect fit for Pivot, perfectly aligned with everything we want to do, to create positive social change through entertainment,” Balaban said. “TerraCycle is an amazing company that’s doing amazing things,” she added. “It’s a funny place to spend time at, a place with great bold characters who are unique individuals and extremely passionate about what they do.” The network plans to air 10 episodes of the show in its first season.

A Show About Garbage: ‘Human Resources’ Documents the Funny Business of Recycling

Tune in to Pivot and watch an office of eccentric 20-somethings try to clean up the world’s trash.