TerraCycles mål er at skrotte idéen om skrald ved at oprette indsamlingsprogrammer for affald, som er svært at genbruge. Det indsamlede affald bliver så opgraderet til nye og spændende produkter og materialer, fra parkbænke lavet af genbrugt plastik til bæreposer, tasker, notesbøger, penalhuse, højtalere, legetøj, bænke, vandkander, urtepotter, havefliser, skraldespande og meget mere lavet af genanvendt emballage. Produkterne kan i øjeblikket købes i USA, Frankrig samt Storbritannien.

This is the third entry in "Full Circle," a series that will be profiling companies and organizations that offer biodegradable and recyclable products or services -- both in the New York City area and beyond. Albe Zakes will admit it. While in school at the University of Colorado, he was a “frustrated environmentalist.” “I felt like too many environmental non-profits [organizations] refused to work with major companies,” he said. “It was always petition, letter-write, protest, and picket instead of coming to the board room table and trying to work with them.”

TerraCycle er Princeton-studenten, Tom Szakys store drøm; et firma, der fremstiller innovative, miljøvenlige og gennemtænkte forbrugerprodukter af affald.

PHOENIX (Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m. ET) -- Backyard composters know red worms are masters of turning banana peels and coffee grounds efficiently into fertilizer. Increasingly, brands are turning to Terracycle as the “red worm” of the marketing ecosystem -- converting the effluvia of such heavy hitters as Coca-Cola Co., Kraft Foods, L’Oreal and Colgate-Palmolive Co. into new products and green-marketing initiatives. At the Association of National Advertisers conference, Terracycle VP-Global Media Albe Zakes recounted a story that’s now widely familiar thanks to his own PR efforts that make up the bulk of the brand’s marketing.

PHOENIX (Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m. ET) -- Backyard composters know red worms are masters of turning banana peels and coffee grounds efficiently into fertilizer. Increasingly, brands are turning to Terracycle as the “red worm” of the marketing ecosystem -- converting the effluvia of such heavy hitters as Coca-Cola Co., Kraft Foods, L’Oreal and Colgate-Palmolive Co. into new products and green-marketing initiatives. At the Association of National Advertisers conference, Terracycle VP-Global Media Albe Zakes recounted a story that’s now widely familiar thanks to his own PR efforts that make up the bulk of the brand’s marketing.

Which brings us to garbage. Albe Zakes – VP at Terracycle, told us how they have grown from a 2-man dorm room operation to a global phenomenon that collects and repurposes waste in 15 countries on 4 continents. Repurposing brand waste has become the real focus... repurpose and reuse being the key words. TerraCycle has changed the debate on brand responsibility. They realized every brand has a waste issue, most all their packaging is non recyclable and brands are not stepping up to deal with it. They pitched brands that spend millions on this packaging and branding to reuse their brand packaging and avoid the pollution of landfills and incineration. It is catching on. Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, Mars, Kimberly-Clark, L’Oreal Coca Cola and others have signed up and created partnerships.

More and more, successful marketing means reaching your consumer and delivering your message through multiple channels and platforms. TerraCycle, a multiple-time Inc. 500 winner, has grown from a 2-man dorm room operation to a global phenomenon that collects and repurposes waste in 15 countries on 4 continents. In 2011, TerraCycle’s revenues will top $20 million after only 8 years in business. All this growth has occurred without buying a single paid advertisement of any kind. Instead of spending precious dollars on advertising and traditional sponsorship, TerraCycle uses a variety of low-cost marketing efforts, including massive public relations campaigns, corporate blogging, social media promotions and contests, brand ambassador programs, and grassroots marketing. TerraCycle also works with many of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies including Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, Mars, Kimberly-Clark, and L’Oreal. Through these partnerships, TerraCycle is able to create a variety of unique activation programs through Web site, retail programs, and more.

Recycle your cosmetic packing and help out a charity. L’Oreal Garnier and TerraCycle have partnered to create The Personal Care and Beauty Brigade. After signing up at www.terracycle.net, fill up a box of empty cosmetic containers. Print out a per-paid shipping label, send it off and get points that go to a charity of your choice.

When you hear “worm poop made him millions” you are left thinking two things. The first is, “Wow!” The second is, “Yeah, it’s simple, but I probably never would of thought of using worm castings as a natural fertilizer….” But Tom Szaky, in a tale of true entrepreneurialism, did. And in 2001, he dropped out of Princeton to build this eco-friendly business he named Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.com/> . When we spoke to Szaky three years ago in our first Young Guns segment he was already making more than $6 million in revenue annually. True to the company’s recyclable premise, the product was sold in used soda bottles, and it made its way onto shelves at big-name stores like Lowe’s (LOW <http://quote.foxbusiness.com/symbol/LOW/snapshot> : 19.18, -0.74, -3.71%) and Home Depot <http://www.foxbusiness.com/topics/business/companies/home-depot.htm>  (HD <http://quote.foxbusiness.com/symbol/HD/snapshot> : 33.84, -0.97, -2.79%). Terracycle was also just starting to branch out into creating other products from waste, from backpacks made from chip bags to totes made from Capri Sun juice pouches.

Article in mainstream Romanian newspaper detailing TerraCycle’s recycling and TerraCycle’s design work (featuring Tiffany Threadgould!).