Our M&M speakers and boomboxes were featured on the Today Show this morning for their “Ghoulsih Gadgets For Halloween” Segment.
TerraCycle <
http://www.terracycle.net/> is the company that takes what others may consider trash and upcycles it into not only useable but very creative and stylish products. Tom Szaky <
http://www.terracycle.net/> is the founder and CEO of TerraCycle and was named one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine in 2009. Tom and TerraCycle have started to change the way individuals and companies see waste. Since 2007, over 60,000 locations and 7 million people are helping to collect, instead of discard their trash. Over 1 billion pieces of pre and post consumer packaging have been collected and over 250,000 dollars have been donated to schools and non profits.
As part of the "How I Made My Millions" series, CNBC.com asked the founders and CEOs of these companies to share their experience on a variety of topics. What follows is advice for starting a business even in a tough economy from TerraCycle's Tom Szaky.
Recession. Depression. Just plain tough. Whatever you call the economy today, the sane among us would have you believe it’s a lousy time to start a business. Except it isn’t. I’ve been operating
TerraCycle <http://www.terracycle.net/> in a recession-smart way since the start, and have four ways you can, too:
You know it's pretty amazing what you can make from trash! You've heard me mention TerraCycle <
http://www.terracycle.net/> a few times and you may have just entered the giveaway we ran a couple of weeks ago! If you haven't checked out the TerraCycle <
http://www.terracycle.net/> website, please take some time out of your day to do so! Seriously, with just a few extra steps that each of us take it really does make a difference!
Saintly Recyclers mail in their trash. Terracycle.net will recycle (usually postage is free) and donate to charity your candy wrappers, yogurt cups, drink pouches, cookie wrappers, Flavia Freshpacks, Frito-Lay chip bags, energy and granola bar wrappers, Bear Naked wrappers, Kashi packages, cell phones, Huggies and Scott tissue wrappers, Aveno tubes, Scotch tape dispensers, corks, cereal bags, Sharpies and Papermate writing instruments, Neosporin tubes, coffee bags, lunch kits (like Lunchables), Colgate tubes and packaging, Ziploc bags and containers, Inkjet cartridges, and Sprout and Revolutions food containers.
Preserveproducts.com recycles your No. 5 plastics (same company that has the receptacles at Whole Foods) and water filters into toothbrushes and razors.
The items will be recycled by Terra Cycle when goals are reached and the program is aiming at collecting more than 500 items from each category each month.
Following is the list of items which can be dropped off:
Mars or Wrigley brand candy bar wrappers; energy bar wrappers; drink pouches; Nabisco cookie wrappers; Kashi brand wrappers or boxes; toasted chip bags; Bear Naked brand wrappers; wine bottle corks; Aveeno product tubes; Scotch tape dispensers and cores; Frito Lay chip bags; Malt-O-Meal cereal bags or boxes; Elmer's glue; Huggie's brand diaper or pull-up bag packaging; Scott's brand packaging; Neosporin brand packaging; lunchable kits; spread (butter) containers; gum wrappers; cell phones; Colgate brand packaging; yogurt cups; writing instruments; Starbucks coffee bags; plastic bottle lids; and used gift cards
Go green with this unique, eco-friendly gift! TerraCycle products are made almost entirely from previously non-recyclable waste items. These foldable cardboard speakers are made from recycled M&M’s candy wrappers or snack bags melted into non-branded plastic. They are universally compatible and run on your device power supply.
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. "There is no such thing as garbage," said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. "The only difference between a soda bottle and a yogourt cup is that one has a collection and solution system on it already -- the soda bottle has our Blue Box program -- while the yogourt cup doesn't."
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. "There is no such thing as garbage," said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. "The only difference between a soda bottle and a yogourt cup is that one has a collection and solution system on it already -- the soda bottle has our Blue Box program -- while the yogourt cup doesn't."
Tom Szaky has built an entire business around the notion anything can be recycled. "There is no such thing as garbage," said the 28-year-old Canadian founder and president of TerraCycle Inc. "The only difference between a soda bottle and a yogourt cup is that one has a collection and solution system on it already -- the soda bottle has our Blue Box program -- while the yogourt cup doesn't."