TerraCycle’s zero-waste boxes offer recycling solutions for common office waste or unwanted supplies as more employees return to the office or adopt hybrid schedules TRENTON, NJ, August 3 2021 – As the United States turns a corner with the pandemic, workers are being asked to abandon their quarantine bubbles and return to the workplaces they left well over a year ago. However, many are returning to very different office environments as companies trash now unnecessary office equipment in response to either economic-related personnel cuts or employees’ widespread adoption of remote or hybrid schedules, as 44% of total U.S. workers are, according to Statista. Just as TerraCycle® provided innovative recycling solutions for the surplus of otherwise unrecyclable personal protective equipment (PPE) produced during the pandemic, the international recycling leader is back again with convenient solutions to address this new influx of unwanted office supplies. TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Boxes provide a convenient recycling solution for nearly every conceivable piece of office waste which are generally not recyclable through most towns’ conventional recycling facilities. When placed in high-traffic areas like breakrooms or kitchens, Zero Waste Boxes provide psychic income to eco-minded employees and deliver an environmentally-friendly alternative to landfilling in the form of recycling — all while discouraging clutter throughout any newly renovated office. To recycle common forms of unwanted office supplies, TerraCycle offers the following Zero Waste Boxes:

• Office Supplies Zero Waste Box – to recycle tape dispensers, desk organizers, card and document filers, binders, calendars, labels, staplers, hole punchers, dividers, paper cutters, correction supplies, pens/pencils/markers, fasteners, paper clips, staples, binder clips and sticker and label sheet backing. Not a solution for e-waste like electronic staplers and label making machines.
• Office Separation Zero Waste Box – to recycle art supplies, books and magazines, eye wear, cleaning accessories, fabrics and clothing, interior home furnishings, media storage, office supplies, paper packaging, pet products (non-food), plastic packaging, plastic cards and shipping materials.
• Media Storage Zero Waste Box – To recycle any object or device capable of storing data (ie. audio, video) in analog or digital format including records, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, CDs and DVDs, Blu Ray discs, floppy disks, memory sticks and external hard drives.
• E-Waste Zero Waste Box – To recycle any household or office e-waste including home phones, cell phones, computer cables and accessories, keyboards, VCR/DVD players, hand-held computers, digital music players, pagers, radios, cameras, video recorders, TVs, laptops, desktop computers and monitors, printers and scanners, digital cameras, copiers, typewriters, fax machines, stereos, tuners and turntables and receivers and speakers.

When full, the boxes can be returned to TerraCycle for processing and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted and remolded to make new products. TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, created the Zero Waste Box program to provide solutions for difficult-to-recycle waste that cannot be recycled through TerraCycle’s brand-sponsored, national recycling programs or via standard municipal recycling. “No matter if you’re implementing a hybrid schedule or if you’re planning to return to the office in full-force this fall, our workplaces will likely begin to look a lot different compared to how we left them,” says Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle. “TerraCycle’s goal is to make this transition as easy and as environmentally-friendly as possible by giving your business the power to divert waste from landfills through our turn-key Zero Waste recycling solutions.” TerraCycle works with major manufacturers and retailers to recycle products and packaging that would normally be thrown away. To learn more about TerraCycle and its innovative recycling solutions, visit www.terracycle.com. About TerraCycle TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in Fortune magazine’s list of 52 companies Changing the World. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.

• By Recycling Product News Staff
• August 03, 2021

By Tom Szaky, TerraCycle

In college, one of my professors taught a popular theory of economics that a company’s sole purpose is to deliver profit to shareholders. Since then I’ve found that, yes, of course you want a company to be profitable so it can continue to exist. But the purpose of business to me is what it does — what service it provides, what product it makes, and how it helps people, society, and the planet. In the pursuit of purpose, I resolved to create businesses that put those things first. Twenty years later, I stand at the helm of companies that do just that. Today operating in 22 countries, TerraCycle® is known for creating first-of-its-kind recycling solutions for nearly everything the world would consider trash: empty writing utensils, plastic litter collected off beaches, even dirty diapers, cigarette butts, and used chewing gum.

Companies work with us to sponsor collection programs for their own products, as well as entire categories of waste, to bring solutions at no cost to customers. To fill in the gaps, the Zero Waste corner of our business allows anyone to recycle everything else through turnkey, pay-as-you-go solutions that can be used to reduce waste at home, the office, in public and community spaces, and at events. Corporations, municipalities, small businesses, and individuals bring TerraCycle’s programs to life, while manufacturers use our collection infrastructure to source unique materials for new production, driving value through this story. So far this model has diverted nearly 8 billion pieces of traditionally non-recyclable material away from landfills and towards a new supply chain of recycled content. We also offer large-scale recycling and compliance services for facilities across the United States through our Regulated Waste division. Handling items such as batteries, fluorescent lamps, and e-waste as regulated by the EPA, we’re able to help businesses remain compliant while saving money on storage and labor costs and improving workplace safety for their employees and staff. Simply put, the main function of our business is to solve problems related to waste. For example, it was estimated global waste increased 30% in the first year of the global pandemic. As part of our efforts, TerraCycle scaled and adapted its existing solutions for PPE (personal protective equipment, such as disposable masks, gloves, and face shields) to address the flurry of these discarded items. The actions of individual consumers and citizens of course have an impact, but our main target is businesses: retailers, manufacturers, and service facilities providing a product. It is through partnership that we are able to help companies offer a better alternative to their customers, the individuals that collectively steer the market through their choices. A couple years ago TerraCycle launched Loop, a reuse engine for brands and manufacturers to reimagine their single-use packages as durable, refillable containers. Similar to TerraCycle, companies big and small partner with us to offer a way for customers to enjoy their products without the packaging waste. Ulta Beauty, the leading beauty chain, is one brand in partnership with Loop to bring its personal care shelf into the no-waste space. Loop is today in an exciting growth phase as it launches in new markets around the world (most recently Japan), and building upon the success of in-store space at Carrefour in Europe, will soon pilot at retail locations across the United States. Guests will soon be able to purchase products and drop off their empty containers at participating stores. The spirit of where TerraCycle started twenty years ago — in my college dorm room as a submission to a business competition, feeding food waste to worms to make fertilizer — carries through in our work today. We saw the value and opportunity in the things people throw away, and today use our business to change perspectives about waste, allowing businesses to drive change. As we continue to grow, we’re launching new models and are fortunate to have the world’s biggest brands and retailers as clients, all the while staying true to a mission to eliminate the idea of waste, which in turn furthers a circular economy. Aligning human consumption with nature’s activities, the circular economy keeps resources in use and cycling around as long as possible, reducing the strain on the Earth’s finite cradle of resources and impacts on the environment. Recycling, reduction, and reuse are elements of a circular economy. This is in contrast to the linear economy; simply put, it’s a take-make-waste model that extracts new resources for production and sends them in one direction: the trash. The linear economy has long done well to drive profits, create jobs, and inspire innovation, but not only this is not sustainable from an environmental perspective, there is a real business case for being the ones to change the paradigm towards one that is regenerative and keeps responsibility for products and their impacts with the companies that produce them. Consumers are looking to the brands they buy to make it easy for them to lighten their footprint while still enjoying the products they’ve come to know. They want it to be convenient, cost-effective, and socially valuable for them to make that switch. They already report being willing to pay more or switch brands for ones doing this work for them. We help brands do this work. This is our purpose, to drive this change, and we cannot do it alone. Our ability to be profitable has allowed us to seek out new partnerships, strengthen the core revenue streams of our business, and incubate entirely new lines of business. Our profitability is what supports and frees us in our initiative to address the changing needs of our customers. The world is waking up to the great problems with waste and the companies that produce it, and we’re here to help them all be a part of the solution.   Article by Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in collection and repurposing of complex waste streams. TerraCycle operates in over 20 countries, working with some of the world’s largest brands, retailers and manufacturers to create national platforms to recycle products and packaging that currently go to landfill or incineration. Through TerraCycle, Tom creates circular solutions for hundreds of difficult waste streams such as cigarette butts, dirty diapers and used chewing gum. TerraCycle operates the largest supply chain for ocean plastic in the world, partnering with companies to integrate this material into their packaging. In May 2019 TerraCycle launched Loop, a circular reuse platform that enables consumers to purchase products in durable, reusable packaging. Loop is available in Paris, France, Canada, the UK, Japan and the 48 contiguous U.S. states, and is a key step in helping to end the epidemic of waste that is caused by ‘single- use’ consumption. In 2022, Loop will become available in Australia. Tom and TerraCycle have received hundreds of social, environmental and business awards and recognition from a range of organizations including the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Fortune and Time Magazines, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Tom is the author of four books, “Revolution in a Bottle,” “Outsmart Waste,” “Make Garbage Great” and “The Future of Packaging” and created, produced and starred in TerraCycle’s reality show, “Human Resources” which aired from 2014-2016 and is syndicated in more than 20 foreign markets on Amazon and iTunes.

For the past two weekends, volunteer crews with Cape Fear River Watch have fanned out across downtown Wilmington's Northside, cleaning up trash left by crowds attending concerts at the new Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park. Cape Fear River Watch — a non-profit environmental group that aims to protect and improve the water quality of the Cape Fear River Basin — says the volunteer-led efforts aren't sustainable. But the group, and some of its volunteers, have also said they believe that Live Nation Entertainment, which manages the concert venue for the city of Wilmington, will step up its efforts to clean up after future shows. A minor controversy erupted last week after multiple people posted accounts to Facebook about trash left by concert-goers in and around the park and amphitheater after three consecutive concerts by the band Widespread Panic. When Cape Fear River Watch posted an Aug. 1 event called "Riverfront Amphitheater Cleanup," many commenters wondered, pointedly, why a non-profit group and its volunteers were cleaning up instead of the city, which owns the park, or Live Nation, a for-profit company. In response to the comments, CFRW posted, "We acknowledge that asking people to volunteer their time to do the work of a corporation is NOT a viable long-term solution. In principle, we totally agree that the people (both individuals and entities) responsible for pollution should clean it up. That being said, in practice, there may be times that groups like ours can take action more quickly to remove a threat to the environment when waiting for those responsible, who might take longer than necessary." The post went on to say that "we have spoken with the Sustainability Director at Live Nation, and they assured us that this would not happen again and that they are taking steps to prevent large-scale littering in the future. We told them that we were happy to help with this cleanup but also serious about preventing this from happening again." On Sunday morning, around four dozen volunteers, many of them wearing bright orange safety vests, could be seen picking up trash in the area, working alongside members of the Live Nation "sustainability" crew, who were separating trash into recycling and compost bins. Cape Fear River Watch volunteer Sue Allen said "there were some bad spots" Sunday morning but that the overall situation "wasn't too bad." Saturday's concert with electronic pop artist GRiZ — scheduled to be his second in two nights — was actually canceled due to weather, although crowds had gathered as they waited for the venue's gates to open. In cleaning up trash, volunteers focus not just on the park itself but on the roads leading to it, paying particular attention to areas around storm drains as a way of keeping trash out of the river.

Cape Fear River Watch volunteer Anne Terry said she wasn't there after Widespread Panic but had heard from other volunteers that "this weekend wasn't as bad." "I have faith that Live Nation wants to do the right thing," Terry said, but that in her opinion neither the city nor Live Nation was fully prepared for the amount of trash left in and around the park. "But they will get there," Terry said, adding that she'd like to see some highly visible Live Oak Bank employees out there volunteering — "their name is on this" — and that she thinks the city needs to "come down hard" by writing tickets to people who litter. In an email, Jennifer Dandron, media manager with city of Wilmington, wrote that "Live Nation is responsible for clean-up within the park and city crews are responsible for the public areas outside of the park. Cape Fear River Watch reached out to Live Nation with a proposal to volunteer to enhance clean-up efforts – not replace work being conducted by Live Nation or city crews. The proposal aligns with Live Nation’s sustainability goals and ongoing 'Green Nation' program." "We appreciate the community’s efforts to help keep downtown clean and the shared commitment of everyone involved," Dandron said. Also on site Sunday was Virginia Holman of Island Wildlife, a chapter of the N.C. Wildlife Federation serving the Cape Fear Region. She was there because she was told Cape Fear River Watch "wanted some help cleaning up." Holman said her group is also "really concerned about wildlife" and wants to prevent animals from ingesting or getting entangled in various types of plastic and debris. All told, according to CFRW, 45 volunteers "diverted 485.7 pounds of trash and recycling from draining into our waterways" on Sunday. The cleanup was also a "Trees4Trash" event, which means that the N.C. Wildlife Federation will plant 19 trees as a result of Sunday's cleanup. Other groups active at the event were Keep New Hanover Beautiful (KNHB), which will send hundreds of cigarette butts collected on Sunday to TerraCycle US for recycling, and the Plastic Ocean Project, which provided supplies. Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

It’s not uncommon to see discarded cigarette remnants littering roadsides, parks and even the lakeshore. However, a recent collaboration between the Superior Watershed Partnership, the city of Marquette and community volunteers aims to help address the issue, as they have installed five containers in the city that discarded cigarettes can be placed in, and later recycled.

The containers are made by TerraCycle, which specifically recycles cigarette filters that are sent in to it. For every pound that is collected, TerraCycle will donate $1 to the Keep America Beautiful organization. This effort is critical, as cigarette filters don’t break down easily and can remain in an area long after they are discarded. Furthermore, they pose a fire risk if not put out properly and can even make their way through the stormwater system to Lake Superior, where they can contaminate the fresh water that humans, plants and animals depend upon. “There were a handful of sites that were identified where cigarette butts were washing up,” said Kathleen Henry, education and special projects coordinator for the SWP. Community volunteer Margaret Brumm is involved in the effort. “I started this summer, horrified to find fireworks debris and cigarette butts in all the dry grass, and I wrote a letter to all the city commissioners,” Brumm said. “There was a lot of behind-the scenes discussion. “One day the Superior Watershed Partnership reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this. Do you want to be involved?'” Brumm agreed to taking part in the project because she spends time traveling “from parking lot to parking lot” with a broom and a dustpan, sweeping up the debris. “When I was a young person, people smoked everywhere and dumped stuff everywhere,” she said. “People didn’t wear seat belts. People smoked indoors. The cultural change in my own lifetime has been extraordinary. We’re now taking it one step further. It’s not acceptable to throw this on the ground. This is where the new containers, such as the one placed at Clark Lambros’ Beach Park, can come into play. “What we’re try to do is change the cultural expectation, which is, you don’t see anybody smoking indoors anymore,” she said. “Maybe pretty soon, we don’t see anybody flicking cigarettes on the ground. We see them looking for this, or just being aware to put it in the trash bags.” We commend all involved parties for their efforts to keep our lands and waters clean. We encourage residents to not only avoid littering, but to be part of the solution by picking up litter and properly disposing of it. It may seem like a small action, but it’s one that will help protect Lake Superior, and by extension, all living things that depend upon its clean, fresh waters.