TerraCycle’s food packaging recycling programs began with drink pouches. Those programs have expanded from Capri Sun and Honest Kids drink pouches, to Flavia Fresh Packs, Sprout baby food pouches, and Method Cleaner Refill packs. Clif Family Winery is soon launching a Brigade for their Climber Wine Pouches and other wine pouch packaging. Nowadays, pouches are in every aisle of every big-box retailer. They’re convenient, durable, lightweight, affordable, an all around “win”… that is until it is time to recycle them.

טום סזאקי, מייסד ומנכ"ל חברת המיחזור טרה סייקל, מייצג סוג חדש של איש עסקים: יזם חברתי-סביבתי שרוצה להציל את כדור הארץ מבלי להקריב את שורת הרווח. בראיון למוסף "הארץ" מסביר איל הפסולת שהתעשר מהפרשות תולעים מדוע העתיד שלנו נמצא בזבל

In an effort to make recycling more practical, Recycling Operations Manager Barry Wilkins will be working with TerraCylce, a New Jersey-based waste collection company, to collect used chip bags for its Chip Bag Brigade “upcycling” program. TerraCycle, founded in 2001 by then-Princeton University student Tom Szaky, works with schools and companies to collect previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste materials and helps remake these materials into new items.

As both packaging professionals and consumers, we live lives dominated by packaging and its science. When we pick up a product at the grocery store or order something new online, we think about what the item itself is packaged in, how it was or will be sent to its destination, and what will happen to it after we use it. What are the possibilities? What are the limitations? 2012 brings an entire new year of searching for packaging solutions and creating new options for consumers and the eco-minded. Because we’re both producers and users of packaging, we see both sides of the problem: the science and the facts, and the problems consumers face in choosing a product with eco-friendly packaging, and employing the solutions available for that packaging. For 2012, I have four packaging resolutions for TerraCycle and five packaging resolutions for myself-something to think about as we head into the New Year. TerraCycle Resolutions 1. Work on the packaging of our own products, and solutions for the products themselves. As we evaluate and change our own habits and science, we can improve our processes and packaging along with the recycling solutions available to the consumer. 2. Help support the compostable packaging movement. In order for consumers to appreciate compostable packaging and compost it correctly, they need to understand how the packaging can be eco-friendly and learn to overlook the potentially noisy side effects. 3. Develop a TerraCycle composting solution for our partners. Some people aren’t interested in composting, even if their product packaging is compostable. Hopefully, the movement will grow, and we can support it by offering composting solutions for our partners in addition to our traditional TerraCycle processes. 4. Brainstorm new products to be made from the packaging we collect. The possibilities are endless, and we’re always excited about new ideas.

Nearly halfway through January, I’m still sorting out my resolutions. How about you? I wanted to come up with resolutions that are practical and viable, and will support not only TerraCycle, but my own habits and lifestyle in general. What can I do that melds TerraCycle, my house, and a recycling mission overall? Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: 1. Compost better, and compost more. It’s hard to keep an effective compost bin going when I’m traveling and don’t eat at home much. But in order to be able to maximize composting and really use it to make a difference, I need to step it up. Compostable packaging, which is beginning to become all the rage, is actually difficult to compost if a compost pile isn’t well managed and maintained. I want to be able to compost the compostable, and that will take my dedication. Don’t have the time or the room to compost on your own? Check out this guide on local sites that will do it for you: Earth 911’s Recycling Center search (you can search “compost”) or Findacomposter.com.

El cuidado del medio ambiente es una problemática de la que se han preocupado todos los estratos  sociales y culturales. En los últimos años hemos visto dentro del mundo de la moda y el diseño el impulso que se le ha dado a los productos reciclados. Siendo éstos muy bien aceptados dentro de sus consumidores convirtiendo a este tipo de productos algo “In”. TerraCycle es una organización que desde el 2001 ha buscado eliminar la idea de que la basura existe; creando programas de recolección para convertir  los desechos en productos económicos y ecológicos. La idea surgió de un joven universitario llamado Tom Szaky, quien tuvo el sueño de encontrar una nueva forma de hacer negocios más responsables que beneficiaran al planeta y a la gente. TerraCycle inicio como un negocio de fertilizante orgánico. Hoy en día, la propuesta de este joven ecoemprendedor ha llegado a ser una de las más fuertes en productos ecológicos en el mundo con apoyo de grandes empresas a través de la campaña “basura patrocinada” y de los millones de personas que colaboran enviando su basura. En 2010 el tema de la reutilización de TerraCycle llegó a México instalando sus oficinas en Monterrey.  Así que ya puedes colaborar enviando tu basura y la conviertan en atractivos productos ecológicos como mochilas, monederos o portafolios.

Una de las acciones que más me molestan es ver que alguien tira la basura de sus rancheritos (o cualquier basura) en la calle, cuando eso sucede, me dan ganas de levantar  la envoltura, hacerla rollito y…. bueno, para no ser tan explícita, basta aclarar que nacen en mi deseos no muy buena onda para hacer reflexionar al cochino en cuestión; de cualquier forma sé que la agresión no es la solución por lo que sólo me limito a recoger la basura, lo bonito es que ya descubrí qué es lo que puedo hacer con esos residuos!!! TerraCycle es una empresa que me ha enamorado totalmente, su historia está bien bonita… Todo lo empezó un chingón adolescente llamado Tom Szaky, quien comenzó  alimentando  a unos gusanitos rojos con deshechos orgánicos y de paso hacía un fertilizante para plantas. Tom buscaba ayudar a la mejora del medio ambiente pero logró mucho más de lo que seguramente imaginaba, abandonó sus sueños universitarios para dedicarse de tiempo completo a su nueva empresita sustentable, poco tiempo después sus oficinas ya habían sido intervenidas por artistas urbanos, Tom ya había obtenido fama y  la basura ya estaba siendo patrocinada por grandes empresas. En 2010 llegó directo de gringolandia TerraCycle México, ubicada en Monterrey. La verdad es que tienen ideas bien guapas que tienen que ver y si quieren también podrían apoyarlas enviandoles su basura, porque ellos la convertirán en todo un hit.

Meet-up #3 with Tom Szaky, the founder of TerraCycle This meet-up was organized by the U.S. Embassy for its Alumni and for some reason I managed to make it this time. There are always a lot of interesting people there and since everyone is rowing in the same boat having returned from the States after working or studying there it is nice to see them from time to time. Just like the previous night’s protagonist, little did I know about the guy. I knew he was Hungarian, he was young and a CEO. I thought he must know something and therefore the meeting was promisingly interesting. I googled again. I wanted to know who he was and what his business was and how did he become so important to have a meeting organized for him. Well, he is all over Google! He is 29, blogs for New York Times and he runs a company now present in 18 countries, he makes money out of trash and he is kind of good-looking. And a genius! Of course I was late from the meeting – as usual (I should stop being late!). I got lucky and they only started after I got there. Tom founded TerraCycle as a freshman in uni where he made fertilizer out of wormpoop…and wrapped it in used sodabottles…and sold 100,000 of it to Wal-Mart. He realized trash was not entirely waste and it can be reused, recycled or upcycled meaning that with different technology new products can be made out of it so the level of the ever-growing trash can be reduced or even eliminated. His business is about collecting big corporates’ trash (for which he gets paid by the corporate) and then resells it to another company as raw material for which TerraCycle also gets paid. Smart! They collect pens, candy wrappers, juice pouches, bottles and – here comes the mind blower – used chewing gum and used diapers. He says he started this because he saw a large gap in the market and now he is so successful cause he doesn’t have an adequate competitor. He thinks it is because people don’t find trash “sexy”. I think environmental consciousness IS sexy! He also adds that mostly women and children are open to such ideas, men only buy hybrid cars because of the cool factor. Is it true? I was curious if he was collecting waste selectively at home as well but he said the company is not yet set up for private trash. Would be nice though! Tom said that TerraCycle’s mission is to eliminate trash for once and for all. Daring goal and a very respectable one. On the other hand I have one concern because in some respect I feel like that this activity legitimates the current production of stuff and wrappers instead of eliminating them. I still appreciate what TerraCycle is doing and at least they are doing something, looking for solutions is far more than most other companies are doing and I dig that.

Robert Fogarty started Dear World to bring attention to the world's most tragic causes. But can he turn it into a scalable business? The Experts Weigh In Tom Szaky, Founder TerraCycle Trenton, NJ They are beautiful photos, but this kind of feels like a trend, and trends come and go. How will he be able to keep up interest for people writing on their hands? It behooves him to assume that he is going to trend out in a few years, so he should look at the kernel in his work that has lasting power, and that’s the idea behind the photographs. Maybe his play is that he turns this into a cause-related advertising agency, and the photographs are just one of his platforms. Then he should look at what other modules fit into that mission.

Dinero por basura; asi de sencillo. El proceso comienza con la implementación de la oferta gratuita de programas de recolección de tu basura para luego convertir los desechos recolectados en nuevos productos económicos y ecológicos. Ya son más de 21 millones de personas recolectando basura en 14 países. Desde la creación de TerraCycle hemos impedido que mil millones de unidades de basura lleguen a los basurales. Nuestra esperanza es eliminar la idea de la basura creando sistemas de recolección y dando soluciones para cualquier tipo de basura evitando que termine en nuestros tachos de basura. Fundado en el 2001, por un alumno universitario del primer año de la Universidad de Princeton, llamado Tom Szaky, TerraCycle empezó como una compañía de fertilizante orgánico y ha llegado a ser una de las más fuertes en productos ecológicos en el mundo. Tom tuvo el sueño de encontrar una nueva forma de hacer negocios más responsables, que beneficiarían al planeta, a la gente y al negocio. Para mas informacion visita su pagina web.