Today’s post is contributed by our eco-fabulous friend, Tom Szaky; founder and CEO of TerraCycle. Check out Tom’s roster of environmental all-stars–those who inspire him as an environmentally focused entrepreneur–then tell us who your sustainability heroes are! When I started out in the environmental business, I was more “business” than environmental. As I came to … Continue reading »

Today’s post is by our great friend and sustainability rock star, Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. Check it out and tell us what you think–we’ll pass your comments directly along to Tom and team! December and January are always a time for New Year’s Resolutions that are more often than not only kept … Continue reading »

A few weeks ago, we asked Bag The Box fans what they’d like to ask TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky in a no-holds-barred Q&A. “Trash-talk” ensued! Here are Tom’s answers to your trashy questions: When I started TerraCycle ten years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. On an entrepreneurial level, I … Continue reading »

You know we’re all about smart packaging so that there’s less garbage to begin with, but inevitably we’ve all got stuff that eventually needs to be discarded. That’s the genius behind TerraCycle: Tom Szaky founded this company based on the notion that even the things we throw away have value. That’s the kind of innovation that … Continue reading »

Post contributed by TerraCycle CEO, Tom Szaky Halloween is about disguise, and a lot of what we do here at TerraCycle deals with disguising trash, making it more appealing and actually useful! Halloween, and the following holiday season, are great times to really rethink what we do with our trash. Halloween provides the incentive and … Continue reading »

by Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO: TerraCycle The first waste I used to create a product was worm poop (which is a great organic fertilizer), and when I was desperate for an affordable way to package my fertilizer, I turned to used soda bottles and realized just how much trash was out there and how … Continue reading »

Post by Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO It was great to see the community come together around TerraCycle’s building in Trenton, New Jersey this weekend. Before everyone arrived, the walls were a dark black and sparse gray, bare and waiting for paint. The BBQ was warm, the sound levels on the mic were checked, the chatter … Continue reading »

By Tom Szaky The current business model of TerraCycle grew from a community effort to collect used soda bottles in schools, at which time students could also earn money for their school and their community. The fundamentals of this idea – educating and empowering the community while also giving back – have always been fundamentals … Continue reading »

A couple week’s ago, Sara Snow shared a bunch of great ideas for earth-friendly birthday parties. Thinking about gifts that give back, how about a colorful, do-it-yourself (read: virtually free!) gift bow to literally top things off? The innovative waste-whittling team at TerraCycle offers this excellent step-by-step video on how to take an empty Malt-O-Meal … Continue reading »

So you’ve heard of recycling, but have you heard of upcycling? (You probably have, without even realizing it.) Where recycling is a process by which old materials are broken down into itty-bitty parts, and then those itty-bitty parts are turned into something else (a totally great but sort of complex process), upcycling is a process … Continue reading »