TerraCycle: Rewarding People for Recycling
We are in a global waste crisis, and overconsumption and throwaway culture played a part in this crisis. Even though most things are technically recyclable, most materials are not profitable enough to actually recycle. And so, virgin materials continue to be extracted from the earth instead of recycling the materials we already have. TerraCycle is a company that creates recycling programs for waste that is normally difficult to recycle. Instead of relying only on normal recycling systems, TerraCycle works with brands to create programs that collect and process their products and packaging.
TerraCycle's mission is "Eliminating the Idea of Waste". Businesses, government entities, communities, and people globally work with TerraCycle to keep trash out of landfills and incinerators. This is how they eliminate the idea of waste...
Recycling: Our easy-to-use free and paid solutions help everyone - including offices, schools, and facilities - #RecycleEverything.
Recycled content: The trash we recycle together becomes raw materials used to create new products—from upcycled sculptures to items for your home.
Reuse: Through Loop, you can purchase your favorite products in durable, reusable packaging at your favorite retail stores.
Innovation: We attack the waste crisis from all angles, developing innovative solutions for collecting, processing, and utilizing complex waste.
Foundation: The TerraCycle Foundation is working to reduce the flow of plastic waste from rivers and canals before it can reach the ocean.
Waste redesigned: Our in-house industrial design team can make works of art, in-store displays, décor, furniture, accessories, and more from almost any kind of businesses.
One example I found in their page is the Beetles Loves Earth program, which was created through a partnership between TerraCycle and Beetles Gel Polish. The program allows consumers to send in empty, dry nail polish and gel polish bottles and caps from any brand. After recycling their empty products, consumers can receive rewards from Beetles products or discount coupons.
What makes me interested in this program is that it gives consumers a reason to participate. Instead of simply asking people to recycle their empty beauty products, the program connects recycling with something they already want: more beauty products. This creates a cycle where consumers will buy a product, use it, recycle the packaging, and receive a reward that can encourage them to purchase again. TerraCycle handles the recycling system, while Beetles helps support and incentivize the program.
I found this program especially interesting because it shows how recycling can become part of a business model instead of being treated as something separate from the company. The brand benefits from having a sustainability program, TerraCycle provides the recycling infrastructure, and consumers have an incentive to participate. This makes me think about how a similar system could be created for Marble Plastics. Instead of only figuring out what to physically make from Marble Plastics’ CNC waste, the company could create a system that gives the waste value and creates a reason for people to want to use it. The Beetles and TerraCycle partnership is a good example of how a waste problem can be connected to a larger business and consumer system.
References
TerraCycle. (n.d.). About Us https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/about-terracycle
