Meet TerraCycle, an innovative approach to recycling. Take a read to up your recycling game!
A new year. Fresh motivation. A time to cleanse, make a resolution, and restart. Does that sound like January to you? As much as we all like to make fun of the January fitness craze, there is something restorative about a new year. Post-holidays, I like to take time to reevaluate my priorities, notice the areas that I am not caring for myself or others, and do a deep clean of my home. It is such a relief to box up the Christmas decorations and get my apartment back in order. The new year purge is a real deal. It could be that we need to make space for Christmas gifts or maybe the deep clean unearths long-forgotten belongings.
So, what to do? You could be like many people, fill up a garbage bag, dump it, and forget it. 10/10 would not recommend this, as it adds to the ever-growing landfill problem. Especially during the holiday season, Americans dispose of 25% more garbage than the rest of the year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! Another popular option for reusable goods is to drop off unwanted items at a donation center, a better eco-friendly option. Just don’t forget to read up on donation center rules and follow them to a T!
But what about getting rid of items that are no longer useable or are hard to recycle? Let me introduce you to a recycling company you might not be familiar with: TerraCycle. A recycling company that values the earth (terra) is exactly what this earth needs. But first, let’s address some general recycling information before we dig too deep.
Why recycle in the first place?
It might seem obvious that recycling properly is a way to take care of the earth, but maybe it’s not that obvious! Let me help by answering a few commonly asked questions about recycling.
What is single stream recycling?
Single stream recycling means you are able to put all of your recyclables (paper, aluminum, glass, plastics) in one bin for the recycling company to pick up and sort at their facility. The original hope was that more people would participate in recycling if it was easier. Unfortunately, the convenience of this system has led to many problems. The biggest issue is that about 25% of the items we try to recycle are too contaminated to be recycled. If your local recycling company is moving away from single stream recycling, now you know why!
What materials are easy to recycle?
Step one to making your recycling life easier is to start buying materials that are more recyclable. Seems simple enough! So, what are these materials? For the common person, steel, aluminum, and glass will be your friends. If you must buy plastic, stick with PET plastic (labelled with a “1”). Generally speaking, number one and two plastics are the easiest to recycle. And make sure to recycle your newspapers. The trees will thank you!
Does the United States do a good job of recycling?
The simple answer is “no.” The USA is not a leader in the world of recycling. While the European Union (EU) has set a goal for a 50% recycling rate by 2020 (and they’re showing amazing progress!), the United States only recycles about 34% of its waste. Don’t be discouraged, though! Think about what we can do together!
What happens when you recycle curbside incorrectly?
If we aren’t careful with following the guidelines for what can be recycled curbside, there are consequences. For example, non-recyclable materials can create equipment damage, contaminate other recyclables, and waste resources. It is a waste of resources when the recycling company has to transfer the non-recyclables to another place (like a landfill). Most of all, we need to look out for the safety of the employees. Recycling the wrong thing can be dangerous for workers!
Meet TerraCycle
With that information in mind, let’s talk about TerraCycle and the ways they are looking to revolutionize recycling. This company’s mission is to “eliminate the idea of waste” through a variety of recycling programs. For individuals and families, TerraCycle offers free services in partnership with certain brands, as well as paid options for recycling any and everything! Now, I’m not suggesting you give up on your curbside recycling! Local companies just don’t have the resources to deal with as many materials. On the other hand, TerraCycle accepts a variety of items that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
The idea for TerraCycle started with nineteen-year-old Tom Szaky in 2001. His interest began with the idea of creating fertilizer from kitchen waste (sound like composting to anyone?). Nineteen years later, the company has grown into a full-blown recycling business completely changing the waste game. From creating playgrounds out of old flip-flops to reusable bags made from used plastic bags, TerraCycle is on a mission to recycle everything.
How Does TerraCycle Work?
The zero-waste lifestyle is a constant battle for me as I seek to balance cost effectiveness and caring for the environment. I am not rolling in money over here, but I also don’t want to be rolling in plastic! Yet often times plastic packaged goods are more affordable, right? In reality, a minimalistic and zero waste lifestyle can save you money, but that seems like a topic for a different post! However, I do find it a struggle to give up things like my Arm & Hammer bulk baking soda bag from Costco. This is where TerraCycle is a real lifesaver.
Freebies
So, let’s chat about some of the free recycling options that TerraCycle offers in partnership with certain brands. For example, Arm & Hammer pays for recycling of their baking soda bags. That means that at no cost to you, you can request a mailing label to mail your used Arm & Hammer plastic pouch to TerraCycle. TerraCycle then melts the bag down into plastic pellets for reuse. And this is just one of the many brands that partners with TerraCycle.
$$$ Options
Not everything can be free, right? TerraCycle also offers zero waste boxes for purchase. These are boxes (paid for by you) for items that can’t be recycled curbside. From very specific boxes (like an “Action Figures” box for plastic dolls and figurines) to an “All in One” zero waste box, TerraCycle has thought of everything. Let’s talk cost. It’s not cheap to purchase a box. However, when you consider the size of the box, the prepaid shipping, and the cost to recycle the items, it’s quite reasonable.
Though the price may seem high when you could just toss things for free, I try not to assign a price tag to caring for the earth!
Invaluable Impact
TerraCycle is completely flipping the definition of “recyclable” on its head. No longer is the non-recyclable immediately doomed to a landfill (insert *cheering* sound effect here!). So, how do they make this happen? What happens to all the plastic Star Wars figures you send their way?
Well, they got creative. The system is as follows: collect, sort, process, and recycle. From there, TerraCycle melts down or extracts the old materials in order to make something new. The goal is to turn the recycled materials into something we use every day.
As of today (January 3rd, 2020), TerraCycle reports that the amount of waste recycled is over seven billion. In addition, over two hundred million people are currently recycling through their system. Beyond their own walls, this company has also raised over forty-four billion dollars for charity. I have no doubt that these numbers will only continue to increase, as TerraCycle’s global reach expands. Right now, they offer services in twenty-one countries.
The TerraCycle Global Foundation (founded in 2018) particularly targets “emerging countries and communities,” providing solutions for recycling and waste. They are working to tackle the problem of waste in waterways as well as collecting plastic on land. But it doesn’t stop there! They continue to look for ways to creatively use the materials they collect in partnership with a variety of other companies.
Join the Cycle!
So, let’s help them out. We can each work to encourage and empower our friends, family members, and local communities to recycle properly. Interested in TerraCycle’s services? Their website has all the information you need and more. Since you never know when the inspiration to do a deep clean will hit, you might as well prepare to recycle responsibly.
Although I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, recycling better is a great resolution! Do you have a resolution for this year? Whether “yes” or “no,” I’d love to hear if you have eco-friendly goals for the new year.
Be Well. With Love.
merridee benham says
Maggie, I just read your last three blogs; excellent research and a “whole new world out there”. Thank you for a breath of fresh air in thinking about how we live.
Maggie says
So glad you enjoyed my last three posts – there is always so much new information to be learned, isn’t there!?
Hope you are well!
~ Maggie 🙂