What we do with waste

Finding value in waste

There are three elements that make up any object: its composition, form, and purpose.

Take a water bottle. Its composition is plastic, its form is a molded bottle, and its purpose is to hold a cold beverage.

Once a bottle has fulfilled its purpose, it’s often thrown out (or, even worse, littered). This is bad for our planet as the valuable aspects of that item have been wasted.

According to the Waste Hierarchy, a model that demonstrates the preferred order of options for managing waste, disposal should be the last resort. Unfortunately, it’s the main way our society deals with waste today. TerraCycle is working to change that.

Littering/Disposal: Values nothing

Disposal doesn’t value any element of an object. That’s why we work to provide options for recycling, upcycling, and reuse. We also combat litter through the TerraCycle Global Foundation.

Energy recovery (waste to energy): Values the energy

Waste-to-energy only values the embodied energy in the material, which is usually nominal. At TerraCycle, we never use incineration as an end-of-life solution for anything that we guarantee will be recycled.

TerraCycle’s models seek to value as much of an object as possible (which is also better for the planet).

Recycling: Values the composition

Our recycling models have been found to be 45 percent better for the Earth than traditional waste disposal.

Upcycling: Values composition and form

We create upcycled products and art to show the possibilities of waste.

Reuse: Values composition, form, and purpose

To enable reuse, we launched Loop, the world’s first global reuse platform.

Prevention is at the top of the Waste Hierarchy. The best way to deal with waste? Buy less.

Recycling

We’ve developed many innovative ways to turn even the most hard-to-recycle trash into something new. We create everything from consumer products to art to podiums for the world’s foremost sports competition, including winter and summer events.

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Shopping baskets

New packages

Hard goods

Storage containers and bins

Tubes for construction applications

Flooring tiles

Athletic fields

Plastic shipping pallets

Outdoor furniture and decking

and more!

Shopping baskets

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

New packages

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Hard goods

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Storage containers and bins

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Tubes for construction applications

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Flooring tiles

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Athletic fields

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Plastic shipping pallets

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Outdoor furniture and decking

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

and more!

Raw materials

After we recycle the trash we collect into raw materials, manufacturing companies produce the end product and complete the recycling journey by making products like these.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

P&G:
The first Olympic podiums made entirely of recycled plastic for the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Henkel and dm-drogerie markt:
A playground made from recycled soap bottles in Austria.

Colgate and ShopRite:
Playgrounds made from collected oral care waste donated to local schools.

Garnier:
Australian schools competed to recycle beauty empties and raise awareness about recycling, earning the first playground made of recycled beauty waste.

Right Guard:
Several outdoor gyms across the UK—a first in recycling metal for outdoor gyms.

Garnier:
Garden beds donated to community gardens across North America.

Colgate:
Garden beds and planters, seedlings, bug hotels, gardening books, and more awarded as prizes for schools recycling in Australia.

Gillette and CVS:
Outdoor furniture made from recycled shaving care waste donated to The Fisher Houses charity in Vermont.

Unilever and Drogerie-Markt:
Children’s bike frames made out of aerosol bottles. The frames were donated to several children’s charities across Germany.

Kiehl's:
We turned their packaging into benches for schools in China.

Olympic podiums

P&G:
The first Olympic podiums made entirely of recycled plastic for the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Olympic podiums

Playgrounds

Henkel and dm-drogerie markt:
A playground made from recycled soap bottles in Austria.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Playgrounds

Colgate and ShopRite:
Playgrounds made from collected oral care waste donated to local schools.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Playgrounds

Garnier:
Australian schools competed to recycle beauty empties and raise awareness about recycling, earning the first playground made of recycled beauty waste.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Playgrounds

Exercise parks

Right Guard:
Several outdoor gyms across the UK—a first in recycling metal for outdoor gyms.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Exercise parks

Gardens

Garnier:
Garden beds donated to community gardens across North America.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Gardens

Colgate:
Garden beds and planters, seedlings, bug hotels, gardening books, and more awarded as prizes for schools recycling in Australia.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Gardens

Outdoor furniture

Gillette and CVS:
Outdoor furniture made from recycled shaving care waste donated to The Fisher Houses charity in Vermont.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Outdoor furniture

Children’s bike frames

Unilever and Drogerie-Markt:
Children’s bike frames made out of aerosol bottles. The frames were donated to several children’s charities across Germany.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

Children’s bike frames

School benches

Kiehl's:
We turned their packaging into benches for schools in China.

Community builds

We've partnered with brands and retailers to collect trash and turn it into products that benefit communities, like playgrounds and gardens.

School benches

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

We created a line of products made from recycled materials for Earth Month in partnership with Fab Starpoint and Walmart.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

We launched TerraCycle Made, a line of products made from the trash that TerraCyclers help recycle.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

Virtu Made partnered with us on a line of products that support the TerraCycle Global Foundation. All proceeds from the TerraCycle Global Foundation Collection support the foundation’s work clearing trash from waterways.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

We turned product pouches and cosmetic waste into tote bags in partnership with L’Occitane in Japan.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

With Nu Skin in Japan, we created storage containers out of beauty care packaging.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

We created an upcycled bag made from coffee post-industrial packaging in partnership with JDE.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

TerraCycle led a DIY project with JDE employees utilizing L’OR and Pilão’s waste, creating keychains made from used coffee capsules collected in their own program.

Consumer products

We turn recycled content into a wide range of consumer goods, from items on the shelves at Walmart to TerraCycle Made, our own line of products.

We developed a customized collection bin in partnership with JDE to implement a dropoff location for their employees to discard their coffee capsules.

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

Pilot pens

Nature’s Way cosmetic container caps

Displays made from recycled sponges in Brazil

L’Occitane bags made from recycled beauty care waste in China

L’Occitane store benchtops and sinks made from beauty glass collected via their TerraCycle program

MECCA Australia recycling stations made from beauty waste collected via their TerraCycle program

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

Pilot pens

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

Nature’s Way cosmetic container caps

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

Displays made from recycled sponges in Brazil

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

L’Occitane bags made from recycled beauty care waste in China

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

L’Occitane store benchtops and sinks made from beauty glass collected via their TerraCycle program

Closed-loop products

We help brands create circular products by recycling items back into themselves or into similar applications.

MECCA Australia recycling stations made from beauty waste collected via their TerraCycle program

Storied materials

We create and manage supply chains for materials that carry a unique narrative, like ocean plastic or garbage from the top of Mt. Everest.

The first recycled shampoo bottle made from beach plastic (in partnership with Head & Shoulders).

Storied materials

We create and manage supply chains for materials that carry a unique narrative, like ocean plastic or garbage from the top of Mt. Everest.

A ballpoint pen from marine plastic waste collected from beaches in Japan (in parnership with Pilot Corporation)

Storied materials

We create and manage supply chains for materials that carry a unique narrative, like ocean plastic or garbage from the top of Mt. Everest.

Shopping baskets made from ocean plastic waste and used at Aeon stores in Japan (in partnership with Kose skincare brand Sekkisel)

Upcycling

TerraCycle knows how to turn trash into treasure. Check out some of our favorite upcycled projects.

Postal service bags

Tote bags and more with USPS

Oral care waste

School supplies with Colgate

Product packaging

Origami flowers with MyKirei

Pet food packaging

Aprons with Earthborn Holistic

Old billboards

Picnic table umbrellas with Subaru

Contact lens cases

Desktop mirrors with Bausch + Lomb

Airline uniforms

Duffle bags with American Airlines

Suits and ties

Vests, tote bags, travel cases, and wristlet purses with Brooks Brothers

Life jackets and safety equipment

Travel cases, laptop cases, and messenger bags with RNLI

Tents

Dopp Kits, tote bags, and lunch bags with Mountain Hardware

Food packaging

Speakers with Merkury Innovations

Product packaging

School supplies with FAB Starpoint

Post-consumer sponges and recycled plastic

Vases with Scotch-Brite

Post-consumer sponges and recycled plastic

Store displays with Scotch-Brite

Did you know?

We’ve sold products like e-waste art plant pots, backpacks and messenger bags made of billboards and denim, our worm poop plant food, and more in pop-up shops and major retailers.

Walmart

Target

NYC Port Authority pop-up shop

Princeton, New Jersey shop

Walmart

Did you know?

We’ve sold products like e-waste art plant pots, backpacks and messenger bags made of billboards and denim, our worm poop plant food, and more in pop-up shops and major retailers.

Target

Did you know?

We’ve sold products like e-waste art plant pots, backpacks and messenger bags made of billboards and denim, our worm poop plant food, and more in pop-up shops and major retailers.

NYC Port Authority pop-up shop

Did you know?

We’ve sold products like e-waste art plant pots, backpacks and messenger bags made of billboards and denim, our worm poop plant food, and more in pop-up shops and major retailers.

Princeton, New Jersey shop

Did you know?

We’ve sold products like e-waste art plant pots, backpacks and messenger bags made of billboards and denim, our worm poop plant food, and more in pop-up shops and major retailers.

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Trenton, USA

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

São Paulo, Brazil

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Toronto, Canada

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Chicago, USA

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Budapest, Hungary

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Sydney, Australia

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

London, England

Our offices around the world are also upcycled.

Tokyo, Japan

Upcycled art

Shampoo bottle sculpture for Monat

Beehive selfie wall sculpture for Kroger

Pedro the Rooster for TD Bank
Fun fact: Pedro has survived almost 6 hurricane seasons in Florida!

Dolphin statue for TD Bank
Fun fact: TD Bank employees helped collect the plastic waste used to create this art piece!

Seascape sculpture for Brita

Writing utensil sculpture in Brazil

We’ve also partnered with many artists to create artwork made from upcycled cigarette waste.

Check out our Artist Residency program.

Creative Residency Program

DIY guides

Over the years, we’ve created lots of DIY guides, offering others an easy way to turn trash into treasure.

Malt-O-Meal Origami Flower

Garnier Earrings

Faber Castell Pen Bracelet

View all guides

TerraCycle launched Loop, a global platform for reuse, which enables manufacturers to produce their products in reusable prefilled packages and sell them at major retailers.

Reuse