Interns at TerraCycle learn the ins-and-outs of eco-capitalism, recycling and social entrepreneurship, and serve as eco-ambassadors in both a local and global context.
Operating in 21 countries, TerraCycle is the world leader in the recycling of generally non-recyclable waste such as pens, coffee capsules, candy wrappers, juice pouches and cigarette butts. We create and administer collection and solution systems for waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill or incineration. TerraCycle has over 10,000 voluntary collection locations in Canada including schools, offices, homes, community groups and other various organizations. TerraCycle then turns collected waste into a wide variety of products and materials such as plastic pallets, composite decking and railroad ties. Major manufacturers contract with TerraCycle to subsidize the cost of collecting and recycling their waste; for example, Febreze pays us to collect and recycle air and home care products, Mr. Christie's for cookie and cracker wrappers, and Nespresso for their coffee capsules. We have a full marketing and promotion team that engage volunteer collectors and promote the programs to generate recognition for the sponsoring brands. Our company is headquartered in Trenton, NJ, and we have offices in Toronto, Mexico, Japan, London and Australia.
TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky (then a 20-year-old Princeton University freshman) whose vision has become one of the fastest-growing green companies in the world.
While TerraCycle internships are unpaid, they offer many educational components. Our interns are largely comprised of independent students, though graduate students often join us for a summer. The environment is dynamic and highly energized. A benefit of TerraCycle's eco-focus is that some schools provide a stipend or course credit for their students to work at TerraCycle. Please check with your school if they can provide support.
The internship is located at our office in Toronto, Ontario. The preferred duration of the internship is 9 – 12 weeks. Interns need to bring their own laptops to the office. Students receive significant executive direction and guidance, including career advice, if requested.
TerraCycle is presently creating a recycling database to give consumers an easy to use, reliable, and globally relevant tool for recycling all products and packaging anywhere in the world. All interns will spend some time assisting and contributing to this exciting project.
Each team (and country) handles internship recruiting independently and as the teams work together closely, we ask that you please let us know if you are applying to multiple department’s internships. Interested candidates also have the opportunity to apply for an internship in our international offices in the US, Mexico (fluency in Spanish required), UK, Japan, or Australia at their own expense.