Innovation
Innovation
Inventing new ways to recycle the unrecyclable
What makes something municipally recyclable typically depends on whether your local recycling company can make a profit recycling it. (They compare the costs of collecting and processing the waste to the value of what the recycled material can be sold for.) TerraCycle can recycle “unrecyclables” like juice pouches, cigarette butts, and beauty products because we’ve developed innovative models in which brands, retailers, and other stakeholders fund the cost of recycling. Learn how to recycle the unrecyclable with us.
Creating proprietary recycling processes
Our in-house scientists and material application specialists make up our research and development (R&D) team. They analyze materials and determine how to recycle them by creating processes for breaking down trash and recycling those materials for use in new applications.
We’ve created processes for recycling hundreds of hard-to-recycle waste streams! See our recycling processes in action.
We can recycle virtually anything
Cigarette butts
Cosmetics
E-cigarettes and vapes
Cannabis packaging
Diapers
Razor blades
Horse inhalers
Menstrual cups
Aerosols
Toys
Styrofoam™
Wetsuits
Flip flops
Tights
Introducing new ways to recycle
We’ve created first-of-their-kind platforms to help put recycling the hard-to-recycle within reach.
Curbside
We now offer curbside pickup, in partnership with leading waste management companies, of the hard-to-recycle items your local recycling service doesn’t accept. Recycle plastic packaging, coffee capsules, shoes, Styrofoam™, and more from your doorstep.
Learn about TerraCycle Zero Waste Bag
TerraCycle public drop-off points
TerraCyclers all around the globe have started drop-off locations where people can drop off their trash to be recycled through TerraCycle.
Find a public drop-off point
InPost drop-off (UK)
In the UK, TerraCyclers can drop off their full Zero Waste Bags at one of InPost’s 5,000+ lockers that are open 24/7.
Learn about Zero Waste Bag UK
Mail-in (free)
We partner with brands so you can mail in their product or packaging for recycling—completely free.
Browse free recycling programs
Mail-in (paid)
You can recycle almost any type of trash, from coffee capsules to complex beauty waste, with our Zero Waste Boxes. The price reflects production, shipping, and the actual cost of recycling the box and its contents. Our shipping meets carbon-neutral standards, and Zero Waste Boxes are made using Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified paper.
Shop Zero Waste BoxesIn-store drop-off
Many brands have partnered with us to offer recycling at store locations. Click on the titles below to see examples.
Subaru
Cytiva
Nordstrom
L’Oreal Canada: cosmetics and skincare products across Walmart, London Drugs, and Jean Coutu stores
Superdrug (UK): empty medicine blister packs across 200 stores
Monoprix (France): bathroom waste across locations
Big W (Australia): toy recycling and donation across locations
Nordstrom (US): cosmetics and skincare products across locations
Aeon Glam Beautique (Japan): haircare, skincare, and cosmetics across locations
Walmart (US)
Carrefour (France)
Warehouse Group (New Zealand)
Recycling hubs
We’ve recently launched Community Recycling Hubs at major retailers around the world.
Walmart and Sam’s Club (USA)
The world’s first Community Recycling Hub!
Carrefour (France)
Accepts 6 hard-to-recycle waste streams. The first Community Recycling Hub in Europe!
The Warehouse Group (New Zealand)
Accepts 10 hard-to-recycle waste streams.
Recycling for remote locations
TerraCycle is sometimes the only option for recycling in remote locations. We have TerraCyclers all around the world, from Tabatinga city in the Amazonas state of Brazil to Flinders Island off the coast of Tasmania.
Developing recycling technology
TerraCycle map technology
We created a robust mapping technology to help consumers find recycling options near them, all around the world. This technology powers the recycling drop-off maps on our website.
TerraCycle Apps
Our mobile apps make it easy and rewarding to reuse or recycle packaging. Customers use our Loop app to find return points for reusable packaging. Through our Recycle+Save app, recyclers earn coupons for recyclings.
TerraCycle On-Demand
We launched a first-of-its-kind, on-demand recycling program builder to give small and medium brands access to a flexibly-priced recycling program.
Making new products from trash
We also help companies make their products and packaging from trash. We develop and manage custom supply chains that help companies create direct closed-loop products (e.g., a shampoo sachet recycled into a new sachet), indirect closed-loop products (like sponges recycled into store shelves), and even storied materials—new products made from ocean plastic, or waste from the top of Mt. Everest. We also make our own line of products from trash recycled with our TerraCyclers: TerraCycle Made.
Shop TerraCycle Made
Pilot pens made from Pilot pens
Coca-Cola bottles made from rPET bottles
Nature’s Way cosmetic caps made from cosmetic caps
Kao pouches made from Kao pouches
Expo pen ledges made from writing instruments
Product storage made from Flavia Fresh Packs
Products displays made from Scotch-Brite sponges
Earthborn Holistic Frisbees made from Earthborn Holistic packaging
Maybelline makeup stands made from beauty empties
L’Occitane totes made from product empties
Nu Skin storage containers made from Nu Skin empties
REN Skincare bottles made from ocean plastic
Head & Shoulders bottles made from beach plastic
Fairy bottles made from ocean plastic
Herbal Essences bottles made from beach plastic
Pilot pen made from beach plastic
Aeon shopping baskets made from ocean plastic (in partnership with Sekkisei)
2020 Olympic podiums made from single-use plastics, in partnership with P&G
Kiehl’s store furniture made from Kiehl’s packaging
Desks and chairs for schools in China made from Kiehl’s packaging
P&G office furniture made from P&G packaging
Playground in Austria made from recycled soap bottles, in partnership with Henkel and dm-drogerie markt
Children’s bike frames made from aerosol bottles, in partnership with Unilever and Drogerie-Markt (donated to children’s charities in Germany)
School playgrounds made from oral care waste, in partnership with Colgate and ShopRite
Outdoor gym made from aerosol cans, in partnership with Right Guard
Garden beds made from Garnier packaging, in partnership with Garnier (donated to community gardens across North America)
Outdoor furniture made from recycled shaving care waste, in partnership with Gillette and CVS (donated to The Fisher Houses charity in Vermont)
Four school playgrounds made from Old Navy flip-flops
Picnic tables and benches made from sauce packets, in partnership with Taco Bell
Recycled plastic bird feeder
Recycled plastic compost bin
Recycled plastic bracelet
Recycled plastic flying disc
Upcycled sports jacket made from Doritos chip bags. Worn on-air by Stephen Colbert!
Backpacks, pencil cases, and pens made from oral care waste, sponsored by Colgate.
Reusable totes made from recycled bags, sponsored by Target
Cooler bags made from old billboards, sponsored by Coors Light
Tote bags and more made from postal service bags, sponsored by USPS
School supplies made from oral care waste, sponsored by Colgate
Dopp kits made from old event banners, sponsored by Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)
Origami flowers made from product packaging, sponsored by MyKirei
Aprons made from pet food packaging, sponsored by Earthborn Holistic
Picnic table umbrellas made from old billboards, sponsored by Subaru
Desktop mirrors made from contact lens cases, sponsored by Bausch + Lomb
Duffle bags made from airline uniforms, sponsored by American Airlines
Vests, tote bags, travel cases, and wristlet purses made from suits and ties, sponsored by Brooks Brothers
Travel cases, laptop cases, and messenger bags made from life jackets and safety equipment, sponsored by RNLI
Dopp kits, tote bags, and lunch bags made from tents, sponsored by Mountain Hardware
Speakers made from food packaging, sponsored by Mercury Innovations
School supplies made from product packaging, sponsored by FAB Starpoint
TangBo, a nearly 46-foot-tall robot made from Tang drink pouches (landed TerraCycle Brazil in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest recycled structure ever made)
The Dirt of Venus, a reimagined interpretation of the classic painting, “The Birth of Venus,” made from post-consumer plastic
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
Learn more about what we do with waste.
Learn more
Leading the reuse movement
Today, 85% of all single-use packaging ends up in landfills, incinerated, or littered. How do we maintain the convenience and affordability of single-use without the waste?
Meet
Loop is a global platform that makes reuse convenient and accessible. Together with brands, retailers, and manufacturers, Loop enables reusable and returnable versions of conventional single-use products.
Learn more about reuseFinding health insights in waste
TerraCycle Discovery
TerraCycle’s new Discovery division provides health and wellness insights through waste, leveraging the key insight that certain waste streams carry diagnosable materials, like allergen and mold/mildew particulate on an air filter, or blood on a feminine hygiene product.
tiniest Biome™
In 2023, we launched tiniest Biome, a service that provides a snapshot of a baby’s health using samples from just one dirty diaper. Using a test kit, parents can learn about their baby’s tummy microbiome, get personalized recipes and activities, and support healthy development.
Learn about all we recycle—from makeup products to toys to wetsuits—and how it comes to life.
Learn about recycling with us