Terracycle builds an empire on a foundation of compost

PHOENIX (Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m. ET) -- Backyard composters know red worms are masters of turning banana peels and coffee grounds efficiently into fertilizer. Increasingly, brands are turning to Terracycle as the “red worm” of the marketing ecosystem -- converting the effluvia of such heavy hitters as Coca-Cola Co., Kraft Foods, L’Oreal and Colgate-Palmolive Co. into new products and green-marketing initiatives. At the Association of National Advertisers conference, Terracycle VP-Global Media Albe Zakes recounted a story that’s now widely familiar thanks to his own PR efforts that make up the bulk of the brand’s marketing.