TerraCycle Internships

Interns at TerraCycle learn the ins-and-outs of eco-capitalism, social entrepreneurship, and non-traditional recycling, as well as serve as eco-ambassadors in both a local and global context.

ABOUT TERRACYCLE:

TerraCycle (terracycle.com) is the world leader in the recycling of generally non-recyclable waste such as energy bar wrappers, toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, diaper packaging and cigarette waste. We create and administer collection and solution systems in over 20 countries for waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill or incineration.

Major manufacturers contract with TerraCycle to subsidize the cost of collecting and recycling their waste (e.g, Clif for energy bar wrappers, Colgate for Oral Care), and we offer a full marketing and promotion platform to engage volunteer collectors and promote the programs to generate recognition for our brand partners. TerraCycle has over 100,000 voluntary collection locations in the US alone, 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.

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. See https://vimeo.com/40692276.

 

NUTS AND BOLTS:

Our company is headquartered in Trenton, NJ, 10 miles from Princeton and +/- 60 minutes from New York and Philadelphia (respectively). The internship is located at our graffiti-covered headquarters in Trenton, NJ. The preferred duration of the internship is 9 – 12 weeks. Interns need to bring their own laptops to the office.

While TerraCycle internships are unpaid, they offer many educational components. A benefit of TerraCycle's eco-focus is that some schools (including Princeton University) provide a stipend or course credit for their students to work at TerraCycle. Please check with your school if they can provide support. Now students can earn college credit through The College of New Jersey, where for a fee, they are provided a faculty sponsor and academic work that complements the TerraCycle experience.

We offer a bountiful buffet-style lunch every day (1 free lunch for interns per week with potentially 1 free additional lunch earned through company-wide "green" initiative program) and encourage interns to attend regular company events.

All interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to their department of interest with the subject line “Internship Application”. As each team (and country) handles internship recruiting independently, we ask that you please let us know if you are applying to multiple department’s internships so then we can help you navigate the opportunities. Interested candidates can also apply for an internship in our international offices in Canada, Mexico (fluency in Spanish required), Brazil (fluency in Portuguese required), UK, Australia or Japan (Japanese proficiency required) at their own expense.
 

SPECIAL PROJECTS

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.

Interns who feel comfortable conversing in Spanish and French will also be encouraged to work on special projects for TerraCycle Mexico and Canada (from the US office).

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIP

TerraCycle’s Business Development department establishes partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and some of the largest brands in the world. Business Development Interns contact mine, build and manage the Business Development pipeline, and help deliver client-specific presentations to potential new partners.

Candice Lawton: candice.lawton@terracycle.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS INTERNSHIP

The Public Relations department interacts with the media to pitch the TerraCycle story, promotions and events. Interns work with department members to fine-tune writing skills and learn pitching to TV, blogs, websites, newspapers and magazines.

Lauren Taylor: lauren.taylor@terracycle.com

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP INTERNSHIP

The Strategic Partnerships department works with local city governments, nonprofits organizations, schools, and large venues to create custom operations to collect for TerraCycle’s recycling programs. Interns will create their own proactive outreach strategy to engage with additional locations to drive revenue by increasing TerraCycle awareness and program participation. 

Rudy Sanfilippo: rudy.sanfilippo@terracycle.com

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING INTERNSHIP

Social Media & Marketing focuses on consumer engagement to promote our recycling programs, connect with our fan base, and spread awareness of the TerraCycle mission. Marketing Interns are involved in drafting social media messages, e-blast communication, tracking and analysis, content creation, social media management, blog management and much more.

Shifra Pfister: shifra.pfister@terracycle.com

EXECUTIVE TEAM INTERNSHIP

The Executive department manages the company structure, administration and financing. Interns will lead research projects and explore strategic initiatives with the Executive Department that may be implemented in the US or internationally, including employee benefit and engagement initiatives, analyses of potential partners and competitors, and CEO-driven projects.

Liana Scobie: liana.scobie@terracycle.com

BRAND PARTNERSHIP INTERNSHIP

Account Managers serve as the key liaisons between TerraCycle and our brand partners. Brand Partnership Interns support the brand sponsored programs, aiding Account Managers in fulfilling contractual commitments and driving program growth by developing presentations, researching industry topics and statistics, planning social media strategies, email marketing campaigns, retail promotions, and product concepts.

Stephanie Moses: stephanie.moses@terracycle.com

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIP

Program Development works to grow the relationship with existing TerraCycle brand partners. Program Development strategizes and packages unique proposals for Account Managers to engage with our brand partners across the globe in innovative ways. Program Development Interns prepare brand marketing research and develop new creative ideas to present to brand partners. Interns also work on creating, maintaining and improving TerraCycle resources that serve as valuable tools to the Global TerraCycle Team.

Monica Carty: monica.carty@terracycle.com

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIP

R&D develops recycling solutions for the different waste materials TerraCycle collects. Interns conduct research on different items to determine their composition and the various processes needed to recycle the waste. Interns learn about various plastics and the recycling techniques used in industry.

Majors that should apply: polymer science, material science, packaging science, chemistry, engineering, or related fields

Richard Zultner: richard.zultner@terracycle.com

ZERO WASTE BOX INTERNSHIP

The Zero Waste Box team helps consumers and businesses move towards ZeroWaste by offering recycling services for previously non-recyclable waste through direct outreach while continuously developing marketing and sales strategies.

Joy Nemerson: joy.nemerson@terracycle.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNSHIP

Core responsibilities include designing conceptual art (company-related advertisement), building and maintaining marketing materials, creating presentations, and curating the image library. Graphics interns are required to have strong design, layout, and formatting skills, as well as an understanding of typography and Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

For video (shooting, editing, directing in Adobe) contact Dean Innocenzi <dean.innocenzi@terracycle.com>

To apply: please email your resume and portfolio examples

Anna Starasvetski: anna.starasvetski@terracycle.com

DESIGN TEAM INTERNSHIP

TerraCycle "Design Junkies" use upcycled materials to produce interiors, sculptures, products, and fashion accessories, using tools that range from sewing machines to power tools and everything in between. Ideal candidates are green-minded, aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, and consider alternate uses before discarding an object.

Darshan Alatar: darshan.alatar@terracycle.com

MATERIAL SOLUTIONS INTERNSHIP

The Materials department identifies potential business partners for purchasing our recycled plastic materials that have been collected through our Brigade Programs. Material Solutions interns identify target applications and audiences for the recycled plastics, diverting millions of pounds of waste a year from landfills into new sustainable products.

Stephen Katz: stephen.katz@terracycle.com

OPERATIONS & WASTE LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT INTERNSHIP

Operations works to identify strategic improvements to increase company efficiencies and reduce costs. Interns’ analyses help team efforts with information management, including inventory and warehouse management, and global pricing and cost analysis.

Emily LaRosa: emily.larosa@terracycle.com

ROUTE LOGISTICS INTERNSHIP

Route Logistics provides easy, on-site recycling solutions for a wide range of businesses by targeting single-stream recycling and hard-to- recycle items (gift cards, poly bags, and other site-specific waste streams). Route Interns assist with contact mining, building and managing the Route pipeline, and preparing prospect-specific presentations. They will also learn best practices for pitching the TerraCycle program to potential partners.

Kyle Riggs: kyle.riggs@terracycle.com