Tom Szaky, the Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, joined Mike Nemer for a podcast discussion about recycling on episode 305 of The Green Insider. They discussed TerraCycle’s mission to recycle items that are typically not recyclable, with Tom explaining that their offices are constructed from waste materials like soda bottles and old doors.

Here are the key takeaways from the discussion between Mike Nemer and TerraCycle’s founder, Tom Szaky:

1. TerraCycle’s Core Mission The company’s primary goal is to “recycle the non-recyclable.” They focus on waste streams that local municipal recycling systems typically do not accept, such as cigarette butts, dirty diapers, chewing gum, wetsuits, and writing instruments.

2. The Recycling Challenge: Economics vs. Technology Tom Szaky explained that the main barrier to recycling isn’t technology—he states that all objects are technically recyclable. The real challenge is economic feasibility. Most waste is not profitable to recycle because the cost of collecting and processing it is higher than the value of the materials recovered.

3. Global Operations & History

4. Business Model & Recycling Programs TerraCycle operates two main types of recycling programs:

5. Specific Recycling Processes Tom detailed the processes for several waste streams:

6. Future Plans Tom mentioned that TerraCycle is focused on growth, including:

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