Supercool Profits at Recycling's Edge: TerraCycle Finds ROI in Trash No One Wants
TerraCycle takes on waste the rest of the world ignores—cigarette butts, diapers, pharmaceutical blister packs.
But what makes the model work isn’t what they recycle. It’s how they get companies to pay for it.
Even with one of the boldest missions in climate tech—eliminate the idea of waste—TerraCycle doesn’t lead with sustainability. It leads with the business case.
In this episode, CEO Tom Szaky shares with host Josh Dorfman how the company has grown for 23 straight years by solving a problem no one wanted: how to make recycling hard-to-process waste worth paying for. Salons use it to attract new customers. Labs use it to retain top talent. Big brands use it to build loyalty. Every program works because it helps someone grow their business.
Tom also explains how Loop, TerraCycle’s reuse division for consumer packaging, is scaling fast in France and Japan. The reason isn’t culture. It’s the right rules and incentives.
This is a conversation about reimagining the entire business model of recycling and reuse—so waste stays out of the landfill, and the value shows up on the P&L.
Show Notes
Guest: Tom Szaky, CEO
Company: TerraCycle
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