TerraCycle Tackles the Waste Recycling Leaves Behind

TRENTON, New Jersey (April 21, 2026) - Most of the items people throw away every day, from disposable razors and instrument strings to snack packaging and coffee capsules, are technically recyclable. The problem isn’t the material. It’s economics. As the world celebrates Earth Day on April 22, TerraCycle is using the occasion to present solutions built over 25 years to close that gap.

Working with brands, retailers, businesses, and communities around the world, TerraCycle helps recycle items that most local services won’t touch. Through free recycling programs, Zero Waste Box™ solutions, regulated and universal waste solutions, and waterway cleanup initiatives, the company has developed multiple ways to keep hard-to-recycle materials out of landfills and incinerators.

“Most trash is technically recyclable. What determines whether something actually gets recycled comes down to economics. If it costs more to collect and recycle the items than the resulting materials are worth, the materials will not be recycled,” said Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “ For more than 25 years, TerraCycle has worked to close those gaps by building the collection, processing, and working with brands, retailers, and other stakeholders to fund the recycling process that makes recycling possible. Earth Day is a reminder of how much more can be recycled when the right systems are in place.”

Those systems take shape across several core areas of TerraCycle’s business, including:

Free Recycling Programs:

TerraCycle partners with brands, retailers, and manufacturers to offer hundreds of free recycling programs for items that most curbside systems won’t accept, including oral care products, eyewear, pet food packaging, cigarette butts, and more. Community members can participate by signing up online or using in-store drop-off locations at participating retailers.

Zero Waste Box™ recycling solutions:

Zero Waste Box is designed to accept products within a given material category, offering a flexible option for homes, businesses, and schools regardless of brand. Available for almost any hard-to-recycle material, including coffee capsules, beauty empties, personal protective equipment (PPE), and plastic packaging, the boxes can be purchased online and shipped directly to the customer, including businesses and consumers, through shop.terracycle.com.

Regulated, Universal and Hazardous Waste Recycling:

For organizations managing materials that require specialized handling, TerraCycle Commercial provides compliant recycling solutions for regulated, universal, and hazardous waste. This division serves businesses, facilities, and industrial locations, and municipalities through mail-back containers and bulk recycling services. Materials include fluorescent lamps, batteries, aerosols, sharps, and electronic waste, with total program management available for multi-location operations.

Waterway Waste Prevention:

Beyond recycling, the TerraCycle Foundation works to prevent waterway waste from reaching the ocean by capturing it from heavily polluted rivers and canals before it can flow downstream. Operating permanent cleanup infrastructure along Bangkok’s canal system, the Foundation has removed more than three million pounds of waste from local waterways through custom-designed river traps, trained local teams, and Green School education programs for students living along the canals. The Foundation’s approach combines cleanup operations with recycling solutions for the collected materials.

To learn more about TerraCycle’s recycling solutions, visit terracycle.com.

About TerraCycle

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 18 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and households, across a wide range of accessible programs and has raised millions for schools and nonprofits since its founding more than 20 years ago. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com.