Memorial Day kicks off peak summer entertaining - and a 25% jump in household waste

TRENTON, NJ (May 18, 2026) - Memorial Day Weekend is here, which means grills are firing up, playlists are queued, and someone is already worried about forgetting the burger buns. What nobody wants to think about is the mess that’s left after the party is over.

Those freshly overflowing trash bins are stuffed with chip bags, plastic cups, decorations, snack wrappers, and disposable party supplies — none of which are typically accepted by curbside recycling services. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate 25% more household waste between Memorial Day and Labor Day than during the rest of the year. Most of it ends up in a landfill or incinerator.

TerraCycle® has spent more than two decades building recycling solutions for exactly this kind of waste.

"Summer parties generate an enormous amount of waste that most recycling services simply don’t accept," said Tom Szaky, TerraCycle Founder and CEO. "Zero Waste Boxes are available so people have an easier choice to make when it comes responsible disposal of hard-to-recycle materials."

Their Zero Waste Box™ solutions are designed specifically for hard-to-recycle items curbside recycling services typically won’t accept.  Here’s some of the solutions available for hosts this summer:

•  All-In-One - Zero Waste Box
• Plastic Packaging - Zero Waste Box
• Kitchen Separation - Zero Waste Box
• Candy and Snack Wrappers - Zero Waste Box
• Dining Disposables and Party Supplies - Zero Waste Box
• Coffee Capsules - Zero Waste Box

So, how does Zero Waste Box work? First, browse our collection of Zero Waste Boxes and select one that suits your needs. Fill your box with your hard-to-recycle trash and return it to TerraCycle using the affixed prepaid shipping label. The collected materials are recycled into raw materials that are used by manufacturers to make new products, helping keep valuable materials out of landfills and incinerators.

The goal isn't to skip the party. It's to skip the part where your fun becomes an environmental problem. For more information about TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box solutions, visit www.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 terracycle.com.