TerraCycle is running a pilot program in the New York-New Jersey area where it is setting up non-recyclable waste collection systems in the front of major retail stores. If the program is successful, the company plans to have collection systems in more than 10,000 retail locations by mid-2010, writes Tom Szaky of TerraCycle on TreeHugger.
For each unit of waste deposited, TerraCycle and its partnering retailer company donate $0.02 to charity. The waste is then sent to TerraCycle, where its is cleaned up and upcycled into products that can be sold back to the retailer.
The company is currently partnering with retailers such as Petco, OfficeMax, Home Depot, and Best Buy to bring collection systems into their stores nationwide.
Last year, the company manufactured reusable shopping bags out of Target plastic bags as part of a Target campaign. The company previously teamed up with OfficeMax to deliver environmentally friendly office products to OfficeMax customers.