Kraft Foods & Terracycle, Inc. Partner on World's First Sponsored Waste Programs
Kraft Foods, the number one food and beverage company in North America,
today announced a new partnership with TerraCycle, an upstart upcycling
company that takes packages and materials that are challenging to
recycle and turns them into affordable, high quality goods. The
partnership will greatly expand the number of collection sites
TerraCycle has available across the country and will help prevent a
significant amount of packaging waste from going into landfills.
Kraft will become the first major multi-category corporation to fund
the collection of used packaging associated with its products. Several
Kraft brands, including Balance bars and South Beach Living bars, Capri
Sun beverages, and Chips Ahoy! and Oreo cookies, are now the lead
sponsors of TerraCycle Brigades. These nationwide recycling programs
make a donation for every piece of packaging a location collects.
"Sustainability is about looking out for future generations. Kraft
is proud to partner with TerraCycle, an innovative company who has made
it their mission to reduce the impact on landfills and to educate
consumers on the importance of recycling," says Jeff Chahley, Senior
Director, Sustainability, Kraft Foods. "TerraCycle's model of rewarding
'brigade hosts' is a novel way of collecting packaging waste that would
otherwise have been sent to landfills. It's so cool to see trash turned
into merchandise that's unlike anything else on the market."
Kraft Foods/TerracycleTM Partnership:
There are currently three TerraCycle programs for which Kraft is now
the largest sponsor. To encourage more recycling, each program is free
to individuals and organizations looking to participate and all
shipping costs are paid. Once the used packaging items are collected,
TerraCycle upcycles each material into an eco-friendly product because
it's made from waste! Sign up today at: www.terracycle.net/brigades.
The Energy Bar Wrapper Brigade collects used bar wrappers and
donates two cents for each wrapper collected. TerraCycle has found a
unique way to braid these wrappers into colorful, durable purses and
backpacks. The wrappers also can be fused, making the wrappers very
dynamic for upcycling.
The Cookie Wrapper Brigade collects used Nabisco cookie wrappers and
donates two cents for each wrapper collected. TerraCycle will use
proprietary technology to fuse the wrappers together into sheets of
waterproof fabric, which then can be made into umbrellas, shower
curtains, backpacks, placemats and much more. It is expected that 4,000
brigades will be established in the first year.
The Drink Pouch Brigade collects used drink pouches and donates to
participating school or community group two cents for every pouch
collected. The used pouches are then sewn into tote bags, handbags and
other durable items that will be available as early as April 1st at
several major retailers. Over 800 brigades have already been set up!
Each of these Brigade programs is diverting packaging waste from
landfills and helping to raise consumer awareness about recycling. By
encouraging people to rethink 'what is waste,' TerraCycle is making it
simple for consumers to have a positive impact on the environment. And
with a monetary reward as incentive to recycle, the programs help
schools, community groups, and non-profits across the country earn
funds to support local activities.
To learn more about the partnership or to request complimentary
samples of the finished products, please contact Albe Zakes at
609.393.4252 x233.
About Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is one of the world's largest food and
beverage companies, with 2007 revenues of more than $37 billion. For
more than 100 years, Kraft has offered consumers delicious and
wholesome foods that fit the way they live. Kraft markets a broad
portfolio of iconic brands in more than 150 countries, including nine
brands with revenues exceeding $1 billion: Kraft cheeses, dinners and
dressings; Oscar Mayer meats; Philadelphia cream cheese; Maxwell House
coffee; Nabisco cookies and crackers and its Oreo brand; Jacobs
coffees, Milka chocolates and LU biscuits. Kraft is listed in the
Standard & Poor's 100 and 500 indexes. The company is a member of
the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Ethibel Sustainability
Index. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.kraft.com.
About TerraCycle
In 2001, Tom Szaky, a Princeton University Freshman, founded
TerraCycle in hopes of building an eco-capitalist company built on
waste. After winning countless business plan contests, Tom dropped out
of Princeton to pursue his dream of founding the world's most
environmentally friendly company. Seven years later, TerraCycle's
eco-friendly products have received a myriad of social and
environmental accolades and are sold at major retailers like The Home
Depot, Target, Wal*Mart and Whole Foods Markets. TerraCycle's business
plan and products made from waste received a Zerofootprint Seal of
Approval, won The Home Depot's Environmental Stewardship Award twice
and recently won the 2007 Social Venture Network Innovation Award.
Please visit us at www.terracycle.net to learn more.
