TerraCycling for a trash-free planet

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

TerraCycle strives to hit two birds with one stone. The company manufactures useful products for everyday use such as garden items, tote bags and school supplies with a slight twist — everything is made from recycled materials. Soda bottles are fashioned into bird feeders and milk bottles are used for plant food.

Brightly colored flower pots are created from 100 percent post-consumer waste, or “e-waste,” using plastic materials from such items like computers and fax machines that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill.

“It takes less energy to re-use a bottle than to make a new one,” said Michael Waas Smith, client service manager for TerraCycle. “It’s one of the things we are proudest of. We are focused on providing the most affordable and economical products available.”

TerraCycle works with “sponsored waste,” which benefits large companies by recycling their packaging and reducing their waste streams.

“We work with upcycle fundraising,” Waas Smith said. “That’s how we get the packaging.”

The company collects used soda bottles during environmental fundraisers at hundreds of elementary schools across the United States. TerraCycle has also partnered with numerous recycling centers to obtain the bottles.

TerraCycle products are sold nationwide and are available at Fred Meyer and Home Depot in Gig Harbor.

“The bird feeders sell well,” said Stephanie Smith, a receiver for Fred Meyer. “I don’t see many hanging around, so that means they’ve done pretty well.”

Terracyle is the brainchild of two Princeton University students who believed that a company could be successful while being ecologically and socially responsible. The pair created the company’s signature plant food by feeding earthworms organic garbage that can be converted into liquid plant food in as little as three weeks. As a result, the plant food actually has a negative environmental footprint and is the first mass-produced product in the world to be packaged in used plastic soda bottles.

The worm-casting plant food has been honed into specialty products like fertilizer, potting mix and deer repellent. The company has also created environmentally-friendly cleaning products such as window cleaner, bathroom cleaner and degreaser using, of course, recycled bottles.

Since it’s beginning-of-the-century inception, TerraCycle has grown into a company that encourages the public to participate in a unique way. The “cork brigade” invites wine enthusiasts, restaurants and bars to send in their wine corks to be fashioned into usable products. The company also collects yogurt cups, energy bar wrappers and drink pouches which can be converted into school items like trash containers, eco-binders and pencil holders.

More about TerraCycle’s projects and products

For more information about TerraCycle’s products, visit .

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.