​TERRACYCLE WINS AWARD FROM UNITED NATIONS

TerraCycle, the global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste was recently named a winner of a United Nations Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity award. The recognition is for the initiative announced earlier this year with TerraCycle, Procter & Gamble and SUEZ to create the world's first fully recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic. TerraCycle will receive this prestigious award in Bonn, Germany in November during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23).

 The shampoo bottle, made for the world's #1 shampoo brand, Head & Shoulders, contains 25% beach plastic that is collected from beaches, oceans, rivers and other waterways. TerraCycle manages the collection process, working with NGOs and cleanup organizations on six continents. The project was announced at the World Economic Forum in January and the first bottles went on store shelves in France this summer.

 "We are so honored to be recognized for the work we and our partners are doing to take action against some of the world's biggest environmental issues," said TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky. "We hope that calling attention to this project will help people become aware of the magnitude of the beach plastic problem and be inspired to get involved."

 TerraCycle is known for developing scientific solutions for hard-to-recycle items such as chip bags, coffee capsules, pens, and even cigarette butts among many others things and converting them into raw materials.  TerraCycle collects, converts and sells over 100 waste streams in the U.S. that were originally destined for landfills.

 The Momentum for Change initiative, spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat, shines light on some of the most innovative, scalable and practical examples of what people across the globe are doing to combat climate change. Momentum for Change is a part of wider efforts to mobilize action and ambition, as national governments work toward implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. TerraCycle, P&G and SUEZ were one of four winners in the Planetary Health pillar, and one of only 19 winners overall.

 The 2017 Lighthouse Activities comprise an impressive range of projects and personal stories that touch on sustainability, climate protection, environmental consciousness, and social responsibility. The complete list of the 2017 Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity winners was made public during a ceremony Thursday, October 12 in Berlin, Germany.

Founded in 2001, TerraCycle, Inc., is the world's leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, ranging from used cigarette butts to coffee capsules to pens. The waste is collected through free, national, brand-funded recycling programs, as well as various consumer and government-funded models. The collected waste is turned into a variety of raw materials that are sold to manufacturers to produce new products. Each year, across 21 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process. 

For a digital version of the 2015 feature article profiling Tom Szaky and TerraCycle in Recycling Product News, follow this link.