TerraCycle expands commercial recycling solutions with NLR acquisition

TerraCycle Commercial, a division of international recycling leader TerraCycle, has acquired Connecticut-based NLR Inc. as the newest company in its growing family of regulated waste recycling operators. 

NLR joins the TerraCycle family 

As part of TerraCycle Commercial, NLR recyclers will continue working with their same service contacts while gaining access to the full range of TerraCycle solutions, including the Zero Waste Box and bulk recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle materials beyond regulated waste. 

Recyclers will also gain access to EPA-recognized, Responsible Recycling Standard for Electronics Recyclers (R2) Certified operations through Complete Recycling Solutions' facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, and North Coast Services' facility in Concord, New Hampshire. These TerraCycle Commercial facilities process lighting and electronic waste, including mercury-bearing lamps, electronics, cathode ray tubes, mercury devices, batteries, and lighting ballasts in full compliance with local and national regulations.

Bringing NLR into TerraCycle Commercial broadens what each side can offer. NLR's commercial clients gain access to TerraCycle's full range of recycling, recycled-content, and reuse solutions, extending beyond regulated waste. Simultaneously, recyclers across TerraCycle's network can tap into the sophistication of NLR's commercial waste services, including the specialized handling and compliance required for regulated and universal waste. 

"Joining TerraCycle is the right next step," said Robert E. Robert, co-founder of NLR. "At our core, our customer service philosophy remains rooted in delivering a highly personalized and professional experience. Even as TerraCycle continues to grow and expand, the commitment to absolute customer focus will continue. I'll continue managing the NLR division, and our customers will work with the same dedicated team they always have. Now, with the added scale, capabilities, and reach that TerraCycle brings, we can combine big-company resources with that small-business feeling of deep care. This allows us to do even more for the customers who have relied on us for three decades, while expanding that same personal touch to many more clients going forward."

NLR will continue to service valued clients 

NLR's East Windsor team remains in place, maintaining service continuity as the company joins TerraCycle Commercial. Co-founder Ray Graczyk, Chairman of the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, retires after three decades of shaping national recycling policy and building NLR into a leading regulated waste operator. His legacy continues through the operation he built, which co-founder Robert E. Robert will continue to manage.

"Universal and regulated waste has long been managed by vendors focused on compliance, not innovation," said TerraCycle Founder and CEO Tom Szaky. "NLR is our fourth acquisition in this space, following Air Cycle Corporation, Complete Recycling Solutions, and North Coast Services, and it strengthens our reach and collection capacity across the Northeast. Through our active Regulation A investment offering, we are raising capital, intending to scale the solutions this industry demands."

Proceeds from TerraCycle's recently completed Regulation CF offering funded the majority of the acquisition, advancing the company's strategy to grow its TerraCycle Commercial division through targeted investment in regulated waste capacity.

This acquisition reflects a broader commitment across TerraCycle to invest in every stage of the waste journey. From recycling solutions that span consumer and commercial waste streams, to recycled-content and reuse platforms that keep materials in circulation, to the litter-prevention work of the TerraCycle Foundation, the organization is building practical solutions at every point where waste can be prevented, recovered, or reimagined. Each new operation strengthens that system and advances the shared mission of Eliminating the Idea of Waste.