Terracycle
Brooke Smith
August 3 2010
Terracycle
Terracycle was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer. As a result close to 50,000 people and more than one hundred organizations have banded together to recycle more than five million cigarette filters in the first year of the program. Today, TerraCycle released information on support from Imperial Tobacco Canada and Terracycle's plans for 2013, which includes the goal of surpassing the milestone of 10 million filters collected and recycled.
"Several years ago, in the spirit of our vision of eliminating the very idea of garbage, we set our sights on tackling cigarette waste," says Tom Szaky, the Toronto-native entrepreneur who launched TerraCycle in 2001. "Cigarettes butts are one of the planet's most ubiquitous waste streams. We are delighted that Imperial Tobacco Canada and its employees shared our dream to provide Canadians with an alternative to cigarette waste. With such a successful first year under our belts, we're urging all Canadians to consider joining us in 2013."
Called the Cigarette Waste Brigade, this environmental program goes well beyond basic recycling; it also incentivizes Canadians by offering money for each pound of cigarette waste collected that can be directed to registered charities, and by making plastic products from the collected tobacco-related waste.
Cigarette filters and packaging are recycled into various plastic products for industrial use such as plastic pallets while the ash, leftover paper and tobacco are composted according to industry guidelines. The profits from the sale of the plastic products are then re-invested into the social enterprise, allowing it to grow its national and international programs. The company's revenues are expected to reach $18 million in 2013.
By making plastic products from recycled cigarette waste, the program not only reduces the amount of litter in Canada, but also reduces the need to employ wood or virgin plastic in the production of common
August 3 2010
Terracycle
Terracycle was founded in 2001 by Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer. As a result close to 50,000 people and more than one hundred organizations have banded together to recycle more than five million cigarette filters in the first year of the program. Today, TerraCycle released information on support from Imperial Tobacco Canada and Terracycle's plans for 2013, which includes the goal of surpassing the milestone of 10 million filters collected and recycled.
"Several years ago, in the spirit of our vision of eliminating the very idea of garbage, we set our sights on tackling cigarette waste," says Tom Szaky, the Toronto-native entrepreneur who launched TerraCycle in 2001. "Cigarettes butts are one of the planet's most ubiquitous waste streams. We are delighted that Imperial Tobacco Canada and its employees shared our dream to provide Canadians with an alternative to cigarette waste. With such a successful first year under our belts, we're urging all Canadians to consider joining us in 2013."
Called the Cigarette Waste Brigade, this environmental program goes well beyond basic recycling; it also incentivizes Canadians by offering money for each pound of cigarette waste collected that can be directed to registered charities, and by making plastic products from the collected tobacco-related waste.
Cigarette filters and packaging are recycled into various plastic products for industrial use such as plastic pallets while the ash, leftover paper and tobacco are composted according to industry guidelines. The profits from the sale of the plastic products are then re-invested into the social enterprise, allowing it to grow its national and international programs. The company's revenues are expected to reach $18 million in 2013.
By making plastic products from recycled cigarette waste, the program not only reduces the amount of litter in Canada, but also reduces the need to employ wood or virgin plastic in the production of common