Mass-Market Recycling Initiatives Edit
TerraCycle's National Waste Collection Effort in Big Box Stores

One of the key reasons recycling isn’t more widespread is that there are many household items (like paintbrushes, for example) that simply can’t be recycled as easily as bottles or cans. However, a new initiative from TerraCycle hopes to make recycling these items more convenient.

TerraCycle is in the process of rolling out a nationwide waste collection system in big box stores like Home Depot, Petco, Office Max, and Best Buy that allows customers to place non-recyclable items into receptacles at these locations. The waste is then transported to TerraCycle, where it’s cleaned and upcycled into a new product, which is then sold back to the retail store.

What’s more, there’s an additional charitable aspect to the TerraCycle waste collection system. According to TreeHugger, for every unit of waste you deposit, TerraCycle will donate two cents to charity. This doesn’t sound like much at first, but if each customer to the average Home Depot brought in a garbage bag of non-recyclable goods, the sum can add up quite quickly over the course of a year.