Terracycle
TerraCycle is a private waste management company that processes hard-to-recycle materials through brand-sponsored and self-serve recycling programs, serving 40,000+ clients including 600+ brand partners across 18+ countries with proprietary recycling technology and Bureau Veritas-audited supply chains.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersTrenton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Terracycle does
TerraCycle is a private waste management company founded by Tom Szaky in 2001 (incorporated 2003) and headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey. The company operates national recycling programs in over 18 countries, serving 40,000+ clients and 600+ brand partners, and engaging 90+ million individual collectors ("TerraCyclers"). Its core capability is processing hard-to-recycle waste streams — including cigarette butts, beauty products, flexible plastics, e-waste, textiles, and hazardous materials — using proprietary material recovery processes combining manual sortation, sink/float separation, optical (infrared) separation, air density separation, and magnetic separation. TerraCycle legally guarantees recycling of all accepted waste, with annual third-party audits by Bureau Veritas and a verified 98.3% recycling rate for compliant waste.
TerraCycle monetizes through multiple streams: Enterprise recycling programs (multi-year, contract-based, fully brand-sponsored), TerraCycle On-Demand (self-serve program builder at $99/month with configurable subsidy levels), Zero Waste Box and Bag sales, TerraCycle Made consumer products (sold via Walmart and shop.terracycle.com), TerraCycle Commercial regulated waste services, recycled material sales, and the Loop global reuse platform. Customer segments span brand owners/manufacturers (the largest segment), retailers (Nordstrom, Walmart, Sephora, Carrefour), schools, facilities, municipalities, event organizers, and individual consumers. The regulated waste commercial division, expanded through acquisitions of Air Cycle Corporation, Complete Recycling Solutions, North Coast Services (2024, $5.5M), and NLR Inc. (2026), provides services for hazardous, universal, and regulated waste including lamps, batteries, and e-waste. The Loop reuse platform partners with 40+ brands including Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, and Unilever, offering products in reusable packaging at major retailers globally.
The company has maintained over ten consecutive years of profitability. TerraCycle US Inc. reported $47.6M net revenue for FY2025 (up 93% from $24.7M in 2020) with 46.4% gross margins and $4.1M operating income. Capital structure includes a $5M Regulation CF crowdfunding raise in 2025 (closed in under 60 days) and a SEC-qualified $75M Regulation A offering in April 2026, with proceeds primarily earmarked for strategic acquisitions. The company has explicitly explored a potential future IPO.
Terracycle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Terracycle
- Legal name
- TerraCycle Inc.
- Website
- https://terracycle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- TerraCycle is a private waste management company that processes hard-to-recycle materials through brand-sponsored and self-serve recycling programs, serving 40,000+ clients including 600+ brand partners across 18+ countries with proprietary recycling technology and Bureau Veritas-audited supply chains.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Terracycle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management & Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Other Waste Collection (562119), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Film & Flexible Plastics Recycling (LDPE/LLDPE, Multilayer) (EUAIAKAE), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL), E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG), Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC), On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB)
Keywords
Where Terracycle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trenton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Terracycle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Enterprise Recycling Programs: Fully-customizable, contract-based recycling programs for brands and retailers where the brand partner pays 100% of the program cost. Includes dedicated account executive, strategy sessions, PR/marketing support, and regular reporting.
- On-Demand Recycling Subscriptions: Self-serve recycling program builder at $99/month with optional recycling solution purchases. Brands can subsidize costs to make solutions free for consumers or share costs. No long-term contracts required.
- Zero Waste Box/Bag Sales: Paid recycling solutions (boxes, bags, envelopes) purchased by individuals, businesses, and organizations to recycle hard-to-recycle waste. Price reflects production, transportation, sorting, cleaning, and processing costs.
- TerraCycle Made Products: Consumer products made from recycled materials collected through TerraCycle programs, sold through the TerraCycle shop and major retailers like Walmart.
- Regulated Waste Commercial Services: Services for facilities managing universal and hazardous waste including e-waste, lamps, batteries, aerosols, PPE, and solar panels through TerraCycle Commercial division.
- Recycled Material Sales: Raw materials recovered from recycling (pellets, flakes, metal ingots, glass cullet) sold to manufacturing companies to produce end products.
- TerraCycle Foundation Donations: The TerraCycle Foundation (501(c)(3) nonprofit) raises funds through product sales from its collection, with proceeds supporting river waste removal in Thailand and other heavily-polluted regions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | On-Demand self-serve program builder for brands at $99/month |
| Other | Multi-year contract | TerraCycle Enterprise custom pricing for full-service recycling programs |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | TerraCycle Recycling Rewards redemption at $0.01 per point |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | TerraCycle US Regulation CF and Regulation A investment offerings |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels10 records
Terracycle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TerraCycle operates as an international recycling company that processes hard-to-recycle waste streams (cigarette butts, beauty products, flexible plastics, e-waste, textiles, hazardous waste) that municipal recycling cannot handle. It offers free brand-sponsored recycling programs, paid Zero Waste Boxes/Bags, a self-serve On-Demand program builder, fully-customizable Enterprise programs, regulated commercial waste services, the Loop reuse platform, and consumer products made from recycled materials.
Product overview
TerraCycle operates as a multi-platform recycling company offering a comprehensive suite of solutions for hard-to-recycle waste. The core offering consists of free brand-sponsored recycling programs and paid solutions including Zero Waste Boxes™ and Zero Waste Bags. The platform includes TerraCycle On-Demand (self-serve program builder at $99/month) and TerraCycle Enterprise (fully-customizable full-service programs). TerraCycle Made retails consumer products created from recycled materials, while Loop provides a global reuse platform for reusable packaging. The TerraCycle Commercial division handles regulated and hazardous waste, and TerraCycle Discovery offers health insights from product samples. Industry-specific solutions include Salon-cycle, Office-cycle, Science-cycle, Vet-cycle, Event-cycle, Fitness-cycle, and SpecsCycle. The TerraCycle Foundation (501(c)(3)) focuses on ocean plastic prevention through river cleanup initiatives. The TerraCycle Recycling Rewards program enables point-earning and charitable donations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Loop: Global platform for reuse enabling brands and manufacturers to create refillable versions of conventional single-use products, sold at major retailers and returned to any participating store.
- TerraCycle Foundation
- Zero Waste Box
- Zero Waste Bag
- TerraCycle Made
- TerraCycle Enterprise
- TerraCycle On-Demand
- TerraCycle Discovery
- tiniestBiome
Products and services
- Zero Waste Box Paid mail-back recycling container allowing individuals and businesses to recycle hard-to-recycle trash not accepted by curbside services. Available in multiple sizes across numerous waste-stream categories.
- Zero Waste Bag Convenient mail-back recycling solution available in select countries for hard-to-recycle waste like plastic packaging, coffee capsules, shoes, and Styrofoam.
- Free Recycling Programs (Brigades)
Quantifiable outcome
- 98.3% recycling rate for compliant waste received
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Terracycle
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Terracycle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Terracycle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NLR Inc.coreTerraCycle Commercial acquired Connecticut-based NLR Inc., a universal regulated waste recycler founded in 1994, marking TerraCycle's fourth acquisition in the regulated waste space. NLR specializes in lamp processing, electronics, batteries, and mercury devices, extending TerraCycle's collection capacity across the Northeast.
- The Footwear CollectiveminorTerraCycle is one of three material processing partners (alongside FastFeetGrinded and SuperCircle) evaluating circular recovery approaches for 30,525 pounds of end-of-life footwear collected from 50 Goodwill Southern California locations. This is the first multi-brand-led take-back program in the US focused on footwear recycling at scale.
- Keep America BeautifulcoreKeep America Beautiful partners with TerraCycle and Grand Teton Lodge Company on recycling pilot programs at national parks. The 2025 Grand Teton National Park pilot featured bear-resistant recycling stations and resulted in a 15% increase in recycled or composted waste and diversion of 3,400+ pounds of hard-to-recycle materials.
- North Coast ServicescoreTerraCycle acquired North Coast Services, a New Hampshire-based company specializing in recycling universal waste including electronics and hazardous materials across New England. The $5.5 million acquisition expanded TerraCycle's US operations in managing complex waste streams and supporting regulatory compliance.
- Loop Platform Brand Partners (Haagen-Dazs, Tide, Gerber, Evian, Nesquik, Heinz, Burger King, etc.)coreOver 40 major brands participate in Loop, TerraCycle's global reuse platform, offering products in reusable packaging through major retailers. Brands include Haagen-Dazs, P&G (Tide), Gerber, Evian, Nesquik, Heinz, Burger King, Dr. Bronner's, Gillette, Venus, Clorox, and others. The platform is available at retailers including Carrefour (France), Monoprix (France), and AEON (Japan).
- World Economic ForumcoreTerraCycle participates in and chairs committees on the circular economy for the World Economic Forum. CEO Tom Szaky co-chaired the Consumers Beyond Waste working group. TerraCycle co-authored articles and supported development of three community papers on reuse with WEF.
- Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreTerraCycle collaborates with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to advance reuse adoption for over a decade. Loop is listed on EMF's Circular Startup Index. TerraCycle participates in working groups developing circular economy frameworks and standards.
- Bureau VeritascoreBureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification services, developed a first-of-its-kind auditable standard alongside TerraCycle to ensure strong traceability for all global waste streams. Bureau Veritas annually audits TerraCycle's collection and recycling supply chains.
- Ocean Plastics Leadership NetworkcoreTerraCycle is an Advisory Board Member of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network and serves on the Stewardship Council of the Refill/Reuse Action Forum, focusing on implementing reuse at scale in the US market.
- UK Plastics PactminorTerraCycle is a member of the UK Plastics Pact, working collaboratively with other organizations to reduce plastic waste and advance circular economy solutions in the UK.
- Business Coalition for a Global Plastics TreatycoreTerraCycle is a member of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty and sent a delegation to participate in UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) Treaty negotiations on plastic pollution.
- Product Stewardship InstituteminorTerraCycle serves on the Corporate Advisory Council of the Product Stewardship Institute, advocating for extended producer responsibility and product stewardship policies.
- EvrekacoreTerraCycle uses a customized version of Evreka's waste management platform in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and European markets to centrally track all waste through each step of the supply chain from receipt through multiple stages of sortation and processing.
- Air Cycle CorporationcoreTerraCycle acquired Air Cycle Corporation as part of its TerraCycle Commercial division, expanding capabilities in regulated waste recycling. Air Cycle Corporation is one of several acquisitions expanding TerraCycle's commercial waste management operations.
- Complete Recycling SolutionscoreTerraCycle acquired Complete Recycling Solutions as part of its TerraCycle Commercial division, marking the third acquisition in the regulated waste space, following Air Cycle Corporation.
- TerraCycle FoundationcoreThe TerraCycle Foundation (501(c)(3) nonprofit) works to reduce the flow of plastic waste from rivers and canals before it reaches the ocean. Working with local communities in heavily-polluted regions, it designs world-class river waste prevention, collection, and recycling solutions. The Foundation has pulled over two million pounds of waste from Thailand's rivers and canals. Products purchased from the Foundation collection remove 20 lbs of trash from rivers per item.
- CSA Group (Canada)minorTerraCycle participates in CSA Group working groups to help define standards and shape policy recommendations around reuse in Canada.
- PR3 (US Standards)minorTerraCycle is involved with PR3 in the US to help define standards and shape policy recommendations around reuse.
- Korea PostminorKorea Post (under the Ministry of Science and ICT) partnered with TerraCycle in 2026 to promote recycling of composite-material products including coffee capsules, cosmetic containers, and water filters from seven brands, offering participants Naver Pay gift certificates and coffee coupons.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Terracycle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stericycle: US-focused regulated waste management company specializing in medical waste, hazardous waste, and compliance services. Directly comparable to TerraCycle Commercial's regulated-waste division and represents the institutional-scale archetype TerraCycle's M&A roll-up is attempting to build toward.
- Waste Management, Inc. Largest US waste and environmental services company with national hauling, landfill, recycling, and processing infrastructure. Operates large-scale MRFs and competes broadly with TerraCycle for commercial recycling volume, though its portfolio is far broader than TerraCycle's hard-to-recycle niche.
- Republic Services: Second-largest US non-hazardous waste services company operating recycling centers and MRFs nationwide. Competes with TerraCycle for commercial recycling contracts and is investing in advanced recycling capabilities that may narrow TerraCycle's differentiation over time.
- Clean Harbors: Largest North American provider of environmental, hazardous, and industrial waste services with extensive treatment, disposal, and recycling facilities. Overlaps with TerraCycle Commercial's hazardous-waste handling capabilities and is the natural large-cap comparable for TerraCycle's regulated-waste acquisitions.
- Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services leader with hazardous waste treatment, recycling, and circular-economy solutions across 40+ countries. Operates regulated-waste and recycling infrastructure directly comparable to TerraCycle Commercial, but at vastly larger scale and with broader portfolio offerings.
Direct peers
- Heritage Environmental Services: Privately-held US provider of hazardous and regulated waste management, recycling, and environmental services. Closest mid-market comparable to TerraCycle Commercial, with overlapping capabilities in lamp/battery/electronics recycling and similar customer base of industrial and institutional waste generators.
- Recology: Employee-owned West Coast integrated waste and recycling company operating MRFs and processing facilities. Comparable for its recycling-led business model and zero-waste philosophy, though concentrated geographically and focused on conventional recyclables rather than hard-to-recycle streams.
- Casella Waste Systems: Regional vertically-integrated solid waste, recycling, and resource-management services company operating in the Northeast US. Comparable to TerraCycle for its resource-recovery focus, regional MRF footprint, and emphasis on recycling over disposal — though focused on conventional streams rather than hard-to-recycle materials.
Emerging players
- Preserve (Gimme 5): Consumer products company with a long-running take-back program (Gimme 5) for hard-to-recycle plastics like toothbrushes and razor handles. Comparable niche overlap with TerraCycle's brand-partnered hard-to-recycle programs, though smaller scale and more limited waste-stream breadth.
- Ridwell: Subscription-based household hard-to-recycle collection startup operating in select US cities. Closest direct emerging competitor to TerraCycle's consumer-facing Zero Waste Box model, offering convenient scheduled pickup for specialty waste streams that mirror TerraCycle's niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Terracycle social profiles
Digital presenceTerracycle compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Terracycle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Terracycle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Terracycle subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Terracycle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Terracycle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Terracycle
What does Terracycle do?
TerraCycle operates as an international recycling company that processes hard-to-recycle waste streams (cigarette butts, beauty products, flexible plastics, e-waste, textiles, hazardous waste) that municipal recycling cannot handle. It offers free brand-sponsored recycling programs, paid Zero Waste Boxes/Bags, a self-serve On-Demand program builder, fully-customizable Enterprise programs, regulated commercial waste services, the Loop reuse platform, and consumer products made from recycled materials.
Is Terracycle a public or private company?
Terracycle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Terracycle founded?
Terracycle was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Terracycle based?
Terracycle is headquartered in Trenton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Terracycle make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Enterprise Recycling Programs are the primary driver. The others are on-Demand Recycling Subscriptions, zero Waste Box/Bag Sales, terraCycle Made Products, regulated Waste Commercial Services, recycled Material Sales and terraCycle Foundation Donations.
Who are Terracycle's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stericycle, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services, Clean Harbors and Veolia Environnement. Direct peers are Heritage Environmental Services, Recology and Casella Waste Systems. Emerging players are Preserve (Gimme 5) and Ridwell.
Does Terracycle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Terracycle.
What industry is Terracycle in?
Terracycle's product category is Waste Management & Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAKAA, Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply), with a secondary code of EUAIAKAE, Film & Flexible Plastics Recycling (LDPE/LLDPE, Multilayer). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 4950.