Recycling is like Magic!
Recycling is like Magic! is a Washington-based 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that teaches K-8 children about metal recycling through award-winning children's books, free classroom curriculum, a school recycling contest, and branded merchandise distributed via BookBaby.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBellingham, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Recycling is like Magic! does
Recycling is like Magic! is a 501(c)(3) affiliated non-profit educational organization, previously known as Scrap University Kids, headquartered at a mailing address in Bellingham, Washington. Its mission is to eliminate metal from the waste stream within a 30-year horizon by teaching children ages K-8 about metal recycling through a portfolio of proprietary content. The core technology is a children's publishing and curriculum platform consisting of award-winning illustrated books (The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard, A Recycling Adventure to the Steel Mill, La Niña Que Recicló 1 Millón de Latas, and We Need to Be More Like Unicorns), a free downloadable Metal Recycling Class with quizzes and worksheets, coloring pages, the Heavy Metal Elementary animated cartoon, and the nationwide Million Cans Recycling Contest, in which K-12 schools compete to recycle the most aluminum cans. Distribution is multi-channel: print-on-demand books via BookBaby, direct merchandise sales through the proprietary Recycling Rocks Gift Shop (mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, hoodies priced $12.99–$28.02), free educational resources on the website, and school-based contest engagement.
The business model is a hybrid of one-time consumer purchases, philanthropic contributions, and partnership-driven programming rather than a venture-style revenue engine. Book and merchandise sales are conducted on a pay-as-you-go, perpetual-license basis with no subscription or recurring consumer contract. Donations to the affiliated 501(c)(3) The Recycling Society provide a third revenue stream supporting program growth. Strategic partnerships provide content validation and operational support — Nucor Steel co-produces updated Nucor Editions of books reflecting real scrapyard economics, BookBaby handles printing and global distribution, and Detroit Scrap is featured as an industry ecosystem partner. The team is small and founder-led, with no disclosed institutional funding, no venture capital, no acquisitions, and no public-market presence. Growth is driven by content cadence and partner additions rather than capital infusion, and the organization's go-to-market relies on community-led school contests and content marketing rather than paid acquisition.
Recycling is like Magic! firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Recycling is like Magic!
- Legal name
- Recycling is like Magic!
- Website
- https://recyclingislikemagic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Recycling is like Magic! is a Washington-based 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that teaches K-8 children about metal recycling through award-winning children's books, free classroom curriculum, a school recycling contest, and branded merchandise distributed via BookBaby.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Recycling is like Magic! industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Environmental Education Content
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Metal Cans (3411), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- E-Waste (WEEE) Collection, Refurbishment & Recycling (IMAIAFAH)
Keywords
Where Recycling is like Magic! is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Recycling is like Magic! business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of children's books about recycling through BookBaby distribution platform and own store. Includes titles like The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard, and A Recycling Adventure to the Steel Mill. Also includes Spanish language edition.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and other gift items through the Recycling Rocks Gift Shop on the website.
- Donations: Non-profit organization accepting donations to support the Recycling Society's 501(c)(3) status and growth of the Million Cans Recycling Contest program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Books |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Store Merchandise |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Recycling is like Magic! product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Recycling is like Magic! is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that produces and sells a portfolio of children's books about metal recycling, operates the nationwide Million Cans Recycling Contest for K-12 schools, and provides free downloadable classroom curriculum (Metal Recycling Class), coloring pages, worksheets, and the Heavy Metal Elementary animated cartoon to teach children ages K-8 about recycling, environmental stewardship, and the economics of metal scrap. Branded merchandise is sold through the Recycling Rocks Gift Shop, with revenue supplemented by tax-deductible donations to The Recycling Society.
Product overview
Recycling is like Magic! is an educational content company and 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating The Recycling Society, focused on eliminating metal from the waste stream through children's education. The company produces a portfolio of award-winning children's books centered on recycling themes (The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard, A Recycling Adventure to the Steel Mill, and their Spanish edition), supplemented by free educational resources (Metal Recycling Class materials, coloring pages, and worksheets). The company runs the Million Cans Recycling Contest as a national school competition and produces the Heavy Metal Elementary animated cartoon series. Physical merchandise featuring branded characters is sold through the Recycling Rocks Gift Shop. All books are distributed via BookBaby print-on-demand services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Heavy Metal Elementary: Cartoon series featuring characters Ellie, Lexie, Mr. Ferrous Magglio, and Gallium the Unicorn teaching kids about recycling
- The Recycling Society
Products and services
- The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans! Award-winning children's book about a girl named Ellie who collects one million aluminum cans to save the planet and buy a unicorn. The updated Nucor Edition reflects real-world scrapyard pricing. Targeted at children ages K-8 and their parents, sold via BookBaby distribution and the own e-commerce store in hardcover and paperback.
- A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard! Children's book following Ellie's journey to a scrapyard where she learns how metal is sorted, processed, and given new life. Available in hardcover and a Nucor Edition that shows the metal journey to Nucor Steel in West Seattle. Targeted at children ages K-8 and their parents.
- A Recycling Adventure to the Steel Mill Latest book in the Recycling Adventures series showing how recycled metal travels to Nucor Steel in West Seattle where it is melted down and turned into new products. Targeted at children ages K-8 and their parents.
Quantifiable outcome
- Kids learn that all metal can be recycled and has value at local scrapyards
Companies that use Recycling is like Magic!
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Recycling is like Magic! technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Recycling is like Magic! partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nucor SteelcoreNucor partnered to create Nucor Editions of The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans and A Recycling Adventure to the Scrapyard. These updated versions show Ellie's journey reflecting real recycling operations, including getting paid by the pound and the metal journey to Nucor Steel in West Seattle. Nucor featured the books in their Earth Month blog highlighting sustainability education importance.
- BookBabycoreBookBaby is the exclusive printer and distributor for the company's children's books, printing them in the USA.
- Detroit ScrapminorLinked as a helpful resource on the website, representing the scrapyard industry connection in the recycling education ecosystem.
- Walk Good BusinessminorLinked as a helpful business resource, aligned with the organization's environmental and community mission.
- The Recycling SocietycoreThe Recycling Society is the 501(c)(3) non-profit parent organization that leads the Million Cans Recycling Contest. The organization aims to eliminate metal from the waste stream within 30 years through education.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Recycling is like Magic! competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Scholastic: Largest US publisher and distributor of children's books and educational materials, with deep K-12 school distribution (book clubs, book fairs). Comparable channel to schools but operates at vastly greater scale across all children's categories.
- Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation): Long-running children's nature and environmental education magazine and digital brand from the National Wildlife Federation. Comparable as a kids' environmental education subscription/content brand, with a much larger scale and broader ecological scope.
- National Geographic Kids: Major children's educational media brand covering science, animals, and the environment through books, magazines, videos, and digital. Overlaps on kids' environmental content and curriculum distribution through schools, though much broader in scope.
- EarthDay.org: Global non-profit driving Earth Day and environmental education campaigns, including significant K-12 programming and toolkits. Overlaps on school-based environmental education activations and corporate partnerships.
- Highlights for Children: Established children's content brand spanning magazines, books, and educational products with strong school and family reach. Comparable kids' educational content model, though content is general rather than recycling-specific.
Emerging players
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: Non-profit advocacy and education organization focused on plastic pollution reduction. Adjacent peer in materials-specific environmental education; smaller in kids' content depth but overlapping in mission and donor base.
- Eco-Schools USA: K-12 environmental education certification program run by the National Wildlife Federation. Comparable school-focused environmental curriculum, though positioned as a certification framework rather than branded children's content.
Direct peers
- Earth Rangers: Non-profit focused on environmental education for children through digital content, school programs, and a membership-based kids' club. Highly comparable mission (kids + environment) with comparable school-based and digital distribution.
- Captain Planet Foundation: Non-profit environmental education organization funding and producing hands-on learning projects for K-12 students. Directly comparable as a kids-focused environmental education non-profit, although Captain Planet operates as a grantmaking foundation rather than a content publisher.
- Keep America Beautiful: Iconic US non-profit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification, with school education programming. Direct peer in the recycling-education category with substantially larger scale and corporate sponsorship model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
Recycling is like Magic! social profiles
Digital presenceRecycling is like Magic! financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Recycling is like Magic! leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Recycling is like Magic! funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Recycling is like Magic! M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Recycling is like Magic!
What does Recycling is like Magic! do?
Recycling is like Magic! is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that produces and sells a portfolio of children's books about metal recycling, operates the nationwide Million Cans Recycling Contest for K-12 schools, and provides free downloadable classroom curriculum (Metal Recycling Class), coloring pages, worksheets, and the Heavy Metal Elementary animated cartoon to teach children ages K-8 about recycling, environmental stewardship, and the economics of metal scrap. Branded merchandise is sold through the Recycling Rocks Gift Shop, with revenue supplemented by tax-deductible donations to The Recycling Society.
Is Recycling is like Magic! a public or private company?
Recycling is like Magic! is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Recycling is like Magic! founded?
Recycling is like Magic! was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Recycling is like Magic! based?
Recycling is like Magic! is headquartered in Bellingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Recycling is like Magic! make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and donations.
Who are Recycling is like Magic!'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Scholastic, Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation), National Geographic Kids, EarthDay.org and Highlights for Children. Emerging players are Plastic Pollution Coalition and Eco-Schools USA. Direct peers are Earth Rangers, Captain Planet Foundation and Keep America Beautiful.
Does Recycling is like Magic! have an API?
No public API is recorded for Recycling is like Magic!.
What industry is Recycling is like Magic! in?
Recycling is like Magic!'s product category is Children's Environmental Education Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALACAG, Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail, with a secondary code of IMAIAFAH, E-Waste (WEEE) Collection, Refurbishment & Recycling. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.