What TerraCycle Global Foundation does

TerraCycle Global Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey, with operational activities concentrated in Bangkok, Thailand through its wholly-owned subsidiary TerraCycle Thai Foundation (established 2019). The foundation's core function is intercepting plastic waste in rivers and canals before it reaches the ocean, anchored by three proprietary river plastic traps deployed in Bangkok's heavily polluted Lat Phrao Canal since July 2020. These traps divert approximately 11,000 pounds of waste per week; 19-25% of collected waste is recycled locally with the remainder converted to energy locally, and zero waste reaches landfill. Cumulative waste removed since inception totals 3,626,104 pounds (1.6M+ kg), with 6,000+ participants engaged across cleanup events.

The foundation's underlying technology combines mechanical river-trap capture with a downstream sorting and baling process, and the foundation is registered with Verra under the Plastic Waste Reduction Standard to issue auditable plastic offset credits sold through the PCX marketplace. Supporting infrastructure includes a Green School Program (environmental education and waste banks in Thai schools), a citizen science partnership with Mahidol University, and recycling partnerships (Wongpanit). The foundation is governed by a parent relationship with TerraCycle Inc. and was seeded by founding partners PepsiCo Foundation, TerraCycle Inc., and Resonance Foundation, with additional Lat Phrao sponsorships from the Benioff Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, and Clean Currents Coalition.

Revenue is generated through five streams: (1) individual donations (one-time and recurring tiers of $20–$100/month plus custom), (2) recycled merchandise sales (Save the Dugong Beaded Bracelet and Flying Disc at $20 each, with 100% of proceeds funding waste removal), (3) plastic offset credits on PCX, (4) corporate CSR cleanup events in Bangkok canals and Pattaya beaches, and (5) Green School Program sponsorships ($170 per child, $5,000 per school). Pricing is anchored to a stated $1 per pound waste removal cost. Enterprise clients to date include Accor, Western Digital, Radisson, Sumitronics, Ajinomoto, Fujitsu, Agoda, and ThaiNamtip. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Shopify storefront, PayPal, Network for Good, Benevity) with enterprise field sales for CSR events and a marketplace channel for plastic credits.

Name

TerraCycle Global Foundation

Legal name

TerraCycle Global Foundation

Website

https://terracyclefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TerraCycle Global Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating river plastic cleanup traps in Bangkok's Lat Phrao Canal, serving individual donors, corporate CSR clients, and plastic credit buyers via merchandise sales, donations, and Verra-registered offset credits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Cleanup Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)

Keywords

• River plastic cleanup
• Plastic offset credits
• Recycled product sales
• Corporate sustainability events
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Trenton, New Jersey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of recycled merchandise including beaded bracelets ($20) and flying discs made from recycled river plastics. 100% of proceeds reinvested in waterway cleanup programs.
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Donation tiers at $20, $40, $60, $80, $100 monthly options, plus custom amounts. 100% of donations fund cleanup operations.
3. Plastic Credits: Sale of Verra-registered plastic offset credits through PCX marketplace for companies seeking to offset their plastic footprint.
4. CSR Cleanup Events: Corporate team building and cleanup event bookings in Bangkok canals and Pattaya beaches. Pricing tailored to group size and package.
5. Green School Program Sponsorships: Child sponsorship at $170 and school sponsorship at $5,000 to fund environmental education and participation in the Green School Program in Thailand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TerraCycle Global Foundation operates a non-profit river cleanup platform that intercepts plastic waste in Bangkok's Lat Phrao Canal using three proprietary river plastic traps, diverting approximately 11,000 pounds of waste per week from reaching the ocean. The foundation sells recycled merchandise (beaded bracelets and flying discs), offers waste offset donation products, issues Verra-registered plastic offset credits, runs corporate CSR cleanup events, and operates the Green School Program for environmental education.

Product overview

TerraCycle Global Foundation operates a platform of environmental cleanup products and programs centered on river plastic collection in Bangkok, Thailand. The core offering includes recycled merchandise (Save the Dugong Beaded Bracelet and Save the Dugong Flying Disc) and waste offset products (Take out the Trash), all priced to fund 20 lbs of waste removal per purchase. The Foundation also offers plastic credits certified under Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard, sold through the PCX marketplace. Supporting programs include the Green School Program for youth education, CSR Cleanup Events for corporate team building, Device Sponsorship for brand partnerships, and Recycled Materials Sales for businesses. All products and proceeds directly fund the organization's river cleanup operations, which have diverted over 3.6 million pounds of waste since July 2020.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Save the Dugong Beaded Bracelet A beaded bracelet made from 100% recycled materials including TerraCycle blend from cleanup operations, priced at $20. Each purchase funds the removal of 20 lbs of waste from rivers and canals. Features an adjustable, lightweight, waterproof design with a dugong bead motif, targeted at environmentally conscious consumers.
• Save the Dugong Flying Disc A 175-gram regulation-size Ultimate flying disc made from 100% recycled materials (over half being TerraCycle blend), stamped with a dugong silhouette. Priced at $20, with each purchase funding removal of 20 lbs of waste. Lightweight and durable for beach or backyard use.
• Take out the Trash (Waste Offset) A waste offset donation product allowing donors to fund removal of specific amounts of waste (10 lbs, 50 lbs, 100 lbs, or custom amounts) at $1 per pound. Includes calculators showing impact equivalents such as weekly, monthly, and yearly garbage offsets. Designed for individual donors seeking measurable donation impact.
• Plastic Credits Plastic offset credits issued through TerraCycle Thai Foundation, registered with Verra under the Plastic Waste Reduction Standard. Credits represent river waste collection and processing in Bangkok's Lat Phrao canal communities and are available for purchase through the PCX marketplace, targeted at corporations seeking to meet plastic offset and sustainability goals.
• Green School Program An educational program for students in Thailand that provides hands-on canal cleanups, workshops on recycling and sustainability, and mentorship in setting up school waste banks. Sponsorship options include $170 per child or $5,000 per school. Targeted at schools in Thailand, particularly in less privileged communities.
• CSR Cleanup Events Corporate team building canal and beach cleanup events held in Bangkok (Lat Phrao Canal) and Pattaya, Thailand. Includes hands-on plastic removal, safety equipment, community lunch, waste-sorting workshops, and post-event impact reports for CSR reporting. Past clients include Accor, Western Digital, Radisson, Sumitronics, Ajinomoto, ThaiNamtip, Fujitsu, and Agoda. Pricing tailored to group size and package.
• Device Sponsorship Program A sponsorship program allowing companies to sponsor river plastic trap devices deployed on waterways. Sponsors receive brand visibility on the device and website, with millions of views from social and traditional media coverage. Targeted at corporations seeking branded environmental sponsorship opportunities.
• Recycled Materials Sales Sale of recycled plastics collected from river cleanup operations in Thailand, enabling businesses to create their own recycled-content products with verified supply chain transparency. Targeted at consumer goods manufacturers seeking sustainable recycled feedstock.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,626,104 lbs of waste removed from rivers and waterways
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, lat phrao sponsor, citizen science partner, recycling partner, ocean waste offset partner and government.

• TerraCycle Thai FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Locally registered non-profit established in Bangkok in 2019; operational backbone for river cleanup activities at Lat Phrao Canal; executes all CSR cleanup events and community programs.
• Clean Currents Coalitionlat phrao sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLat Phrao Canal sponsor supporting waterway cleanup efforts.
• Mahidol Universitycitizen science partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen Science Partner providing academic research support and data collection for river cleanup impact measurement.
• Wongpanitrecycling partnerTechnology or IntegrationRecycling Partner for processing collected waste materials from river cleanup operations.
• Panpuriocean waste offset partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOcean Waste Offset Partner purchasing plastic credits to offset their plastic footprint.
• Kiehl'socean waste offset partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOcean Waste Offset Partner purchasing plastic credits to support sustainability goals.
• Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (Thailand)governmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment Program Support partner enabling public-private partnerships for river cleanup in Thailand.
• Bangkok Municipal AdministrationgovernmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing support for cleanup operations in Bangkok's canals and waterways.
• VerracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered with Verra under Plastic Waste Reduction Standard for issuing auditable plastic offset credits.
• PCX MarketscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace partner for selling plastic credits; enables companies to purchase ocean-bound collection credits.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Republic Services: Major U.S. recycling and solid waste services company with growing ESG-linked recycling offerings. Adjacent incumbent comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on recycling infrastructure, though operating at vastly different scale and geography.
• Waste Management, Inc. Largest North American solid waste and recycling services company. Broad incumbent in materials recovery and waste collection; comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on collection/sorting infrastructure but with full-stack waste management at industrial scale.

Emerging players

• Cleanhub: Plastic credit marketplace and waste management platform targeting consumer brands. Comparable emerging player to TerraCycle Foundation on plastic credit issuance and corporate partnerships, with a stronger marketplace/aggregation angle.
• Searious Business: Circular economy consultancy and plastics recovery operator working in Southeast Asia. Comparable emerging player to TerraCycle Foundation on regional plastics recovery, particularly in river-adjacent communities.

Others

• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global advocacy and education organization working to end plastic pollution. Thematically comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on mission and corporate accountability engagement, but does not operate river capture or credit programs.
• Alliance to End Plastic Waste: Industry-funded coalition funding projects to manage plastic waste in the environment. Comparable to TerraCycle Foundation as a thematic peer that funnels corporate capital toward river/ocean plastic solutions, though it operates as a funder/coalition rather than an operator.

Direct peers

• The Ocean Cleanup: Non-profit deploying proprietary technology to intercept plastic in rivers and oceans. Most direct comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on mission (intercepting river/marine plastic), proprietary capture technology, and use of donations and corporate partnerships.
• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that collects ocean-bound plastic and issues plastic credits through its own impact program. Comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on plastic credit issuance, river/coastal collection, and partnerships with consumer brands for offsetting.
• rePurpose Global: Plastic action platform that funds waste recovery in high-leakage regions and sells verified plastic credits to enterprises. Directly comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on the regulated-plastic-credit business model and corporate ESG customer base.

Regional players

• Mr. Green Africa: Africa-based recycling and plastic recovery company selling recycled-content materials and credits. Comparable to TerraCycle Foundation on collection of post-consumer plastic and credit monetization, but focused on the African market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terracycle-global-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TerraCycle Global Foundation