Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008 - (Page 15)

F E AT U R E S TO RY inspired by — get this — a box of worms. The idea was simple: take waste, process it and turn it into a useful product. The initial business plan was written for a contest sponsored by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Club.. As a result, Szaky and Beyer were permitted access to Princeton’s dining hall waste the following summer in order to process their prototype “Worm Gin.” Toward the end of that same summer, Szaky and Beyer found their first investor. The company continued, funded by prize money from TerraCycle’s business plan contests environmentally safe cleaners are and angel investors. A major breakthrough packaged in reused soda bottles. was achieved in May 2004 when The Home Depot began selling TerraCycle Plant Food on its Web site. In 2005, Whole Foods, Home Depot Canada, Wal-Mart Canada, Wild Oats and Do-It-Best also began carrying the line. Most CONSUMER GOODS TECHNOLOGY | recently, TerraCycle — which achieved approximately $3 million in sales in 2007 — was named one of the 100 most innovative companies by Red Herring magazine and awarded the Environmental Stewardship Award from Home Depot Canada. Still, TerraCycle has its share of challenges as a small innovative company: “In terms of Bathroom Cleaner, Natural Window Cleaner and Drain Maintainer and Cleaner. These all-natural, non-toxic cleaners are made using the latest technology, turning naturally occurring essential oils into effective and safe cleaners for any situation. The cleaners are sold nationwide at OfficeMax and The Home Depot stores. “ W E A R E M A K I N G [ P RO D U C T S ] F RO M M AT E R I A L S T H AT U P T O T H I S P O I N T H A V E B E E N C O N S I D E R E D T O B E WA S T E .” – T O M S Z A K Y, C E O, T E R R A C YC L E funding, one of our biggest challenges has been product development and quality control. Again, there is no blueprint and we have had to set our own standards,” says Szaky. “All in all, we have just learned to use the knowledge we have acquired through these ups and downs relatively quickly. As a flat company, we can respond and continue to be nimble in our business prowess.” A N E W C AT E G O R Y Beyond plant food, TerraCycle is launching four brand new environmentally safe cleaners: Natural All Purpose Cleaner, Natural | W W W. C O N S U M E R G O O D S . C O M “What makes our products unique outside of the product being good for the environment is the fact we package it in reused soda bottles. We even get the spray heads from end runs that companies were going to throw away. Our products have a zero footprint on the environment,” says James Artis, a spokesman for TerraCycle. Got garbage? Visit www.terracycle.net to join one of the company’s many “Brigade” programs. TerraCycle will pay for your cookie wrappers, juice pouches, yogurt containers, soda bottles, energy bar wrappers and more. — B Y A L L I S TO N AC K E R M A N 15 J U LY 2 0 0 8 http://www.homedepot.ca http://www.officemax.com http://www.terracycle.net http://www.homedepot.com http://www.homedepot.com http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com http://www.walmart.ca http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/wildoats http://www.doitbest.com http://WWW.CONSUMERGOODS.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008

Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008 Contents Edit Note Insights Special Report Catching Up With... Energy-Minded Efficiency Waste to Wonder Greater Good Natural Business Built to Last Setting Sustainable Goals Sustainability, Part 2 CGT Events Between the Lines

Consumer Goods Technology - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.