Casella, TerraCycle program targets plastic collection

Casella Waste Systems and New Jersey-based TerraCycle have launched a previously announced recycling collection program in Burlington, Vermont, that will target “hard to recycle” items, predominantly made from plastic. The companies list “coffee capsules, cosmetic packaging, eyewear, office supplies, pet food packaging, toys and various types of plastic packaging” as targeted materials.

If the program proves to be what Rutland, Vermont-based Casella Waste calls “economically and environmentally valuable for customers” in the pilot group, the company says it then “hopes to bring it to other areas of its operating footprint in the future.”

“We’re excited to partner with TerraCycle on this project to explore how we can recycle more material and help customers and communities better achieve their recycling goals,” says John W. Casella, board chair and CEO of Casella Waste. “As with any pilot project, we expect to learn how to scale this resource management program and ensure that it can be economically viable during the trial. We are proud to try something new that might help further advance recycling and the circular economy in Burlington and beyond.”

Casella Waste says the subscription-based pickup service establishes it as “one of the first fully integrated resource management companies in the country to offer additional services for 20 waste streams not accepted in curbside recycling.”

Customers subscribe to the TerraCycle Pouch by Casella website and choose a plan. Casella Waste then delivers recycling pouches; once the pouches are full, customers request a pickup by scanning the pouch’s QR code or logging into their account. Customers then place their full pouches on their doorstep, where Casella will pick them up and TerraCycle will recycle the (acceptable) materials inside.

“Through the TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program, we are enabling consumers to divert waste from the landfill, engage their communities and be rewarded for their effort,” TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky says. “By encouraging consumers to rethink what is waste, this program helps build awareness that solutions do exist for items that may seem otherwise unrecyclable.”

Through the pilot program, households and businesses in and around Burlington can subscribe to the service for the targeted items, which are not accepted in curbside recycling bins. The full list of accepted items (which includes expanded polystyrene [EPS] foam cups and trays), including descriptions of how each material will be recycled, can be found on a program website page.