Almost everything can technically be recycled. But whether or not a local recycling service will recycle it depends on if they can make money doing so. (Think of it as “urban mining.”) If the cost of collecting and processing the waste is lower than the value of the resulting raw material, it will likely be locally recyclable. If the costs are higher, then it likely won’t be. That’s why your local recycler typically accepts profitable-to-recycle items like aluminum cans, plastics #1 and #2, and cardboard, while the rest goes in your trash can and ends up in landfills or incinerators.

That’s where TerraCycle comes in. We can recycle the unrecyclable because we partner with brands, retailers, and other stakeholders who fund the cost of recycling. Learn about our innovative models for recycling the unrecyclable.