Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle -- the company called "the most eco-friendly in America" -- will present, "TerraCycle: Revolution in a Bottle," on Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m. in Textor Hall 102. This Earth Week presentation is the first in the new "Commit to Change" speaker series.
Tom Szaky, cofounder and CEO of TerraCycle, Inc., is recognized for being an "eco-capitalist." His TerraCycle Plant Food (made from worm poop) is available at numerous retail outlets, including Wal-mart and Whole Foods, and has been named the most eco-friendly product in Home Depot.
From his inner-city headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey, TerraCycle has now grown to three large North American facilities manufacturing more than 50 consumer products. These environmentally friendly products include garbage cans made from crushed computers, handbags made from energy bar wrappers and juice pouches, and eco-friendly binders and pencils. The company's business plan is simple: recycle stuff that people either don't value -- or in many cases value negatively -- into usable products. The result is a brand that has been called the most eco-friendly in America -- all while holding true to three simple brand principles: better, greener, and, most important, cheaper.
Szaky will also sign copies of his new book, available for sale at the event. Revolution in a Bottle: From Worm Poop to a Garbage Empire That Is Redefining Green Business tells the story of how Szaky, while a freshman at Princeton, cofounded a company that recycles garbage into worm poop, liquefies it, then packages it in used soda bottles, creating TerraCycle Plant Food. Less than five years later, this all-natural, highly effective fertilizer was available in every Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, and more than 3,000 other locations. It's a thrilling entrepreneurial success story -- and it's just the beginning of what makes Revolution in a Bottle a fascinating read.
Funding for the "Commit to Change" speaker series was provided by the major grant awarded to environmental studies from the HSBC in the Community program.
This event is free and open to the public.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20090410170030833