Inside TerraCycle

 

Our History

Period of Growth

2007

In 2007 the excitement spread as TerraCycle grew to 9 different product offerings at Wal-Mart and The Home Depot. TerraCycle was now selling concentrated versions of its worm poop fertilizer, as well as a biodegradable Seed Starter and Potting Mix. TerraCycle had three distinct varieties of its fertilizer (ready-to-use, concentrate, and solid) selling nationally at two major retailers. Unfortunately, all of this positive attention attracted some unwanted attention. A lawsuit was filed against TerraCycle by Scotts Miracle-Gro. The 2 billion dollar behemoth claimed TerraCycle had committed trade dress infringement and false advertising. Tom reassured his team, recognizing the impending suit as an opportunity. So, instead of settling out of court or admitting fault, TerraCycle launched a counter offensive, centered on a blog called suedbyscotts.com. Armed with only a press release and a blog, TerraCycle was got national media attention with articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, BusinessWeek and the Associated Press to name just a few! After a strong offensive from both sides, the case was settled on amicable terms. Meanwhile, the extra publicity garnered from the suit helped TerraCycle’s

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Bottle Brigade hit 5,000 participants (more than anyone ever imagined) in a matter of months, Tom saw this as a sign that the sky was the limit. The popularity of the Bottle Brigade lead to a new partnership: In August 2007, TerraCycle launched the Drink Pouch Brigade, with founding sponsor, Honest Tea.

The new program was designed to pay schools to collect used drink pouches. Neither company knew what to expect, so 100 spaces were opened. Less than 24 hours later all 100 spots were filled!

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With a renewed confidence, TerraCycle decided to expand its product offerings with even more new products. First, the Urban Art Pot made from electronic waste, or E-waste, showed up on store shelves. Then two other items, the Rotary Composter, and the Rain Barrel, both of which are created out of old wine barrels, made their way into Sam’s Clubs and The Home Depot.

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At the same time, TerraCycle launched two new Brigade programs, the Yogurt Brigade and The Energy Bar Wrapper Brigade, sponsored by Stonyfield Farm and CLIF BAR, respectively. As of TC’s brigade programs grew in popularity, Tom had an epiphany: The idea of Sponsored Waste was born.