How the Zero Waste Box™ Works
The Zero Waste Box™ system is the all-in-one recycling solution from TerraCycle® that can be used by everyone to recycle everything.
With our box, pouch, and pallet solutions, it is easy to make a positive impact and reduce what you send to landfill. The Zero Waste Box system is a perfect option for any home, school, or business.
Find out which Zero Waste Box system is right for you with this short quiz.
How it works
- Shop: Browse our selection of zero waste solutions and select the one that fits your needs. Browse solutions
- Collect: Fill your zero waste solution with the trash you'd like to recycle.
- Ship & Recycle: When filled, send your zero waste solution back to us using the attached prepaid shipping label and we'll #RecycleEverything - Yup, even the solution & liner!
- Reorder: Continue to recycle everything and reorder a new Zero Waste Box.
Our Recycling Process
Everything collected through the Zero Waste Box solution is sorted and processed into raw materials that can be reused instead of sent to landfills. We’ve developed recycling solutions for even the most complex waste. Read below to learn how different types of material are recycled.
PLASTICS: Plastics are separated by number, melted down, and turned into pellets that can be molded and extruded to produce new products.
METALS: Metals are separated by type and smelted into metal sheeting, ingots, or bar stock.
GLASS: Glass is cleaned and sorted by color for processing. It is then crushed and melted to be used in new glass products or cement and concrete applications.
ORGANICS: Organics are composted or used in industrial and commercial fertilizers.
FIBERS: Fibers are hydropulped to separate wax or plastic coatings. The separated fiber is recycled into new paper products or composted if recycling is not possible. Any resulting plastics are recycled into plastic polymers.
FABRICS: Textiles are sorted by type and are recycled, upcycled, or reused as appropriate. Textiles of mixed fibers are converted to energy. Natural fiber textiles (cotton) are turned into a "shoddy" or insulation. Synthetic fiber textiles (polyester) are pelletized and made into new plastic products.
ELECTRONICS: Electronics collected for recycling, also known as e-waste, are mechanically and manually separated into metals and plastics. Salvageable materials are refurbished and reused. All data is wiped, but we advise restoring your device to factory settings before sending it in.
COOKING OIL: Cooking oil will be consolidated by our brand partner American By-Products Recyclers and turned into biodiesel or mechanical lubricants.
CIGARETTES: Cigarettes are shredded and separated into plastics, papers, and organics.
LATEX PAINTS: Latex paint is separated into water and solids, which are then run through an extruder. The water is stripped from the materials as water vapor and the solids are melted and formed into pellets. The pellets can be used as a base for colorants or as additives to other recycled polymers.
For a deep dive into our recycling process, click here.