We are a nation of convenience, and nothing was more convenient than curbside recycling. Collect your items in a bin and put them out on pickup day. Easy! But as more and more municipalities decreased the types of acceptable items, such as glass or most plastics, the days of recycling without barriers were gone. Not so easy.
TerraCycle, a company I have written about before, attempts to fill this void by recycling just about anything (cigarette butts and used diapers are my favorite examples). TerraCycle has recently launched a new service called TerraCycle Home Pick-Up, where TerraCycle will come to your home to collect items affiliated with this program. They currently take two dozen waste streams that vary from toys to textiles to plastic packaging, and they plan to add more. You put any of the accepted items in the bags they provide and leave them in a collection box they also give you in front of your residence. You can register a pick-up by going online or just scanning a QR code on the collection bin. That’s it.
I usually try to promote options that are free and easy. While TerraCycle Home Pick-Up is extremely convenient, it does come with a cost. There are different pricing options that depend on the frequency of home pick-up that range from a one-time event to a yearly subscription. With that said, I do feel the program is reasonably priced and certainly supports an organization that is hyper-committed to reducing waste.
Unfortunately, this program is only currently available in limited areas, but hopefully TerraCycle will expand their service soon. It is available where one of my family members lives and they were excited to recently enroll.
Today when everyone wants ease and convenience, I believe this program hits the mark. If you are interested in this time-saving service, please check to see if it is available in your area. If it is not now, check again in the coming months, as they plan to expand where this service is offered. TerraCycle has been the leader in finding ways to recycle the unrecyclable, and this new service is just one more way they are moving towards achieving that goal!