Casella, Terracycle partner for hard-to-recycle items program

Casella Waste Systems Inc., a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, Vermont, has partnered with TerraCycle, a Trenton, New Jersey-based recycling company specializing in hard-to-recycle materials, to launch the “TerraCycle Pouch by Casella” pilot subscription program.  

Beginning in the fall, residents in and around Burlington, Vermont, can subscribe to a supplementary recycling service for various items that are not acceptable in curbside recycling. With this pilot program, Casella says it will be one of the first fully integrated resource management companies to offer additional services for materials that are not accepted in curbside recycling.  

“We’re excited to partner with TerraCycle on this pilot project to explore how we can recycle more material and help customers and communities achieve their recycling goals,” says John W. Casella, chairperson and CEO of Casella. “As with any pilot project, we expect that there will be challenges and opportunities uncovered as we go. Exploring this new opportunity feels similar to the early days of residential curbside recycling in Vermont, and we are proud to try something new that might help further advance recycling in Burlington and beyond.”  

According to a joint news release from Casella and TerraCycle, residents can subscribe to TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program online. Casella then delivers pouches that can be filled with hard-to-recycle items that aren’t accepted in curbside recycling. This includes flexible plastic packaging, plastic foam products and coffee capsules as well as miscellaneous items like clothing, office supplies and more. The full list of acceptable items, including descriptions of how they will be recycled, will soon be posted on Casella's website.  

Residents then request pick up online, and Casella collects the pouches, and TerraCycle picks them up for processing.  

The companies say the goal is to provide a convenient recycling solution for items that do not belong in curbside recycling bins while also reducing contamination levels in local recycling facilities.   

“Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our mission to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and provide solutions for difficult to recycle items that are not traditionally recyclable curbside,” says Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “Through our partnership with Casella and the introduction of the TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program, we are encouraging consumers to rethink what is waste, as well as help foster awareness that solutions do exist for items that may seem otherwise unrecyclable.”  

The TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program will be open to any interested individual, school, office or community organization. Consumers interested in receiving more information about the TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program can register their email address here.