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Recycling the Unrecyclable with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle
Season 21
Episode 5
Published 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Can we actually recycle cigarette butts, dirty nappies, and coffee pods? Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle and the reuse platform Loop, joins Grant Gibson to reveal how 'Material Intelligence' can turn global rubbish into a viable business.
In this episode, we dive into the economics of waste and the design of a circular future. We discuss:
- The ‘Milkman’ Model: How Loop is bringing back convenient reuse.
- Dirty Nappies & Chewing Gum: The tech behind recycling the ‘unrecyclable’.
- The Problem with Sandpaper: Why some materials remain a design flaw.
- Business of Rubbish: From a ‘worm poop’ startup to a global powerhouse.
- Politics & Sustainability: Building a green business in a shifting climate.
Tom also reflects on his journey as a refugee, dropping out of Princeton, and why his office is permanently filled with trash.
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