EnviroHumanImpact

You know that feeling after a worm takes a huge dump? Awesome!

Actually, let’s talk about many many worms pooping lots of little bits to make a product called, “Worm Poop.” Disgusting? Look for it at your Home Depot!

TerraCycle is a young company started by two Princeton dropouts, Co-founders Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer, one of whom, while visiting a friend, found his collection of worms making compost in a plastic container in his kitchen (after a night of drinking). Fascinated at his friend’s method of getting soil for some “plants in his basement,” (watch the video!), he began thinking of a way to make a company that could make and market composted organic waste for gardening.

Fast forward a few years. After spending lots of their own money and trying to make this work, the fledgling company had survived and forged ahead by entering and winning business contests. They won many, but one offered the company, that then had about $500 in its account, $1 Million! They won, but because of stipulations (it’s explained in the video) that would ask that they tweak their model, they turned it down.

They were about ready to sell the product, but had no packaging, so they foraged through Princeton students’ recycling bins to get soda bottles, into which they put their product for market. Ingenious! In fact, now that they are doing well (their products are carried in Home Depot, Walgreens, and Target stores, among others!) they still are reusing soda bottles for this purpose, collected at elementary schools, where they pay for each bottle collected. The bottles are cleaned, the labels removed, and they slip the bottle into their wrap-around labeling.

The sprayers for the liquefied worm poop are other companies’ extras. The boxes it is shipped in are other companies’ mis-prints. Here you have a commonsense approach to organic gardening. Organic matter is saved from landfills, turned into a usable product for enriching soil for vegetable or flower gardens (and planters), and mass distributed to consumers.

And all because two guys believed it could work — pretty much every piece of what they sell is recycled and recyclable: what’s in the bottle, the bottle, the sprayer, and the boxes in which it is shipped to retailers. And they’re making money — selling worm poop!

We’ll be talking soon about how you can make your own worm poop! But if you’re lacking time and want an organic solution for gardening, pick up a bottle of Worm Poop today. Expect a review of this product soon!

Also noteworthy: they have many recycled products, like reusable bags (made of such items as used juice pouches), office products, cleaning products, and a drain opener. Check it all out at www.terracycle.net.

Most encouraging is their commitment to reducing waste. They’re finding uses for all sorts of waste products, like corks, cookie wrappers, and power bar wrappers, that, we have to assume, will be remade into usable products.

What other waste to usable product ideas do you have?

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