top banner
Tom Szaky
Tom Szaky
TerraCycle, Inc.
www.terracycle.net
 
Tom Szaky, 27, is the Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, Inc., producer of the world's first product made from waste (worm poop) and packaged in waste (used plastic bottles.) TerraCycle has twice won the Home Depot Environmental Stewardship Award for being the most eco-friendly product sold at Home Depot. In 2006, Inc. Magazine named TerraCycle, "The Coolest Little Start-Up in America!" That same year Tom was named the "#1 CEO in America Under 30", in 2007 Tom was named a Top Innovator by the Social Venture Network and in 2008 he was named top Brand Innovator by Brandpackaging Magazine.
 
Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1982, Tom emigrated with his family as political refugees from Hungary to Holland. In 1989 he and his family again emigrated from Holland to Canada. At age 14 he started his first business, a Web design company called Flyte Design, which employed three associates and earned its young proprietor a five-figure income. Flyte Design also earned a number of Canadian national design awards. Tom then engaged in the start-up of three small but successful 'dot.com' companies.
 
Tom came to the United States in 2001 when he matriculated as a Princeton University freshman. In 2002, he dropped out of college to dedicate himself full-time to starting TerraCycle, Inc., beginning as a two-man outfit in a dorm room in Princeton. Despite being on the verge of bankruptcy a year into starting the business, Tom turned down a million dollar grand prize from the Carrot Capital Business Plan because the investors wanted TerraCycle to become less focused on being environmentally responsible.
 
TerraCycle recent growth has been focused on an idea called Sponsored Waste. The concept allows TerraCycle to get low cost waste materials, free PR and helps schools and other community groups to earn money and teach their communities about the environment. TerraCycle works with major companies such as Kraft Foods, Stonyfield Farm, CLIF BAR, Mars and Frito Lay to sponsor the collection of post-consumer packaging from CPG products. TerraCycle upcycles the collected 'waste' material into affordable, eco-friendly products. Last year alone, TerraCycle donated almost $100,000 to charities, schools and churches while collecting millions of units of non-recyclable packaging waste.
 
Today, after doubling in size for four straight years, TerraCycle occupies a 20,000 sq. ft. factory in an Urban Enterprise Zone in Trenton, NJ, where it employs nearly 45 workers in its labor force and is a second chance employer as part of its pledge to being socially beneficial. That means the company hires former veterans, convicts, drug addicts and the homeless to work hard as a part of team.
 
For more information or get involved in one of our Sponsored Waste programs, please visit: www.terracycle.net.