TerraCycle is gaining ground in the food industry with new customers for its waste reuse and recycling models.
The Kroger Co. is working with TerraCycle to give people nationwide a way to recycle flexible packaging of more than 300 products from Simple Truth, the grocery chain’s natural and organic line, which the company says is the largest brand of its kind.
And Bimbo Bakeries USA, which says it’s the largest baking company in the U.S., is making all bread, bun, bagel and English muffin packaging easily recyclable. The company, with brands including Brownberry, Entenmann’s and Sara Lee, will use all sustainable packaging by 2025, part of a larger commitment by its parent company, Grupo Bimbo.
Flexible packaging, such as produce bags, bread bags and overwrap from tissues and bottled water, isn’t accepted in curbside recycling. With TerraCycle, people or groups sign up for a brand’s recycling program online, collect plastic flexible packaging and ship it with a free prepaid shipping label. You earn points to redeem as donations to charities, based on the pounds of packaging sent .
More customers are looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprints, Kroger says.
"As the first major retailer to create a free recycling program for their own private-label brand, Kroger is offering consumers the opportunity to divert packaging from landfills and make a positive impact on the environment for future generations,” says Tom Szaky, TerraCycle founder and CEO.
Last year, Kroger became the exclusive U.S. grocery retail partner for Loop, TerraCycle's reusable packaging platform. The grocer aims to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags in stores by 2025 and use 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging for its brands by 2030.
Other recent TerraCycle partners in the industry include Tailored personalized dog food, Lundberg Family Farms Rice, F. Gaviña & Sons coffee roasters, Lavazza Professional coffee, Gerber baby food, and RB for its Enfamil infant formula.
