That plastic Coke bottle you pitched into the trash could soon be back on a store shelf, filled with worm waste and ready to be sold a second time.
That plastic Coke bottle you pitched into the trash could soon be back on a store shelf, filled with worm waste and ready to be sold a second time.
The next time, though, instead of the unmistakable red and white Coke logo, the bottle will carry a bright yellow TerraCycle label, advertising the organic plant fertilizer inside.
TerraCycle is a New Jersey company that makes a line of liquid plant fertilizers that are 100 percent recycled -- from the fertilizer to the recycled cardboard containers it is shipped in. Even the spray nozzles on the bottles have been recycled.
"In the Western world, it's the first product made from waste," said spokesman Barry Brinster. "The more of it we make, the less waste there is."
TerraCycle makes an all-purpose fertilizer and two specialized versions for orchids and African violets. The 20-ounce bottles sell for about $4. The all-purpose formula is also available in a two-liter bottle for about $7.
TerraCycle recruits the help of its "Bottle Brigade," a network of 300 schools, churches and nonprofits that collects 20-ounce soda bottles for the company. The groups, which include St. Stephens Lutheran School in Hickory, receive 5 cents a bottle.
TerraCycle will get a big push into the mainstream this month when Home Depot and Wal-Mart stores begin selling its products.
"We even have some schools planning field trips to Home Depot just to see the products they helped make," Brinster said.
Getting onto the shelves of major retail stores is a big step for the small company, which has yet to turn a profit. So far, angel investors have been keeping the company afloat with private money.
"Last year and this year have been years in which you can say we're emerging," Brinster said. "We're at least on the radar screen. This year we're hoping to break even. Then we're hoping for profitability in 2007."
For a retailer looking to amplify its image as a socially and economically responsible corporation, offering more eco-friendly choices is a smart move.
"This product falls in line with Wal-Mart's sustainability goals, some of which are to reduce our fleet mileage by one-half, reduce store energy use by a third, and creating a new line of organic clothing," said Wal-Mart spokesman Michael Mills.
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Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
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