Travis Makes Money INTERVIEW | Make Money Turning Trash into a $100M Business with TerraCycle Founder, Tom Szaky
Tom Szaky is the founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste and building innovative circular economy solutions. Starting the company from a college dorm at Princeton University, Tom transformed a simple idea—turning worm waste into fertilizer—into a nearly $100 million international business. His approach combines profit with purpose, proving that entrepreneurs can solve massive environmental problems while building highly scalable companies.
On this episode we talk about:
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How TerraCycle started with worm poop fertilizer and scaled to millions in revenue
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Why most “recyclable” items actually aren’t recycled—and the real economics behind it
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How Tom pivoted from a product company to a global recycling platform
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Creative, scrappy tactics used to land major retailers like Walmart
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Building a business model where brands pay to recycle their own waste
Top 3 Takeaways
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The best business opportunities often exist in overlooked, “boring” industries like waste.
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Your first idea isn’t your final one—successful entrepreneurs pivot when they find a better model.
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Aligning profit with purpose can create a scalable business that solves real-world problems.
Notable Quotes
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"Garbage is the only material in the world that we pay to get rid of."
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"Recycling exists not where it’s possible, but where it’s profitable."
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"Take criticism as a gift—it's the fastest way to improve your business."
Connect with Tom Szaky:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomszaky
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/terracyclevideos
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terracycle/
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Other: https://www.terracycle.com
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