Waste is natural to every living system. We all consume and at some point eliminate. Eventually, everything and everyone has an end of life….Globally, humanity has evolved into the modern disposable society, readily buying and discarding non-recyclable products and packaging that were designed to enhance consumer convenience and regular repeat purchases…The flush syndrome is very much an aspect of our shadow, and it festers into a collective disrespect for our home, our planet.

You probably already know that reuse and recycling are much better for the environment than landfill or incineration. You probably don’t know that almost EVERYTHING is recyclable; from candy wrappers to pens and toothbrushes, to cigarette butts— TerraCycle gets manufacturers to sponsor national collection and recycling programs for waste streams they create.

In nature, waste is manna, and is becoming gold in the world of Tom Szaky. His vision benefits the earth, the poor, and the giant corporations at the same time. Eventually it becomes the new conventional wisdom.

For the most part, consumers, and I am very much a part of this, buy disposable items and discard them, and we are largely inattentive to where our waste goes. Tom’s prescription isn’t abstinence: He, too, likes to buy and own and he is very much aware of the short life cycle of most goods.

If you only look at the “fast-moving consumer goods” sector, about 80% of the $3.2 trillion material value is lost every year. Most of us are sheltered from the environmental and human impact of our everyday decisions and lifestyles. We are bombarded with messages of consuming more, and we respond by purchasing things that we may or may not need. The positive side of this challenge is that as consumers, we are uniquely positioned to stem and reverse the tide of garbage.