Tom Szaky - Revolution in a Bottle: How Terracycle Is Eliminating the Idea of Waste

Praise for Revolution in a Bottle and Tom Szaky

There are lots of great companies committed to a better world, and we need many more. Tom Szakys TerraCycle is doing more than selling good green products; it is changing how manufacturers, retailers, and consumers treat their waste. His persistence and courage in overcoming a huge challenge from Miracle-Gro reminded me of Ben & Jerrys similar struggle with Hagen-Dazs. Read this book. Im glad I did.

Ben Cohen, founder, Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream

Warning, reading this book will cause you to quit everything to become an eco-entrepreneur! If you want to feel hopeful about our planet, and our ability to solve the ecological mess weve created, then stop everything and read this inspiring book. Tom Szaky represents the kind of optimistic yet pragmatic ingenuity that can turn this ship around. His quest to turn waste into profits is not only clever and rewarding, but his positive, can-do spirit is delightfully contagious.

Gary Hirshberg, president and CE-Yo, Stonyfield Farm

Like TerraCycle, The Body Shop started in a small corner of a little town with a big idea that defined our mission and fueled the companys path to success and growth. Tom Szakys big idea, capitalizing on wasted waste, is not only a formula for good business, it is also favorably changing the way individuals, manufacturers, and retailers participate in the unfortunate chain of nonrecyclable packaging.

Gordon Roddick, cofounder and former CEO,
The Body Shop International

Ecopreneurs are still a rare species today. Revolution in a Bottle will motivate and educate any reader on how to become one. Ecopreneurs, like Tom Szaky, will revolutionize and save the economy and planets future through their leadership. It is desperately needed for planetary restoration.

Horst Rechelbacher, founder, Aveda

In a time when we are facing both an economic and ecological crisis, this book is a breath of fresh air. Tom Szaky is smart and inspiring, and his work is redefining how to do business in the climate era.

Tzeporah Berman, cofounder,
ForestEthics and PowerUp Canada

As Chief Environmental Officer for Chicago, I work to resolve a myriad of environmental challenges. Clearly these challenges cant be solved by government alone. We need leadership from businesses, too, and Tom Szaky and TerraCycle are doing just that. Revolution in a Bottle is an inspiring guide to how consumers who care about a better world can partner with private companies to address a problem before it becomes a burden to the public.

Sadhu Johnston, Chief Environmental Officer, City of Chicago

Tom Szaky is the Horatio Alger for the green economy, turning other peoples rags into socially responsible riches. His exhilarating story offers inspiration and hope for next-gen capitalism by demonstrating the power of an idea whose time has comethat waste is a profitable thing to mind.

Joel Makower, executive editor, GreenBiz.com,
and author, Strategies for the Green Economy

Tom Szaky is one of the brightest lights in the socially responsible business community. With TerraCycles big vision and unique services, Tom has found ways to partner with some of the worlds largest retailers and brands and shows great imagination into how to grow a great company using other peoples trash.

Joshua Mailman, cofounder, Social Venture Network,
philanthropist and investor

Not even in my wildest dreams could I imagine that in the center of capitalism and waste, America, an immigrant entrepreneur would flourish taking waste as a business model from idea to reality. Unleash ten Toms around the world, and any sagging economy will be crunching out quality at competitive prices and responding to basic needs.

Gunter Pauli, founder and executive director,
Zero Emissions Research Initiative, Geneva, and author of UpCycling

Tom Szakys entertaining tale of worm poop and financial adventure is a part of the greatest story now being told, the necessary reconciliation of economy and ecology. If we can learn, as TerraCycle has, to redefine waste as a resource, our capitalist system can reroot itself in nature, transforming problems into opportunities.

James Gollin, chair, Rainforest Action Network

Media quotes for Revolution in a Bottle:

Szaky has written the best book on entrepreneurship Ive read. This is not the story of a huge exit, or wow technology, or big money from top-tier VCs. Its the witty, funny, poignant tale of a young Princeton dropout who finds himself up to his elbows in worm poop turned fertilizer on the way to building a pioneering upcycling company, TerraCycle.

Daniel Isenberg, Harvard Business Review

Steve Jobs or Michael Dell he isnt (yet), but Revolution in a Bottle is a fun read that captures the restless, extemporizing life of the start-up entrepreneur.

David Price, The Wall Street Journal

I do not usually want to read extracts from business books to my wife. But how many start-ups are troubled by neighbourhood gun fire between rival urban gangs, or become indirect beneficiaries of a scheme involving the farmers of America that was built around vermicompost, or worm excrement?

Jonathan Birchall, Financial Times

TerraCycle is an innovative, determined company that turned a seemingly kooky idea into an Earth-friendly moneymaker.

Linda M. Castellitto, USA Today

More than musings on the value of rubbish, this book offers an inspirational tale and sound advice for aspiring eco-entrepreneurs.

Sierra

This lively, anecdotal account is also a thoughtful examination of Szakys cost-effective, environmentally friendly methods, demonstrating how turn[ing] a vicious cycle into a virtuous one is not just possible, but profitable.

Publishers Weekly

This is a five-star book that every environmentalist should read even if they dont think theyre an entrepreneur and every entrepreneur should read even if they dont care about green.

GreenBiz.com

Tom Szakys news is a must-read for green entrepreneurs. Far from the usual boring business book, Revolution in a Bottle is a fast-paced entertaining read, chronicling TerraCycles many near-catastrophes as well as with Toms own thoughts on waste, eco-capitalism, green consumer habits, and PR strategies.

Mother Nature Network

PORTFOLIO/PENGUIN

REVOLUTION IN A BOTTLE

TOM SZAKY is the founder and CEO of TeraCycle, a global company that makes non-recyclable waste from chip bags to dirty diapers nationally recyclable. He also blogs for The New York Times, Treehugger, The Huffington Post, Packaging Digest, and many other publications, as well as stars in the National Geographic television show Garbage Moguls.

REVOLUTION

IN A BOTTLE

How to Eliminate the Idea of Waste

TOM SZAKY

PORTFOLIO/PENGUIN

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