It is not a new concept. Recycling is supposed to feel good morally – socially, politically, maybe even religiously. But is this enough?
Obesity is not just about those feelings.
Most people receive a basic education about recycling and landfills in elementary school, then continue to learn about the relationship between waste and greenhouse gas emissions during high school. By college, many become aware of global social movements related to climate change.
In a Statista Research Department survey conducted from October 2021 to July 2022, about 63% of Gen Zers said they care about tracking their environmental impact.
Corporations have been hit with just as much social pressure as individuals – if not more so. Millions of companies have committed to implementing more sustainable practices in sourcing, manufacturing, packaging and marketing on a global scale.
However, it is about something very personal. Will you throw your plastic cup in the right bin? Would you throw your broken furniture in a landfill? And, what are you going to do with that pile of old clothes that have been sitting in the back of your closet for years?
A New York-based recycling start-up has offered a unique solution.
Trashie wants you to send in your old textiles, and in return, the company will give you cash back to shop at top brands like Cozy Earth, AllBirds, and more.
Kristy Caylor is the CEO and mastermind behind Trashie. Her idea was simple; help people reduce the burden of textiles in their home by setting up a system where they are incentivized to do so.
“Everyone has a lot of stuff they’re trying to get rid of in an environmentally responsible way, and yet sustainable options are often inconvenient and expensive,” Caylor explained. “Trashie makes it easy, rewarding – and fun – for people to make the sustainable choice.
The Take Back Bag works in three easy steps.
“It’s a big bag, fill it with anything from any brand in any condition. Scan a QR code on the outside of the bag to get a free mailing label and drop it off at a UPS center and we reward you with Trashiecash,” Caylor said.
According to Caylor, the results are already paying off. “In 2023 alone, Trashie sold 380,000 Take Back bags, meaning we diverted 5.8 million items, totaling 2.9 million pounds, from landfills,” she noted.
The company is quite transparent about this “cycle down process”. Trashie partners with a global network of retailers who buy very specific classified items – whether it’s warm coats going to Eastern Europe or beat-up T-shirts going to field workers in Southeast Asia.
Trashie only officially launched in February, but the impact is already clear. People buy bags, and then they buy them again and again.
Each bag costs $15 to buy, but after a customer fills it with textiles and returns it, they can earn $30 in TrashieCash, which goes towards rewards for clothing, dining, entertainment, sporting goods, wellness and more . Shoppers get a free return bag for every five they order, in addition to free shipping.
“I got my first bag, stuffed it full of used t-shirts, printed the shipping label and dropped it off at the post office. It was so easy, I ordered two more bags. I used my closet money to get Zero Waste linens,” said one reviewer. “They work great. Everything should be so easy.”
Aside from the simple cleaning process, Trashie users are really excited about the opportunity to use their money to claim some great rewards, whether it’s buying new clothes or saving money on a big-ticket item they have expected to reward him. in.
“I was excited to be able to send these clothes somewhere that I knew would keep them out of a landfill and make sure they didn’t just make the Earth’s problems worse. I can’t wait to be able to use the credits mine to buy gifts for friends and family members.”
While Trashie is off to a promising start, it still has a lot to do. According to messages on the site, the company has a lofty mission and it will take time to expand its reach.
“Our goal is to become everyone’s default choice for clothing recycling. When we work together at scale, it’s a huge step forward for circularity, sparking the systems change we all want to see in the world.”
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