Make Garbage Great

Tom Szaky is the founder and CEO of TerraCycle, an international leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, from used chip bags to cigarette butts. On a yearly basis and across 23 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, creating millions of dollars of donations for schools and charities in the process. Many of the world's largest consumer product companies contract with TerraCycle to collect and recycle post-consumer products and packaging. Through TerraCycle, Tom has pioneered a process, involving manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and community groups, to create circular solutions for waste that otherwise would go to landfills or be incinerated.  Tom is the author of two other books, Revolution in a Bottle (April 2009) and Outsmart Waste (January 2014). He is an acclaimed international public speaker, making presentations to corporate and academic audiences regularly. Tom created, produces, and stars in a new reality TV show, Human Resources, currently airing on Pivot TV. Tom and TerraCycle have received more than 100 social, environmental, and business awards from a range of organizations including the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and the Environmental Protection Agency.Albe Zakes is the Global Vice President of Marketing & Communications for TerraCycle. Albe was integral in transforming TerraCycle from a small startup into a successful and highly visible recycling innovator that runs pre- and post-consumer packaging reclamation programs for major manufacturers such as Kraft Foods, Frito-Lay, L'Oreal, 3M, Kimberly-Clark, Proctor & Gamble, and Newell Rubbermaid. PR News named Albe one of its Rising Stars of PR in 2012 and Social Media MVP in 2014; he received Cause Marketing Forum's Golden Halo Award in 2013. Albe also manages, stars in, and produces TerraCycle's Pivot TV show, Human Resources. He writes and edits the company's blogs and columns for major publications including the New York Times Magazine, TreeHugger, Sustainable Brands, and Huffington Post.