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Revolution in a Bottle: How TerraCycle Is Redefining Green Business [Paperback]

Tom Szaky , Paul Hawken
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 18, 2009
The amazing story of what Inc. calls "The coolest little startup in America."

While a freshman at Princeton, Tom Szaky co- founded a company that recycles garbage into worm poop, liquefies it, then packages it in used soda bottles, creating TerraCycle Plant Food. Five years later, this all-natural, highly effective fertilizer is available in every Home Depot, Target,Wal?Mart, and more than 3000 other locations. It's a thrilling entrepreneurial success story-and just the beginning of what makes Revolution in a Bottle fascinating.

Szaky argues for a new approach to business, an "ecocapitalism" based on a "triple bottom line." Every business, he says, should aspire to be good for people, good for the environment, and (last but definitely not least) good for profits. He shows how the first two goals can help the third.

Many companies brag about being environmentally-friendly. But no one does it as effectively as TerraCycle. Now they're also reusing garbage to create new products, from bird feeders to tote bags, and even engaging major companies like Kraft and General Mills to sponsor their waste streams.

In the spirit of TerraCycle, this book will be printed on 100% recycled materials.

About the Cover:

This may look like a book jacket, but it's actually your very own upcycling container. Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, is dedicated to eliminating the concept of waste. His firm works with other companies to collect and reuse nonrecyclable packaging and upcycle it into eco-friendly affordable products. And they want your help.

One such company is Bear Naked(r), an all-natural food and lifestyle brand that has partnered with Terra-Cycle to operate the Bear Naked(r) Bag Brigade. This free program makes a donation to a school or nonprofit for every bag a participant collects. Now you can join in by using your book jacket as an envelope. See the back flap for instructions-it's easy. Then fill it with a used Bear Naked(r) granola bag and drop it in a mailbox to become a part of TerraCycle's eco- revolution! Bear Naked(r) will even donate $1 to plant a tree in American Forests, up to $5,000. Offer expires 12/31/09 or after the first 25,000 copies are sold, whichever comes first.


Frequently Bought Together

Revolution in a Bottle: How TerraCycle Is Redefining Green Business + Companies on a Mission: Entrepreneurial Strategies for Growing Sustainably, Responsibly, and Profitably
Price for both: $34.66

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“TerraCycle is doing more than selling good green products; it is changing how manufacturers, retailers, and consumers treat their waste. Read this book. I’m glad I did.”
—Ben Cohen, cofounder, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author. Starting at age 20, he dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His practice has included starting and running ecological businesses, writing and teaching about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with governments and corporations on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 189 pages
  • Publisher: Portfolio Trade (February 18, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1591842506
  • ISBN-13: 978-1591842507
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
(6)
3.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read Revolution in a Bottle in one-sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a number of other books written by young entrepreneurs, and characteristics that make this one unique are:

1. Tom's company truly has the potential to redefine what a consumer product is and its impact on the environment.

2. Tom's story is an example that successful companies aren't built overnight. Tom spent years of his life ardently focusing on the growth of the company and seeing it through times of near-bankruptcy. This book really gives a clear picture of what it takes to start and grow a company.

3. Tom's story is very entertaining. From gun shots into his house, near bankruptcy, coming up with his business idea from a marijuana plant, etc., this book is definitely a page-turner.
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15 of 21 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Hype in a bottle? April 10, 2009
Format:Paperback
This was an interesting book and in many ways Mr. Szaky's mission is an inspiring one. That said, the book itself is light on content and heavy on irrelevant details. I think it would be enough if we all agreed that Tom Szaky is a really cool cat and then that was the end of it, freeing him up to deal with the real issues that are at stake here. Instead, be prepared to have your nose rubbed in it for the duration of the read.

Mr. Szaky's business model is an interesting one and he should be commended for what he has accomplished. One does wonder, however, if he is simply offering a cheap get-out-of-jail-free card to industries whose behaviors could and should be aggressively regulated by the state.

The cover of the book is cleverly designed to be folded and taped into a mail-in envelop that the reader can use to send his own collection of detritus to Mr. Szaky to be upcycled into a prom dress or a napsack or whatever. Unfortunately, the publisher saw fit to make sure that the book was supplied with two covers so that the reader could participate in the revolution without defacing the book itself, thus duplicating the environmental impact of this particular book cover and nullifying the underlying argument. This might be an appropriate metaphor for much of the environmental movement in the U.S. today--easy choices that look good and feel good but that don't, in the end, make a very significant dent in the underlying problem. Hopefully Tetracycle does better than this in their other business practices.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Only in America January 7, 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love this book. it's about the power of a really positive attitude, perseverance, hard work and a sense of humor. It 's about the value of a young person who got an idea and would not let go. You could say Tom is, "willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause"! and the fact that the heavenly cause is worm poop and saving the environment makes it no less important to him . As a result he has people working for him for nothing much of the time. God, I wish I had been there I would have taken up the pooper scooper and follow as well. It was said best in the movie BABE... "Little ideas that tickle and nag should not be ignored, for there in lie the seeds of greatness." and for the seeds of greatness to grow,,, what is better than the best fertilizer?
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