How Tom Szaky turned worm poop into a $92 million business

Solving problems for companies bigger than yours is a key step in building a money-making business — the kind that can fund your “moonshot.” That’s exactly what Tom Szaky did. His company, TerraCycle, used its expertise and experience in recycling to turn a problem — unrecyclable product waste like cigarette butts, disposable diapers and all kinds of packaging — into a marketing opportunity. Working with brands including Colgate, Pampers and Target, TerraCycle transformed these waste products into highly visible community projects like playground equipment. 

TerraCycle today generates an estimated $92 million in revenue.

But he didn’t stop there. Szaky used the operating income he generated from TerraCycle to launch his ambitious new venture, Loop, by leveraging those same skills and relationships. Loop excited Tom because it fulfilled a personal and corporate mission: eliminating the idea of waste. 

If Tom’s bet on Loop pays off, its total addressable market (TAM) would be every consumer products company in the world. If you want to learn more about Szaky’s road to success and get personal insights and tips from Szaky and other highly successful entrepreneurs, sign up today for How I Did It — a new free initiative from Birthing of Giants that provides step-by-step explainer videos from fast-growth entrepreneurs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lewis Schiff is the Chairman of the Board of Experts for Birthing of Giants and the Executive Director for Moonshots & Moneymakers. He is the author of several books on success and a columnist for Forbes and Worth Magazines.

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