Trashie makes recycling your old clothes effortless and rewarding. Trashie, the recycling and rewards platform that has revolutionized textile waste management, has announced its expansion into electronics recycling with the launch of the Tech Take Back Box. This new initiative represents a significant milestone for the company as it broadens its mission to tackle multiple waste streams that plague American households.
From Closets to Junk Drawers: The E-Waste Crisis
After achieving remarkable success in textile recycling—selling over 500,000 Take Back Bags and diverting 4 million pounds of materials from landfills in just 12 months—Trashie is now setting its sights on electronic waste. The timing couldn’t be more critical, as electronic waste represents one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams globally.
Kristy Caylor, founder & CEO of Trashie spoke about the urgency of this expansion: “Consumption isn’t slowing down, and fast fashion has now become instant fashion, but what we’ve been able to do at Trashie is find a way to connect with consumers, give them a fun and accessible way to recycle, and greatly help mitigate the damage,” Caylor said. “This means making it as easy, convenient, and rewarding as possible to get rid of all that stuff, and we are excited to bring the success we’ve seen with the Take Back Bag and textile recycling to e-waste, which is increasing at a rate that is almost impossible to comprehend.”
The Staggering Scale of America’s E-Waste Problem
The statistics surrounding electronic waste in America paint a concerning picture. The average American produces 47 pounds of e-waste annually, yet only 12.5% of this waste gets recycled. Even more alarming, 130 million cell phones end up in landfills every year in the United States alone.
Annie Gullingsrud, Trashie’s chief strategy officer, explained the natural progression of this expansion: “Our customers have also been saying, ‘I have this drawer, I don’t know what to do with this drawer,’ and so part of our objective here is to help customers alleviate that unwanted stuff and that clutter,” Gullingsrud said. “Clean it out, reward them for it, and then make sure all of that stuff finds the next best home.”
How the Tech Take Back Box Works
The new system mirrors Trashie’s successful textile recycling model while addressing the unique challenges of electronic waste. Customers can purchase either a small ($20) or medium ($25) Tech Take Back Box from Trashie’s website. The small box accommodates items like cell phones, cables, and chargers up to 5 pounds, while the medium version can handle tablets and computers up to 16 inches, holding up to 10 pounds of materials.
What sets Trashie apart from other e-waste programs is its acceptance policy—the company takes electronic items in any condition, whether old, new, cracked, or completely broken. After filling the box with approved electronic items, customers simply scan a QR code for a free UPS shipping label and drop it off at any UPS location.
Rewards and Security: A Comprehensive Approach
In exchange for returning the Tech Take Back Box, customers receive up to $40 in TrashieCash, which can be redeemed for rewards and deals from entertainment, dining, fitness, travel, and lifestyle brands like Sony, AMC Cinemas, Factor Meals, Sirius XM, and Allbirds in Trashie’s rewards marketplace.
Security remains a top priority in this expansion. Trashie processes all items sent via the Tech Take Back Box in North America to ensure the highest levels of security throughout the recycling and refurbishing journey. The company guarantees that data is securely handled and destroyed on-site through either the strictest standard of sanitization or physical shredding, while maximizing the recovery of valuable materials.
Gullingsrud has also commented about their to transparency: “We know how to keep things in circulation, and we know that sometimes, despite our best efforts and intentions, it doesn’t,” she said. The company plans to create detailed reports for customers “to bring more transparency into the system,” tracking packages from when customers put them in the mail to when they arrive at different facilities.
Building on Proven Success
This expansion builds on Trashie’s impressive track record in textile recycling. The company has successfully kept 95% of everything collected out of landfills through a meticulous sorting and grading process. With $13 million in venture capital funding and 28 employees, Trashie projects it will collect at least 2 million pounds of e-waste in the upcoming year.
As the company continues to grow, it expects to collect even more textiles while simultaneously addressing the mounting e-waste crisis. The launch of the Tech Take Back Box represents more than just business expansion—it’s a step toward creating a comprehensive solution for America’s household waste problem.
