RUTLAND, VT. — Casella Waste Systems, Inc. and TerraCycle announced the collaborative launch of TerraCycle Pouch by Casella on Oct. 4, a pilot program through which households and businesses in the Burlington, Vt., area can subscribe to receive recycling services for plastic materials not readily accepted in curbside bins.

The service will accept pet food packaging, coffee capsules, cosmetics packaging, eyewear, office supplies, toys, and other various types of plastic packaging materials that can be difficult to recycle. Collected materials will be recycled by TerraCycle’s material recovery partners, sorted and recycled into a raw format to fuel the development of new durable products.

Casella and TerraCycle plan to use a portion of these materials for the development of recycled benches that will be installed back into the Burlington community.

“We’re excited to partner with TerraCycle on this project to explore how we can recycle more material and help customers and communities better achieve their recycling goals,” said John W. Casella, chairman and chief executive officer of Casella. “As with any pilot project, we expect to learn how to scale this resource management program and ensure that it can be economically viable during the trial. We are proud to try something new that might help further advance recycling and the circular economy in Burlington and beyond.”

Those interested in participating can subscribe online to receive recycling pouches for collection. Pouches can then be filled with 20 types of plastic packaging and materials. Participants simply schedule a pickup once the pouches are full, and Casella will retrieve them and pass them onto TerraCycle for sorting and recycling.

“Through the TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program, we are enabling consumers to divert waste from the landfill, engage their communities and be rewarded for their effort,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “By encouraging consumers to rethink what is waste, this program helps build awareness that solutions do exist for items that may seem otherwise unrecyclable.”

Depending on the economic and environmental value of the pilot program in Burlington, TerraCycle and Casella hope to bring the solution to other communities in which they operate.

Interested businesses, schools, organizations and households in and around Burlington can sign up for the pilot program at www.terracyclepouch.com/pages/community.

Read more about sustainability efforts in the pet food and treat industry.