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Imagine a world where your trash pickup isn't just a routine chore but an opportunity for rewards. What if your garbage person handed you a $30 gift card every time they collected your waste? This is not a pipe dream but the innovative concept behind Trashie, a fast-growing startup that's reshaping how we think about recycling and sustainability.
The Trashie Revolution
For just $20, Trashie's Take Back Bag allows you to offload old clothes, accessories, and linens while earning $30 in rewards. This isn't just a recycling initiative—it's a gateway to discounted movie tickets, food delivery credits, and more. The startup's mission is clear: reduce landfill waste from the fashion industry and make recycling as easy and rewarding as possible.
Trashie's collaboration with Walmart, America's largest retailer, underscores their commitment. With 31 billion garments ending up in landfills annually, Trashie CEO Kristy Caylor sees this as a chance to tackle the problem "in a positive, uplifting … way where it doesn’t feel hard or difficult or depressing." (according to an exclusive interview with The Cool Down)
How It Works
The Take Back Bag is a vibrant, pillowcase-sized sack ready to be filled with any unwanted items: "any unwanted clothing, accessories, sheets, towels, whatever really fits in the bag," Caylor explains. Trashie accepts almost anything, excluding items with severe biohazards or extreme soil.
Once your bag reaches Trashie's facility, every item is meticulously inspected and sorted into one of 253 grades to ensure over 90% avoids landfills. "That can be anything from kids clothing or winter jackets or cashmere sweaters or hole-y denim," Caylor elaborates. Each piece is tracked, and data is collected by weight to manage its future use effectively.
Caylor describes the process: "Some things can be reused, some things are downcycled … chopped up and turned into rags. Or it goes through a fiber-to-fiber recycling process where it comes out as a new yarn." Other uses include carpet padding and car insulation, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
Rewarding Recycling
The Take Back Bag costs $20, and sending it in earns you $30 in TrashieCash. This credit can be spent on various sustainable options through Trashie's sister site, For Days, or their rewards site. What can you get with TrashieCash? Here’s a taste:
- Discounted movie tickets at AMC and Regal theaters
- Food delivery from DoorDash and Uber Eats
- Clothing and accessories from brands like Allbirds and Pela
"The idea is that you can … divert your clothing waste from landfill and get rewarded for it," Caylor says. The flexibility to spend TrashieCash at various merchants adds a layer of convenience and enjoyment to the recycling process.
From Concept to Success
Caylor's journey began with a realization from her time at Gap and Banana Republic. "There's so much energy that's put into all of the activities that go into getting a T-shirt to somebody — and we're throwing 85% of that in the trash after one or two uses," she notes.
Determined to find a solution, she co-founded For Days in 2018, a platform offering take-back programs for items purchased through their marketplace. However, the scale of the problem became apparent, leading to the creation of Trashie. "The Take Back Bag actually emerged — as this very useful product for the problem of stuff," Caylor explains.
The Future of Recycling
Trashie's approach is accessible and user-friendly. "It's very accessible. It's very easy. People can relate to it," Caylor describes. But can clothes truly be recycled effectively? Caylor emphasizes a focus on circular economy principles, aiming to retain maximum value from each garment.
Despite the rise of take-back programs, Caylor stresses they are not a license for overconsumption. Instead, they foster awareness about clothing waste and encourage sustainable practices. "Consumers become more aware of what they have," she explains.
Growing Impact
Trashie’s impact is growing, thanks to their Walmart partnership and features on major platforms like Good Morning America. The positive consumer response has been overwhelming, and Trashie is expanding both nationally and locally. Recent collaborations include community events like those with Kingston Stockade FC, where fans can fill up their Take Back Bags on-site.
Caylor’s vision is clear: "The fashion industry has the opportunity to present innovation to the world." By focusing on progress, not perfection, Trashie is setting a new standard for sustainability and consumer engagement.
Join the movement today. Turn your old clothes into valuable rewards and contribute to a more sustainable future with Trashie.
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