Gerber, TerraCycle Join Forces for National Recycling Program

Gerber, the early childhood nutrition leader, has partnered with international recycling company TerraCycle to help give hard-to-recycle baby food packaging a new life. This partnership is rooted in Gerber's and TerraCycle’s shared values around eliminating waste and supports the recovery of hard-to-recycle baby food packaging on a national scale.

Participation in the program is easy—parents can simply sign up on the Gerber Recycling Program page and mail in packaging that is not municipally recyclable using a prepaid shipping label. Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products.

“Through this free recycling program, Gerber is offering parents an easy way to divert waste from landfills by providing a responsible way to dispose of certain hard-to-recycle baby food packaging,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder Tom Szaky in a statement. “By collecting and recycling these items, families can demonstrate their respect for the environment not only through the products that they choose for their children but also with how they dispose of the packaging.”

As an added incentive, for every pound of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle through the Gerber Recycling Program, collectors can earn $1 to donate to a nonprofit, school or charitable organization of their choice.

Gerber believes the baby food industry should help create a world where babies thrive, and this partnership is one of many steps toward its goal to achieve 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025.

“We’re thrilled to partner with TerraCycle as part of our broader sustainable packaging efforts,” said Gerber President and CEO Bill Partyka in a statement. “We know every parent’s top priority is to ensure a healthy, happy future for their baby. Our commitment to sustainability is rooted in giving parents a hand in making their baby’s future that much brighter.”

Gerber was founded on the ambition to give babies the best start in life, and that's why its work doesn’t stop at nutrition. As one of the world’s largest baby food companies, Gerber has upheld some of the industry’s strongest agricultural standards through its Clean Field Farming practices and is committed to reducing energy use, water use and carbon emissions in its factories.

The Gerber Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization.