Premiums and promotional packaging specialist Supremia has announced that it has hired TerraCycle to collect and repurpose cotton bags that Supremia is no longer using.

Previously, Supremia would either burn or send to landfills the bags it was no longer using. The bags were samples that had been produced for trial, but could not be donated because they were branded.

TerraCycle collects the bags and combines them with other cotton products to convert them to low-end yarn called “shoddy.” Shoddy is sold in bulk for use in applications such as insulation or padding in products such as furniture or exercise equipment.

“Working with TerraCycle has been extremely satisfying, as it has allowed Supremia International to honor our commitment to sustainability while enabling us to unload excess product,” said Suzanne Deemer, Vice President of Operations for Supremia Americas. “We were thrilled that TerraCycle was able to recycle three pallets of bags — turning 29,500 bags into 1,475 pounds of material — and enable Supremia International to take another step forward in achieving eco-friendly solutions to waste concerns.”

The initiative is part of TerraCycle’s ongoing recycling of products considered non-recyclable, such as coffee capsules, pens and plastic gloves. The company has operations in 20 different countries.  

For more information, visit  www.supremia.com.