We want this community blog to be a place for you to go to for a behind the scenes look at TerraCycle, so what better way than by letting you know about the individuals that make our programs possible? Welcome to our new Department Profiles series.

Brigades Dept.From left to right: Josef, Sara, Karina, Grace, Amelia, Bret, and Michael.
Missing: Dan

First off? Our Brigades department. This 8 person team (along with almost 15 interns) works hard to communicate between sponsors, the rest of the company, and of course, all of our lovely Brigade members. That communication is key to keeping theĀ  Brigades program running smoothly. “Above all,” said Brigades Account Manager Josef Ehntholt, “we want to make sure that the brigades are easy, fun, and successful.”

The easiest way to accomplish this is simple: by keeping everyone happy. To keep sponsors happy, the Brigades team creates case studies highlighting how successful different collection campaigns have been. But what good would the Brigades program be if the people collecting waste weren’t happy? To ensure that the program is running efficiently and is convenient and fun for the people who sign up, the Brigades department directly interacts with participants to find out what works, and what might not. They also work to try and create incentives and contests for Brigades members. Needless to say, each member within the department wears very different hats in order to accomplish all of their goals.

The work that the Brigades Department does is extremely important to TerraCycle’s main mission because they work directly to increase collections and keep as much waste out of the landfill as possible.

10 thoughts on “Department Profiles: BRIGADES

  1. Hello Terracycling friends!
    I am the terracycling coordinator at my sons elementary school here in North Carolina.
    I started the program here in Jan. of 2012. We are happy to be a part of this organization and belive we are making a difference in our world.
    When I read the latest email from Terracycling about our Brigades Department, and how (to be successful) communication is key, I knew now was the time to respond with any concerns/problems.
    I have only one: Wait-listing. Our school is on 4 or 5 different wait-lists, and have been for months. I have inquired when these might be lifted, but no one at TerraCycle knows.
    Meanwhile, (#1) the piles keep growing, taking up valuable space in my home — esp. the chip bags. Also, (#2) being “waitlisted” means we are not able to participate in contests for these briagdes. Not fair. Whenever TerraCycle has a contest, everyone should be able to participate. Don’t you agree?
    I welcome any advice, tips, etc. to help us get off the waitlist and encourage our Brigades team to find solutions to these problems.
    Thank you for your attention to this problem–I hope there is a solution soon.
    Sincerely,
    Lori Bailey

  2. PLEASE ALLOW THE WRITING UTENSIL BRIGADE TO BE OPEN TO MORE BRIGADERS! WE HAVE BEEN COLLECTING FOR TWO YEARS AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE BRIGADE DURING A TRANSITION IN OUR SCHOOL AND NOT WANTING TO GIVE UP AND THROW THESE PRECIOUS ITEMS INTO THE TRASH II HAVE BEEN STILL COLLECTING THEM AND WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING! COME’ON TERRACYCLE ALLOW MORE TO PARTICIPATE!!!!

    1. Hello Christena,

      We do apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you. We cannot guarantee that a spot will open up immediately, but we will guarantee that we will try our absolute hardest to exhaust all of our options to get you in. Thank you for your patience Christena.

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