By: Isabel Goodman
You know how they say, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch?” How it isn’t possible to get something for nothing? Well, here at TerraCycle, not only do we, as interns, get free lunch, we also receive countless other benefits that truly show that we can have our lunch AND eat it too.
Every morning, employees here at TerraCycle receive an email from our amazing Executive Team Assistant, Charry, detailing the lunch of the day. This can range anywhere from Sandwiches to Indian Cuisine and is always fresh and delicious. By 10am, the orders are placed and the waiting begins. Our thoughts drift to the tasty meal that will become available as we approach lunchtime and our day is always made when we are able to eat, not only with our fellow interns, but also the entire TerraCycle team. Some days it is a Lunch and Learn, where we are able to maximize our productivity by learning about the company we love so much from executives who love it even more. We have had the ability to learn from the people who made TerraCycle what it is today and I cannot stress how valuable this knowledge is. We have learned about sustainability abroad as well as more about the company’s logistics, and this supplemental knowledge on top of what we are already learning in our department truly rounds us out and gives us a glance into the company as a whole. In addition, it is during this time we are free to collaborate and learn from each other all while enjoying our next bite of penne vodka and sharing some laughs. This lunch is more than just a break in our day, it is the time where we show how close-knit we are. As I glance to my left and see a design intern speaking with our Director of Sales, I realize there really are no bounds as to who you can meet and learn from at TerraCycle.
This close-knit family is one of my favorite parts of working here. Even though I am just an intern, I feel like a piece of a greater whole, a system that needs me just as much as I need it. As interns, we are valued here and that cannot be seen more than with the welcome we have received. Our CEO, Tom, even took it as far as throwing a welcome party for all of the interns at his home. How many interns can say they’ve experienced that? Here we rested in a series of hammocks strung together hig
h in the trees, zip-lined across the yard, and shot a few hoops all whileenjoying the company of our fellow coworkers. It was nice to have the opportunity to talk to everyone we work with in a more casual setting and really see everyone’s personalities come out. We really got to know each other and as it is just the beginning of the summer, started off on an amazing foot I know will only get stronger as time progresses. This would not have been possible without the unstoppable passion TerraCycle has for unity amongst departments and individuals. It’s easy to pretend office morale does not exist, but it is another thing entirely to not just make note of it, but do something to increase it every day. I look forward to more of these gatherings with the people I have the privilege of working with every day.
None of these benefits are necessary and none are expensive, but that is what makes it so great. These benefits allow us to come together and grow into a more cohesive unit that then gives back to the company we love. TerraCycle’s employees want to be there and it is apparent in the enthusiasm and creativity that is seen here every day. I know I speak for all of us when I say I am proud to be a TerraCycle intern.