Human Resources
Toy Meets World
TV-14
S2 • E8 Sep 25, 2015 30mAn all natural personal care brand comes to Tom Szaky and the Terracycle team with a unique challenge: they want to begin to recycle items outside of their own waste stream - broken toys. After a meeting with the brand, Tom lets the staff know that they will be using the current Zero Waste Platform to collect the toys. He puts Rhandi in charge of the upcoming task. But with her department already spread thin, Stephen is assigned to help her reach the goal of determining the best way to process the broken toys. Immediately it becomes apparent that the toys can either be upcycled or recycled, and that Rhandi and Stephen are not on the same page when it comes to which process is best suited for the brand. Meanwhile, Tom has tasked Darshan and Dean to outfit the new Finance Room with a more creative Terracycle look and feel. The project is delayed due to Tom's absence after the birth of his son, Leo. Luckily, Tom has come up with a creative solution to allow him to be a presence at work, but physically at home with his family: a telepresence robot. With his face on a constant videoconference, he can motor through the office checking on everyone's progress. After Rhandi meets with Tiffany, she is convinced that upcycling is the way to manage the broken toys waste stream. Not only can design handle the volume, but it's also a great showcase for the possibility of recycling unconventional waste. However, Stephen's past expertise has taught him otherwise. He's knows the strong plastic used to make the toys can be a valuable commodity. With these two at an impasse, Tom leaves it to Andrew to determine which is more cost effective for the brand. Recycling comes out as the clear winner, but Tom decides that there will be enough toys for upcycling as well. Unsatisfied with his robotic self, Tom has to adapt to being the CEO of a worldwide company and a brand new father. Striking a balance isn't easy, but it's a new way of life both for Tom and the entire Terracycle staff
