TerraCycle Commercial™, a specialized division of Trenton-headquartered international recycling pioneer TerraCycle®, announced Wednesday that it acquired Connecticut-based NLR Inc. (NLR). The buyout marks the fourth major acquisition for the expanding commercial division, establishing it as a premiere universal and regulated waste recycling service in the United States.
TerraCycle Commercial provides businesses with compliant management systems for hazardous and regulated materials, including mercury-containing fluorescent lamps, electronics, batteries, and other materials requiring specialized handling. NLR joins a portfolio that already includes prior acquisitions Air Cycle Corporation, Complete Recycling Solutions, and North Coast Services, significantly boosting TerraCycle’s logistics and collection capacity across the Northeast.
The transaction was primarily funded through proceeds from TerraCycle’s recently completed Regulation CF crowdfunding offering.
“Universal and regulated waste has long been managed by vendors focused on compliance, not innovation,” Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle said. “NLR is our fourth acquisition in this space… and it strengthens our reach and collection capacity across the Northeast. Through our active Regulation A investment offering, we are raising capital with a goal of scaling the solutions this industry demands.”
Founded in 1994, NLR is headquartered in East Windsor, Connecticut, where it operates the state’s only Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)-approved lamp recycling facility.
Following the acquisition, NLR’s commercial clients will transition into the TerraCycle network, gaining immediate access to the parent company’s global sustainability platforms. This includes TerraCycle’s signature Zero Waste Box™ programs and bulk recycling initiatives for traditionally non-recyclable materials.
Conversely, existing TerraCycle clients can leverage NLR’s highly specialized compliance infrastructure. This includes access to EPA-recognized, Responsible Recycling Standard for Electronics Recyclers (R2) Certified facilities located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
To maintain service continuity, NLR’s East Windsor team will remain fully intact. Co-founder Robert Robert will continue to manage the NLR division.
“With the added scale, capabilities, and reach that TerraCycle brings, we can combine big-company resources with that small-business feeling of deep care,” Robert stated. “This allows us to do even more for the customers who have relied on us for three decades.”
The acquisition also marks the official retirement of NLR co-founder Ray Graczyk. Graczyk, who serves as the Chairman of the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, steps down after thirty years of shaping national recycling policy and building NLR into an industry leader.
