Case Studies

TerraCycle

Sustainable growth through Affiliate Intelligence

The Results

The partnership between TerraCycle and Rakuten Advertising delivered outstanding results, laying the groundwork for continued growth through innovative technology and strategic partner recruitment. By leveraging Rakuten Advertising’s intuitive platform, expansive publisher network, and AI-powered Partnership Discovery, TerraCycle rapidly scaled its affiliate program and reached new eco-conscious audiences.

increase in sales, every year since launch

+40%

consistent share of sales from new customers

+40

new partners onboarded through Partnership Discovery

+39%

incremental lift in sales

About the Brand

Founded with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste, TerraCycle specializes in recycling complex materials not typically accepted by traditional recycling services. One of its flagship services is the Zero Waste BoxTM, which provides consumers with a box that they can fill with hard-to-recycle materials like toothpaste tubes and chip bags, to send back using an attached, prepaid shipping label.

The Story

As TerraCycle sought to expand its reach and drive new customer acquisition, it faced challenges promoting its Zero Waste BoxTM because it is so niche. TerraCycle needed a strategic partner to build an affiliate program from the ground up and identify publishers that connect with eco-minded consumers. Additionally, TerraCycle needed to launch its program before Black Friday, a season that drives a large portion of its annual sales.

The Rakuten Advertising Solution

After reviewing several self-serve affiliate tools, TerraCycle decided to partner with Rakuten Advertising because of our expertise in helping brands like TerraCycle find partners with the reach and content to activate their target customers. With only a month until Black Friday, we provided the TerraCycle team with the solutions and tech they needed to succeed during this pivotal moment.

Ease of Launch & Onboarding

Rakuten Advertising prioritized a seamless onboarding for TerraCycle, with customer success teams tailoring a partner recruitment strategy and delivering hands-on platform training. This ensured TerraCycle could quickly leverage advanced dashboard features to monitor performance and maximize program capabilities from day one.

Expansive World-Class Network

Leveraging its global publisher network, Rakuten Advertising curated a launch list of 30+ high-potential partners for TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box™. This strategic mix of content, coupons, and tech partners drove brand awareness and exceeded sales targets, especially during the pivotal Black Friday period.

Intuitive Tech

Rakuten Advertising’s user-friendly dashboard empowered TerraCycle’s in-house team to easily manage offers and partner communications. The Insights & Analytics Portal streamlined data visualization, enabling TerraCycle to track partner impact, optimize conversion journeys, and benchmark performance against competitors—all without manual reporting.

AI-Backed Partnership Discovery

With Partnership Discovery, TerraCycle used AI-driven keyword searches to identify and connect with proven partners in niche categories like “Recycling Containers” and “Composting.” This innovative tool enabled TerraCycle to expand its reach, engage eco-conscious audiences, and drive strong program growth through data-backed partner selection.

We have been wildly impressed with the levels of success we have seen with Rakuten Advertising and would absolutely recommend working with them. We can always depend on the partners they’ve connected us with to drive success month after month and year after year

Hannah Stubbs
Manager of Customer Marketing, TerraCycle