Terracycle's pop-up shop the Greenup!
The idea of being green and preserving the environment has been celebrated for 40 years on April 22, Earth Day, and some even choose to celebrate the whole week and dub it Earth Week. Even others make a lifestyle out of it such as the people of TerraCycle, who have gone so far as to open a pop-up shop near Times Square called the Greenup!
TerraCycle is a company that upcycles non-recyclable waste materials and turns them into affordable, eco-friendly products. They usually sell their products at major retailers, but founder and CEO Tom Szaky drew inspiration from the trend of pop-up retail to open up the companies first “Greenup” in collaboration with Fashion Center Business Improvement District, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Times Square Alliance.
“I am familiar with the brand Terracycle, and when I saw it in front of the store, I had to come in,” said Laura Cicerale, a Queens resident. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is already one of the fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world and a household name among environment conscious families.
The Greenup! provides New Yorkers the opportunity to expand their knowledge of green products and services not only from TerraCycle, but local vendors as well, such as Brooklyn-based Abby Valentine. Along with their showcase of products they have held various events since their March 27 opening, and have a couple planned until their May 21 closing. While the green movement is in full swing, and New York is a prime location for such a shop, the Greenup! has not managed to attract large crowds.
“I had no idea it was here,” said Cicerale, a refrain that a store employee said she hears all too often. Aside from the events, which she said draw a decent crowd, the store only has scattered visitors with no real peaks.
Originally scheduled to close on May 1, the Greenup! has been given another three weeks. With no official date disclosed as of yet, Szaky will be making an appearance at his shop to give a presentation on eco-capitalism. At the same time, hopefully bringing some much needed attention to his shop.