Rubicon Announces the Launch of Trash or Treasure: Valentine’s Day

Building on five years of success for its annual Halloween campaign, Rubicon expands waste reduction program to include Valentine’s Day

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (“Rubicon” or the “Company”) (NYSE: RBT), a leading provider of technology solutions for waste, recycling, and fleet operations, today announced the launch of the first Valentine’s Day campaign of its annual Trash or Treasure^TM program (“Trash or Treasure”). Now in its fifth year, Trash or Treasure helps reduce the waste that accumulates around seasonal celebrations throughout the year.

An Expanded Mission for 2024

Over the last five years, through the support of schools, community organizations, and independent businesses across the United States, Trash or Treasure has helped to divert hundreds of thousands of Halloween candy wrappers from landfills, enabling thousands of pounds of plastic to be recycled as part of the circular economy.

Trash or Treasure will now help campaign participants achieve the same goal for Valentine’s Day by providing easy-to-assemble mail-back recycling boxes which can be filled with discarded candy wrappers and returned via carbon neutral shipping, provided by longtime campaign partner, UPS.

In a 2023 consumer survey, 57% of respondents reported that they will buy candy for their significant other for Valentine's Day. This translates to approximately $2.2 billion dollars spent on candy during the holiday.

“We are so excited to announce the launch of Trash or Treasure: Valentine’s Day,” said Dan Sampson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Rubicon. “The expansion of our successful Halloween campaign means that we can divert even more waste from landfills and take another step forward in creating a greener and cleaner world for all. Our sincere gratitude goes to our campaign participants and partners for their continued support, as they have made the program what it is today.”

New and Returning Partners

Trash or Treasure: Valentine’s Day will again be supported by founding campaign partner, g2 revolution (“g2”). An innovative recycling company that develops sustainable Second Life® solutions to divert waste from landfills through reuse, recycling, or recovery, g2 provides the material management processes that make Trash or Treasure so successful each year.

“We are thrilled to partner with Rubicon on Trash or Treasure again in 2024,” said Tonya Martin, Vice President of Business Development at g2. “As a leader and innovator in circular solutions, and Trash or Treasure’s longtime recycling partner, we are always supportive of exciting programs that both protect our planet and educate younger generations on the importance of keeping waste out of landfills.”

This year’s program also sees the return of UPS as the campaign’s official shipping partner. UPS has been integral to the positive environmental impact of Trash or Treasure, and its carbon neutral shipping solutions have been a critical component of the success of the campaign.

Is It Trash or Is It Treasure?

Core to the success of Trash or Treasure is the campaign’s education program, which was created in collaboration with The National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Trash or Treasure’s official education partner. Downloadable lesson plans, reading lists, signage, and other collateral are available to help campaign participants rethink what is considered trash and understand its potential value as part of the circular economy.

These materials introduce circular economy concepts that can be integrated into any curriculum, and provide fun, interactive, critical thinking exercises with the goal of helping students understand recycling and why it is important to the health of our planet.

To order a free Trash or Treasure box for your school, independent business, or community organization, visit our program website and follow the prompts. Trash or Treasure boxes can also be purchased for personal use on the RUBICONMarketplace^TM.

About Rubicon

Rubicon builds technology solutions for waste, recycling, and fleet operations. Bringing together AI-enabled software products and expert sustainability solutions, the Company helps waste generators, private and municipal fleets, and material processors better understand, manage, and reduce waste. As a mission-driven company, Rubicon helps its customers improve operational efficiency, unlock economic value, and deliver better environmental outcomes. To learn more, visit rubicon.com.