Reply from TrashieDec 29, 2025
Hi Alexa, thanks for the candid feedback and for asking tough questions. I want to clarify a few things, because some of the conclusions here don’t reflect how the program actually works.
First, reviews can absolutely be left on our site and third-party platforms, which is how we’ve accumulated them over time. There’s nothing unusual or gated about that process.
Second, the math being used here assumes that every bag sent back equals pure revenue, which isn’t how the model functions. Each Take Back Bag includes the cost of manufacturing, shipping to the customer, return shipping, processing, sorting, downstream recycling, and verified reuse partners. Those costs are significant and ongoing—the bags are not “free money” once they come back.
TrashieCash points are designed as a reward, not a rebate or resale payout. They’re meant to incentivize participation in a circular system, not to mirror the full cost of the bag or the operational expenses required to handle the materials responsibly. That’s why points can be stacked and redeemed flexibly, rather than being tied one-to-one to a bag price.
As for where materials go: textiles are not simply “shipped to another country and made someone else’s problem.” Items are sorted and directed to appropriate reuse and recycling streams, with the goal of keeping as much material in circulation as possible and out of landfills. That work is complex, labor-intensive, and far from free.
It’s fair to say the program won’t be the right fit for everyone. But the idea that the company is pocketing millions while providing no value, no transparency, or no real recycling effort doesn’t align with how the system actually operates.
