The Nikki & Brie Show — “Amelia Trumble: Recycling Reinvented”

Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Brie Garcia
Guest: Amelia Trumble, Co-founder of Retold Recycling

Episode Overview

In this lively, insightful episode, Brie Garcia sits down with Amelia Trumble, entrepreneur and co-founder of Retold Recycling, for a candid chat about forging new paths in textile recycling, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The conversation delves into the origins of Amelia’s company, her journey through Shark Tank, actionable recycling tips, and the real impact of decluttering on home and personal wellbeing. Expect warm laughter, practical advice, inspiration for eco-friendly living, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of startups and TV.

Main Discussion Highlights & Insights

1. The Birth and Mission of Retold Recycling

Timestamps: 01:00–08:39

• Origin Story:
  • Amelia and her co-founders, Alan and Noelle, were inspired to create Retold after struggling to find sustainable ways to recycle textiles and clothing in city life. Living without a car in New York, Amelia found it hard to donate or recycle her own “stuff”—from clothes to home goods. She wanted an at-home, mail-in solution.
  • “I just need to be able to mail something from my apartment, do this at home, and make sure nothing goes to landfill.” (Amelia, 06:18)
• Mission:
  • Retold aims to keep fabric and textiles out of landfills by making recycling accessible, easy, and even fun.
  • After researching, they were “horrified” by textile waste statistics—motivation to start the company.
  • Brie shares: “92 million tons of textile waste is generated annually…one garbage truck’s worth of clothing landfilled or burned every second.” (Brie, 07:27)

2. How Retold Recycling Works

Timestamps: 10:25–14:11

• Retold sends customers prepaid bags. Fill them with unwanted textiles—good, bad, even new-with-tags.
• Drop bags at the post office or UPS—the label directs them to the nearest recycling partner, minimizing carbon footprint.
• “We work with USPS because they’re already running those mail routes every day. So we’re not adding incremental trucks.” (Amelia, 11:19)
• Items are sorted:
  • Resalable items go to thrift stores.
  • Unusable textiles are broken down mechanically into “shoddy,” a soft padding reused in moving blankets, car seats, dog beds, and more.
• “It replaces virgin materials…solving two problems—reusing the waste and reducing plastics.” (Amelia, 13:05)

3. Pricing and Accessibility

Timestamps: 14:11–15:20

• Bags cost $15.50 solo or less per bag in bundles—shipping included.
• Brie uses the 10-pack: “I always do the bundles because I like having them always there.” (Brie, 14:44)
• No rush to send; fill at your own pace.

4. Shark Tank Experience

Timestamps: 15:20–25:29

• Shark Tank reached out to Retold via Instagram, not the other way around.
• “Honestly, we thought it was a prank…like clickbait in an email.” (Amelia, 15:32)
• Amelia and co-founder Alan split pitch duties (finance/marketing) to stay sharp under pressure. The appearance was nerve-wracking: “Going into that tank, it was like I blacked out.” (Amelia, 17:03)
• Mark Cuban expressed interest, and Amelia recounts negotiating with him on camera:
  • “If you watch the episode, you’ll see I did try to negotiate with him, which made for excellent TV.” (Amelia, 20:18)
• Mark Cuban’s team is responsive and supportive—Amelia emphasizes both his warmth and the genuine care for his portfolio companies.

5. Impact of Entrepreneurship & Sustainability

Timestamps: 25:29–29:47

• Retold’s Shark Tank journey inspires other sustainable entrepreneurs—“You gave a lot of hope to a lot of sustainable, eco-conscious companies.” (Brie, 26:22)
• The company’s “Reboxing Day” campaign encourages people to declutter and recycle textiles right after Christmas.
  • “On the 26th...we kick off our reboxing day and we love everyone to do a big purge.” (Amelia, 27:22)
• Decluttering is linked to emotional well-being: “It really streamlines things in your home…just goes a long way.” (Amelia, 27:35)
• Their social movement, #NoLandfill, makes recycling a shareable, community act. “We have so many people posting their bags when they go to the post office.” (Amelia, 29:47)

Memorable Quotes

• “There is certainly enough waste to go around that we can all dabble…try and work out a business that works for us.”
  —Amelia (03:45)

• “We did not have a background in recycling, but we found amazing partners. We’ve definitely come a long way in that five years.”
  —Amelia (02:54)

• “Anything that can be resold goes to thrift stores…anything that can’t gets broken down.”
  —Amelia (11:19)

• “It’s like solving two problems…reusing the waste that would otherwise be going to landfill, but also not adding extra plastics and virgin materials.”
  —Amelia (13:05)

• “There are no dumb questions…if I want to know the information…I just care way less what other people think of me.”
  —Amelia (40:19)

• “Home care is self-care.”
  —Amelia (42:01)

Rapid Fire & Personal Corner

Timestamps: 34:10–40:10

• Sundays: Amelia loves brunch and the beach with her daughter.
• Secret: Skincare and beauty industry geek.
• Fashion: Loves a colorful wardrobe and lots of options, avoids fast fashion now (“I definitely can’t live with myself having Retold and being in that space.” Amelia, 38:52)
• Binging: Bravo, especially “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
• Favorite meal: Aussie pub meal—Sunday roast or pie.

Notable Segment Timestamps

| Time | Topic | |------|----------------------------------------------------| | 01:00–04:20 | Retold’s founding story | | 04:46–08:39 | Mission, inspiration, and textile waste stats | | 10:25–14:11 | How Retold works, bag process, impact | | 15:20–25:29 | Shark Tank experience, Mark Cuban deal | | 27:22–28:43 | “Reboxing Day” & emotional benefits of decluttering | | 29:47–30:55 | #NoLandfill social initiative | | 34:39–40:10 | Rapid fire about Amelia’s life and preferences | | 40:19–41:49 | Lessons from entrepreneurship & confidence | | 42:01–42:24 | Inspirational quotes & mottos |

Affirmation & Inspiration

Timestamps: 42:01–42:24

• “What is for you will not go past you. The universe will deliver what you need and it’ll keep coming back if you don’t notice it.” (Amelia, 42:01)
• “Home care is self-care.” (Amelia, 42:01)

Takeaways for Listeners

• Retold makes textile recycling easy, impactful, and accessible—just order a bag, fill it, and send it on its way.
• Decluttering your home not only helps the planet but can also lift your mood and mental clarity.
• Entrepreneurship is a journey of constant learning—never be afraid to ask questions.
• Everyone can start small—recycle that lone sock or old undies, and you’re on your way.
• Building sustainable habits is a gift to yourself as much as to the world.

Connect, Participate, & Learn More

• Find Retold Recycling at their website, on social with hashtag #NoLandfill, or by ordering your own bags.
• For more inspiration, watch video clips from this episode on the Nikki & Brie Show YouTube channel, or submit questions by calling 833-Garcia-2.

Pop that bottle, pour a glass, and get inspired to declutter, recycle smarter, and live a little “greener”!