This post is for those tricky to recycle materials, that technically are ‘recyclable’ but most kerbside recycling, and even specific recycle centres don’t accept. This is where Terracycle step in. If you are looking to go the extra mile, read on, but make sure you’ve read my post on at home recycling first!
What is Terracycle?
Terracycle is a global recycling company, with a non-for-profit charity sector, and a new refillable delivery service LOOP. Founded in 2001, they are creating partnerships with brands and companies to make recycling easy and accessible.
What can you recycle with them?
Whilst you can recycle a whole range of items, I’ve researched and noted down the top 10 programmes that might interest you.
1. Cheese Packaging Programme: This programme accepts all brands of flexible plastic cheese packaging and nets, as well as labels from Cathedral City Minis packs. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
2. Confectionary Programme: This programme accepts all brands of plastic chocolate and sweet bags and pouches, multipack outer packaging, individual and block chocolate wrappers. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
3. Air, Home and Laundry Programme: This programme accepts all brands, and you can recycle a whole range of packaging: plastic air freshener containers, plastic air freshener cartridge caps, flexible wipe packaging, plastic car air fresheners, flexible laundry washing capsules and pods packaging, flexible dishwasher tablets packaging, tinted fabric conditioner bottles and caps, tinted rigid plastic tubs used for home cleaning. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
4. Crisp Packet Programme: This programme is a little easier to remember – you can recycle any brand of crisp packet and multipacket outer packaging. just make sure the packet is empty! Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
5. Maybelline Make up Programme: This scheme had me super excited the first time I saw the drop off in my local Superdrug, and you can recycle ANY brand of empty plastic face, eye, brow and lip products. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
6. L’Occitane Recycling Programme: Similar to the above programme, L’Occitane will accept ANY brand flexible plastic tubes, as well as aluminium packaging, metal cases, travel size packaging, refill pouches and caps, and rigid plastic tubs. They also offer a 10% discount for returning any product from any brand! Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
7. The Personal Care and Beauty Programme: This programme will recycle any brand, and is currently accepting flexible single use mask packaging and blue plastic film, personal care and beauty product packaging caps pumps and trigger sprays (rigid plastic bottles not accepted) Plastic pots and flexible tubes, hair colourant kits, and plastic roll on deodorants. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
8. Colgate Oral Care Programme: This programme accepts ANY brand of oral care, and you can recycle toothpaste tubes and caps, toothpaste cartons, floss container and outer packaging, plastic toothbrushes and outer packaging, and any electric and battery toothbrush heads. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
9. Carex Soap Programme: Whilst the Carex scheme is a little underwhelming, in that you may only recycle Carex, Imperial Leather, Bayleys and Bond Street hand wash pumps, caps and refill pouches, it is a good start and definitely a step in the right direction. Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure
10. Medicine Packet Programme: you can recycle any empty blister packet, whether the occasional paracetamol or a daily prescription, it is worth recycling if you can! Check the more – detailed accepted waste poster if you are unsure.
Find out what else you can recycle on the Terracycle website!
Where to find your drop-offs?
Use the map function on each programme to find your local drop offs, since they can be quite spread out, I am currently collecting all of my bits in a personal ‘zero-waste’ box, and when it’s full, I will organise it, and take all the items to the correct drop off.
This a quick way to make a bigger impact on my waste, as it required just some research (which I’ve done for you – aren’t you lucky) and an old box!
How to set up your own collection:
If your area doesn’t have a drop off point for a product you want to send off, but you can’t invest in a terracycle zero-waste box, you may be able to set up a collection at home! To do this you need to set up a terracycle account, choose a location to host your programme (this could be your home, the local supermarket, a cafe, the possibilities are endless) with permission of the person in charge, and fill out the application! All this takes only 10 minutes, and you will be making a difference in no time.
Zero Waste Boxes:
If going to drop offs is not something you can currently fit into your routine, or your looking to make your workplace a little more eco friendly, a Terracycle Zero Waste box might be a better option. Although the high initial cost might be off putting – I certainly can’t afford it on a student budget – if you can spare it, even a small box will be able to hold approximately 200 units of recyclable material, so you won’t need to replace it too often. It is convenient, as you do not have to sort your terracycle recyclables, or search and travel to a drop off.
I hope you have found this post helpful, and let me know if you set up your own zero-waste box or drop off!
love, Abi
A Friendly Guide to being Eco 
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