Top 3 Recycling Schemes To Help Reduce Waste

1. Crisp packets - Terracycle

Crisp packets are not currently recyclable in home recycling collections. With over 7,000 non-recyclable crisp packets being produced every minute, this results in over 4 billion ending up in landfill every year. Scary right?

Alas, due to consumer pressure on Walkers, the giant crisp company has partnered up with Terracyle to collect empty crisp packets. Simply drop-off your used crisp packets at one of the 12,506 public locations across the UK and Ireland. Or, set one up yourself and encourage those in your area to recycle them too! You'll gain reward points in return to help raise money for local good causes. In the meantime, Walkers has committed to achieving 100% recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging by 2025.

Find your nearest crisp packet recycling point here.

Crisp packet rubbish

2. Plastic bottle tops - Lush

Handmade cosmetic company Lush, accept small amounts of plastic bottle tops throughout their stores. So, if you’re struggling to find a local recycling facility, save up those milk bottle tops, drinks bottle tops, cosmetics bottle tops & household cleaning bottle tops for your local Lush shop.

They also accept back their own black pots for recycling, so don’t forget to take them with you too!

Plastic tops

3. Disposable coffee cups & coffee pods- Costa Coffee

Around 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away each year in the UK. Yikes! Helping to fight this stat, the UK’s largest coffee shop brand, Costa Coffee now operates as recycling points for disposable coffee cups. With over 2,600+ stores to choose from, customers can return used coffee cups of any brand to be recycled. The scheme has already been well received with over 41 million cups recycled in the first 6 months.

Do you use a coffee pod machine at home? The little plastic leftover pods can also be recycled across participating stores.

Find out more here.

Behind the beans our planet recycling cups 684x400

Do you use any other recycling schemes? Please send us a message and spread the word!

This piece was written for Goupie by Emma Oldham.