How can I recycle an item you do not have a free recycling programme for?

TerraCycle has developed recycling solutions for waste that would otherwise end up in landfills as the majority of New Zealand councils cannot recycle it. 

There are large costs associated with running the programmes and processing these hard-to-recycle materials. Therefore, we partner with different brands to fund the collection and recycling of different waste streams (e.g. Fairy sponsors dish and air care recycling, Gillette sponsors razor recycling, GLAD sponsors food wrap and so on). This sponsorship not only funds the entire cost of recycling these difficult-to-recycle materials but in many cases, it also provides a charity contribution for every item collected.

If we do not offer a free recycling programme for your chosen waste category, it means that we are yet to partner with a company who are willing to pay for the recycling of this specific waste. However, please don't hesitate to recommend our services to a brand so that we can offer a recycling solution for this waste category in future. We've found that consumer pressure is always a good motivator for brands.

Alternatively, we offer Zero Waste Boxes, a complete and convenient solution which includes the shipping, processing and recycling of a particular type of waste that isn’t currently recycled through local council facilities.

Zero Waste Boxes can be used to recycle over 70 different waste categories including plastic packaging, safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE), disposable coffee cups and many more! They are convenient and easy to use, making them the perfect option for households, schools, businesses, manufacturing facilities and events looking to offset their impacts and lighten their footprint.

You can learn more about Zero Waste Boxes here.