SHARE THIS

Recycling image for Kicks Count

Recycling crisp packets for charity to raise awareness for Eco-Week

Did you know that you can recycle more items than the council collects AND you can help a charity in the process?

TerraCycle is an organisation which uses only circular methods (reuse, upcycling or recycling) for repurposing waste which isn’t accepted by council collections. The plastic waste is shredded, melted down to make new recycled products including flower pots, watering cans, benches and much more.

Local collectors known as ‘hubs’ sort the waste by stream (type of product) which is accepted by TerraCycle, then they pack it, weigh it and send it off to TerraCycle. TerraCycle points are given based on the weight of plastic and are redeemable for £0.01 per point by a non-profit organisation, charity or school. One of the charities that collects locally is Kicks Count, a small charity campaigning to reduce the UK stillbirth and neonatal death rate.

Plastic is accepted by ‘stream’ due to sponsorship, for example Walkers and KP sponsor crisp packets. Any type of crisp packet is accepted, but only Pringles tubes, no other makes. Other streams include sweets and chocolate brands, biscuits and snacks, beauty and cleaning products and more – there is a grid to show what can and can’t be recycled. All plastic waste must be free of food and pre-sorted before it can be dropped off at a hub. Bread bags are handy to separate the streams and larger crisp packets are good for crisps.

We will be collecting crisp packets from the staff in the office and passing them onto our local collection point in Cheltenham in order to raise awareness for Eco-Week – and with the hope it will inspire people to take a look at what else can be recycled and get involved. We have additional bins labelled with ‘crisp packets’ in the café area and upstairs kitchen.

You can join the ‘Kicks Count Recycling & Fundraising Network‘ Facebook group which has all of the information on other items that can also be recycled including the grid mentioned above.

Our local collection in Cheltenham is run by Rachel Stott. If you are not sure if an item is collected you can post on the Facebook page and she’ll reply with a yes or no via the Facebook group ‘KC Recycling Collection – Cheltenham & Gloucestershire’: