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Recycling: Simplified
26 November 2019
Have you ever been confused about what you can recycle? Unfortunately, there are a lot of items that aren't currently able to be recycled by the council. But this doesn't mean that they have to go to waste...
We've compiled a list of supermarkets and shops that have made it really easy to recycle those tricky items. Click on the tiles below to find out more.
Tesco
Tesco is offering multiple different schemes to help make recycling easy for everyone.
1. Plastic bottle return scheme trials: Last year, Tesco began trialing recycling machines that pay customers for every plastic bottle returned. So far they have collected 100,000 plastic bottles and the machines are now available in the following areas: Borehamwood, Swansea, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Birmingham.
2. Ink cartridge recycling: Have some empty ink cartridges lying around? Download a Freepost label and send it off to receive 25-125 Clubcard points.
3. 'Plastic take-back' scheme: Tesco is encouraging shoppers to bring their non-recyclable plastics to collection points at 10 stores*. These plastics will be converted back into oil, which will then be used in the production of new plastics.
* (Bristol Lime Trees Road Superstore, Yate Extra, Bristol Brislington Extra, Bristol Staple Hill Metro, Keynsham Superstore, Bristol East Extra, Cirencester Metro – Farrell Close, Cirencester Extra, Swindon Extra, Tetbury Superstore)
Marks & Spencer
As well as trialing the removal of black plastic packaging and plastic packaging for fruit and veg, Marks & Spencer have rolled out a take-back scheme where customers can drop off a variety of non-recyclable plastic packaging.
Items like black ready meal trays, crisp packets, and sauce sachets can all be put into these recycling points where they are used to create playground equipment. The scheme is currently live in 10 stores* and there are plans to roll it out across the country.
*(Tolworth, south-west London; Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol; Westfield Stratford, east London; Waterside, west London; Loughton, Essex; Bluewater, Kent; Fosse Park, Leicester; and Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.)
Iceland
In May 2018, Iceland launched its trial of reverse vending machines in 5 stores across the country*. The vending machines allowed customers to recycle their plastic bottles and around 2,583 bottles were collected daily. After this incredible success, Iceland has decided to extend the trial for a further six months.
*(Wolverhampton, Mold, Fulham, Musselburgh, and Deeside)
Morrisons
Morrisons have also launched a reverse vending machine trial, installing machines in two stores*. Customers are able to return a maximum 20 bottles a day and they will receive 100 Morrisons More points for each bottle or they can choose to donate the 10p cash alternative to Morrisons' charity partner, CLIC Sargent.
On top of this, Morrisons has pledged to replace plastic bags for loose fruit and veg!
*(Skipton, England and its Lindsayfield store in East Kilbride, Scotland)
John Lewis & Partners
John Lewis has partnered with TerraCycle to offer customers a place to recycle empty make-up and skincare products through an initiative called BeautyCycle. The scheme opened in the summer and has already saved over 240 kilograms of plastic going to landfill!
To take part, take 5 or more empty beauty products to your nearest John Lewis & Partners, hand them over at any beauty counter, show your my John Lewis card and enjoy £5 off your purchase.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s has just launched its own reverse vending machine trial* which allows customers to return plastic bottles of any size up to 3 litres and drinks cans bought from Sainsbury’s in exchange for 5p coupons towards their shop.
*(in Lincoln and Newbury)
Asda
After a successful trial, the recycling scheme for Ella's Kitchen's baby food packaging will be rolled out nationally. Customers can either send empty packages off with free post or can drop them off at one of 600 drop-off points.
The packages are then recycled by TerraCycle, where they are melted and used to create products such as outdoor furniture and playground equipment.
To find out more about the trial, click here
Specsavers
Bingham Specsavers has launched a recycling scheme with TerraCycle that allows customers to recycle their contact lenses.
For every item of waste collected, a donation is made to the charity, Kicks Count. To find out more about the scheme, click here.
TerraCycle
TerraCycle is a recycling company that specialises in hard to recycle plastics. They are working with many of the supermarkets/ shops in this article to make it as easy as possible for customers to recycle.
They have launched multiple free recycling schemes for a wide range of products such as Walkers, Pringles, Hovis, Burt's Bees, L'occitane, Colgate and Garnier. To find out more, click here.