Recycling program for yoghurt pouches

Milk processor Fonterra Brands New Zealand (FBNZ) has partnered with TerraCycle to launch a recycling program for yoghurt pouches — a packaging product that would previously have gone to landfill.

Fonterra Environmental Manager Nic Bishop explains that the program followed the release of FBNZ’s kids’ yoghurt, Anchor Uno, in a pouch format that was popular with children but did not allow consumers to recycle the packaging.

“That’s why we have partnered with TerraCycle to provide a recycling solution for all yoghurt pouches,” Bishop said. “This program also builds on the Anchor Recycling Moo-vement, which is where we develop recycled-product ideas and community partnerships.”

The Fonterra Pouch Brigade is a free recycling program that enables New Zealanders to collect their empty yoghurt pouches and send them to TerraCycle. The company will then upcycle the pouches into children’s pencil cases or recycle them into new products, such as chairs and park benches.

Here’s how the Fonterra Pouch Brigade program works:

• Visit http://terracycle.co.nz/fonterra-pouch to sign up.
• Create a recycling bin and place it at a school, kindergarten, community group or at home.
• Collect yoghurt pouches and, once the recycling bin reaches the 2 kg minimum shipment size, send it for free to TerraCycle.
• TerraCycle will donate 100 TerraCycle points ($1) for every 1 kg of pouches to a nominated local community group, school or charity.

TerraCycle New Zealand General Manager Anna Minns said TerraCycle has worked with FBNZ to provide all of the resources needed to collect, ship and recycle, including DIY collection bins, posters and signage. The resources are available on the TerraCycle website.