A recycling program for yoghurt pouches

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

As explained by Fonterra Environmental Manager Nic Bishop, 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 — that’s Anchor Uno pouches or any other yoghurt pouch,” 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 recycled into new products, such as chairs and park benches.

Here’s how to recycle with the Fonterra Pouch Brigade:

• Visit http://terracycle.co.nz/fonterra-pouch to sign up.
• Create your own recycling bin and place it at your school, kindergarten, community group or at home.
• Collect your yoghurt pouches and, once your 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 local community group, school or charity of your choice.
• The first 25 brigades that sign up will receive an Anchor Uno voucher. The first 50 will go into the draw to win one of five upcycled products.

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, whether this is DIY collection bins, posters or signage”. The resources are available on the TerraCycle website.