An environmental charity is offering Worcester residents a way to recycle crisp packets.
The Duckworth Worcestershire Trust (DWT) has set up a recycling hub in the city for people to drop off their empty packets, which aren’t included in council recycling collections.
And for every packet collected, the charity will earn points it can redeem to fund environmental projects around Worcestershire.
Anda Phillips, a DWT volunteer and community coordinator, signed up to the snappily-titled KP Snacks, Nuts, Popcorn, Crisps and Pretzels Packet Free Recycling Programme – a partnership between KP Snacks and TerraCycle, a company that specialises in recycling hard-to-recycle materials.
Anda has set up a public drop-off at Pump House Environment Centre in Waterworks Road, Barbourne and people are encouraged to bring crisps packets, nuts packaging, pretzel bags and other snack packets.
The drop-off is open between 10am and 4pm, seven days a week.
These are items that have traditionally been destined for landfill, incineration or to be dropped as litter.
Crisp packets turned into plastic pellets
For each item collected to be recycled, TerraCycle points are earned which are redeemed as monetary donations to The DWT.
The Trust says it will use these funds to protect and enhance the natural and built environments of Worcestershire, as well as encouraging the community to waste less by reusing and recycling more.
READ MORE: Recycling errors cost Worcester taxpayers thousands
“The Duckworth Worcestershire Trust was set up with the goal to protect and promote Worcestershire’s environment, and a key part of our work is encouraging the community to rethink waste, reuse and recycle more,” said Anda.
“Setting a public drop-off location with TerraCycle meant we could become a hub to recycle snack packaging that would otherwise go to landfill or end up in the environment.
“We’d encourage the whole community to drop their crisps and snack packets off with us so we can ensure they are recycled and raise funds for the DWT in the process.
“We know the Worcestershire environment means a lot to its residents, and this is one simple thing anyone can do to help protect it.”
The waste is sent to TerraCycle and is recycled by shredding, cleaning and turning into plastic pellets which can then be used by manufacturers to create new generic plastic products such as outdoor equipment – reducing the need to extract new resources from the planet.
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