The Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme - FAQ

Anyone based in mainland UK or the Isle of Wight can participate in our recycling programmes. Unfortunately people based in the following locations cannot participate at this time: the Hebrides, Isle of Man, Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Isles of Scilly, Jersey or Guernsey. This is due to logistical reasons but please be assured the TerraCycle® Operations Team are looking into solutions for us to provide free recycling programmes in these locations in the future. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Participating in the programme is completely free and very simple. There are 2 ways to participate:

1. Drop off your crisp packets at your nearest public drop-off location

Find your nearest public drop-off location on the interactive map above and drop off your crisp packets.

To learn more about public drop-off locations, please click here.

2. Set up a public drop-off location (applies to existing members only)

If you don’t have a public drop-off location nearby, you could set one up somewhere that’s accessible to members of the public, such as a community centre, shop or other public space (please ensure you have permission from whoever administers the site). But because we are always looking to minimise the environmental impact of our schemes, you need to be confident you can collect a minimum of 8kg* of crisp packets every six months – that’s around 1,600 packets. This will help reduce the number of trips needed by vans picking up shipments. If you think you can meet this requirement, please apply here.

To learn more about what public drop-off locations are and what it involves to set up one, please click here.

Note: we do not provide collection boxes for this scheme – we would ask that you re-use an old cardboard box

Once you are a member of the programme and when you are ready to send a shipment, please follow these steps:

-          Download a free UPS label from your account

-          Print your label out

-          Attach your label to your parcel

-          Simply book a free pick-up via UPS by calling 03457 877 877 or book online via this link. Alternatively, you can also drop off your parcel at your closest UPS drop-off point, which you can find here.

Please note: In an effort to save hundreds of courier journeys and further reduce the scheme’s carbon footprint, we are asking all participants to send one shipment per month. But don’t worry, you can send up to three parcels per shipment through the multi-label shipping option.  

No - we do not provide collection boxes for this programme.

Any brand of crisp packets are accepted in this scheme.

Please note that the following types of waste are not accepted in this scheme:

• Popcorn bags
• Crisp tubes
• Pretzel bags
• Meat snack bags

For more information, please consult our Accepted Waste Poster.

Once you have joined The Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme, you can print a shipping label by logging into your TerraCycle® account and by clicking on "my account". Then simply click on the "send us your waste" button and then on "create free postage label". You will receive your label by email, you must then print it and stick it on your parcel. Please be mindful of the carbon footprint of the scheme, by sending us as many packets as practical per shipment.

In line with the upcoming programme change, we ask collectors to send one shipment per month (consisting of up to three parcels) with a minimum weight of 8kg from public drop-off locations and a minimum weight of 5kg from private collectors. Please note there is a maximum weight of 20kg per parcel. Boxes should not be bigger than 60cm x 60cm x 50cm.

You can use any cardboard box for sending your waste, however these boxes must be clean and sturdy. Once you have your box, put your waste directly in it (and, if possible in a plastic bag beforehand), close it well and stick the prepaid shipping label on the box (the shipment is completely free).

Once you have downloaded and printed your shipping label, please send us your waste by ordering a free pick-up via UPS by calling 03457 877 877 (UPS will collect at your location). You can also drop-off your parcel at your closest UPS drop-off point, which you can find here. 

TerraCycle® points for this scheme will be awarded on a monthly basis – in the first fortnight of the month following your shipment.

Once received by TerraCycle®, your crisp packets are sorted and separated by material composition. The separated items are then cleaned, shredded, and made into new recycled products. Click here to learn more about the recycling process.

You must send at least one shipment every 6 months. If you do not send a shipment within 6 months, you might be removed from the programme to allow other people to participate. If you are removed from the programme, you will receive an email notifying you about this.

This programme offers 100 TerraCycle® points for each kilogram of crisp packets sent for the heaviest qualifying shipment received in any given month. To qualify, the parcel must reach the minimum weight of 5 kilograms for private collectors and 8 kilograms for public drop-off administrators.

Please note: In an effort to encourage collectors to send bigger shipments and further reduce the scheme’s carbon footprint, points will only be awarded for one shipment per month. 

To redeem your points as financial donations, a minimum of 1,000 points or £10 is required.

All points redeemed between the 1st of May and the 31st of October will be donated in December. Points redeemed between the 1st of November and the 30th of April will be donated in June.

To redeem your points for the charity or school of your choice, simply log in to your TerraCycle® account and go to the "my charities" tab. Once on this page, TerraCycle® offers 3 ways to choose a charity:

1. Redeem your points to a TerraCycle® partner charity by clicking on "redeem" and by choosing one of the charities from the drop-down menu.
2. Add the charity or school of your choice by clicking on "add charity". Please check if this charity is not already registered on our website first by looking for the charity in the search bar at the top of the page. If you cannot find it, please fill in the fields for creating a new charity. Once completed, validate the form and do not forget to send us the bank details through this form to customersupport@terracycle.co.uk.
3. Choose a charitable gift by clicking on "redeem". You will find the list of charitable gifts in the field of the environment, the fight against hunger, education, childhood or prematurity at the bottom of the page. Then simply select the gift and click on "redeem".

If you have chosen to donate to a charity (either by selecting an existing charity or by adding a new one), you must choose the number of points you wish to redeem (as a reminder, you must convert a minimum of 1,000 points).

Check the contents of your cart and click on "checkout" to close the transaction.

If you wish to stop collecting this waste, log in to your account, select the "my recycling programmes" tab and click on the small grey cross to the right of the name of The Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme.