How do I sign up my school?
Create a TerraCycle account here. The person signing the school up should coordinate directly with school administrators for official permission, and to ensure the recycling collections and shipments are properly managed.
Please make sure to sign up as one of the following organisation types: Pre-School, Primary School, High School, or University.
How do I earn TerraCycle Recycling Rewards points?
Many of our free recycling programs come with the bonus of TerraCycle rewards points. When you send in shipments of recycling through these programmes, you will earn points that are redeemable as monetary donations to your school or a chosen charity. Depending on the program, you accrue points based on the weight of your shipment or the number of items you send in for recycling.
Each TerraCycle point you earn is equivalent to $0.01. In order to make a donation to your school, you need to accrue at least 3500 points ($35).
What is a valid shipment?
In order to receive rewards points, some programmes require you to ship parcels over a certain weight. Each free recycling programme has different points-earning requirements that can be found under the ‘Earn Recycling Rewards’ section on the program web page. For instance, some programmes may require you to send in packages of rubbish over 5kg to start earning points per-item, while others will allot 100 points to every kilogram of rubbish you send in.
Be sure to check these requirements on the programme page before mailing in your rubbish for recycling, and ensure you’re only including items accepted through each programme.
Can I ship all of my rubbish together in one box?
No, we request that you send separate shipments that are programme-specific. You need to download a shipping label for the rubbish you send in via each programme so we can track how much is being recycled and allocate TerraCycle points accordingly.
How do I sign my school up as a TerraCycle public drop-off point?
Browse our free recycling programmes and find options that suit your school which have a link at the top of the programme page that says ‘Become a public drop-off point’. Some of the most popular programmes with schools for recycling common household and classroom rubbish include:
- GLAD® Food Care Free Recycling Programme
- Schwarzkopf Cares Hair Care & Colour Free Recycling Programme
- Dish and Air Care Free Recycling Programme
When you go to these pages and click this link, you’ll be directed further down the page to relevant FAQs and a button that says ‘Sign up and join as a public drop-off point’. When you click this button, you’ll be sent to a sign-up page where you’ll need to input your public drop-off point information, including your contact details, opening hours, website link, and any notes you’d like to share with those visiting your drop-off point.
Once you’ve opened a TerraCycle account this way, you can repeat the process of requesting to join other programmes as a public drop-off point. We will quickly review and respond to your requests to join.
Once approved, your school location and contact details will be added to the TerraCycle map so your community knows where you are and when they should drop off items for recycling. You are free to change these public-facing details at any time via your online account.
If you signed up as a private TerraCycler, you can request to join programmes as a public drop-off point at any time.
Who manages a school public drop-off point?
When you sign your school up as a public drop-off point, you should elect someone to manage it. This person could be a teacher, admin staff, a student, or a parent, as long as the arrangement has been approved by school administration.
This person should be responsible for updating the drop-off point opening hours on the TerraCycle account, keeping the recycling station clean and organised, and mailing boxes of rubbish to TerraCycle for recycling. It’s important to make sure the drop-off point manager has support from staff when necessary, and coordinates with the school around holidays and important events.
Where should I set up a public drop-off point at my school?
It is ideal to set up your public drop-off point collection station somewhere that’s easily accessible for visitors to the school, as well as students and faculty. A front office or school reception might be best suited for this, as office staff or security can monitor those coming and going.
Why are the free recycling programs so specific?
Our free recycling programmes are funded by brands and retailers, so you pay nothing to participate. The brands specify which type of waste is accepted by their programs, and therefore only cover the cost of recycling these materials.
Different types of rubbish require different processing methods that come at variable costs. As is the case with standard kerbside recycling, minimising contamination of waste streams helps streamline these processes, meaning we can recycle more effectively and efficiently, and ensure these programmes remain economically viable.
Can I earn TerraCycle points if I use a Zero Waste Box™ to collect rubbish?
No, reward points are only awarded through our free recycling programmes.
How much money can I get for my TerraCycle Recycling Rewards points?
TerraCycle reward points can be redeemed for a donation of $0.01 per-point. To make a donation to your school, you must redeem at least 3500 points (equivalent $35) or more at any one time. If you want to donate to one of our featured charities, you can do so with a minimum 1000 points ($10).
How do I set my school up to receive donations?
You can add your school to our charity database by signing into your TerraCycle account and filling out this form. You can also find a link to the form from the ‘Add new charity’ button on the rewards page.
How do I redeem my TerraCycle Recycling Rewards points?
Search our charity database, choose your school, and click redeem to donate your reward points.
When will my school receive the donation?
We have two payment periods each year. If you redeem by the end of April, your charity will be paid in June. If you redeem by the end of October, your charity will be paid in January.
How can I promote this as a fundraiser at my school?
Use our resources to get parents, staff, and students contributing to your school’s recycling collection and spreading the word further. We regularly feature the fabulous efforts of our community of TerraCyclers on our website and social channels. If you’re interested in sharing your school’s recycling journey, please fill out this form with information you’re happy to share with the TerraCycle community. We’d love to put a face to the name, so please include the name you’d like to be quoted under and a photo of you at your collection station (school anonymity will be maintained).
If you have any other questions, please visit our Help Centre. Alternatively, you can reach out to our Customer Care team at customersupport@terracycle.co.nz .