United Biscuits has teamed up with TerraCycle UK to launch the McVitie’s Biscuit Wrapper Brigade.
A first for the industry, the recycling and fundraising scheme will save biscuit wrappers from UK landfill sites and is open to every biscuit consumer across the UK. Consumers simply send biscuit wrappers to Terracycle UK to help reduce waste and raise funds for the charity of their choice.
Over the last 12 months, 487,000 tonnes of biscuits with a retail value of £2.3 billion were sold in the UK. Biscuit wrappers are recyclable, but very little mixed plastic recycling is carried out by local council kerb side collections, which results in billions of biscuit wrappers being sent to landfill. As a result, McVitie’s and TerraCycle have joined together to launch this innovative new scheme that encourages consumers to help end this enormous waste of resources by sending in their used biscuit wrappers from any brand to be recycled. These will be recycled into everyday products such as watering cans, garden benches and waste bins.
The brigade is open to consumers across the UK who can get involved for free at www.terracycle.co.uk. Once registered, they can download pre-paid Royal Mail labels which means sending in old wrappers is completely free. All consumers have to do is simply collect any brand of biscuit wrapper, put them in a box or envelope, print the free postage label from the website and then stick it onto the package and post it.
The biscuit wrapper reclamation programme also incentivises the return of used biscuit wrapper packaging by helping consumers to raise money for a charity of their choice. TerraCycle and McVitie’s rewards consumers with TerraCycle points for every biscuit wrapper sent in, with each point redeemable as a 1 pence contribution to the charity of the senders’ choice.
Vicki Gregory, marketing controller for McVitie’s, comments, “United Biscuit’s is delighted to be able to offer consumers a solution that allows them, for the first time in the UK, to recycle biscuit wrappers. This innovative scheme not only ensures that biscuit wrappers are reused, it also helps to protect the environment whilst helping the public to raise funds for their favourite charity.
“We are encouraging retailers and consumers across the UK, who love biscuits, to set up a collection point and help us to save as many biscuit wrappers from landfill as possible, making a difference to both their local environment and raising money for worthy causes.”
Chris Baker, general manager of TerraCycle UK adds, “We are delighted that such an iconic brand as McVitie’s is partnering with us to take ownership of what happens to used biscuit wrappers in the UK. With McVitie’s support we are confident that we can reach people across the UK and encourage them to work with us to make a real difference!”
Source: Sweets and snacks Europe
