Encouraging recycling  Consumers face a choice when they unwrap or finish a product: recycle or dispose. Australian consumers are generally good at recycling the basics - aluminium cans, glass and plastic bottles - but need prompting when it comes to other forms of packaging. TerraCycle, founded in the US in 2011, helps consumers recycle the difficult-to-recycle. It runs brand sponsored collection programs for different types of waste from chip bags to juice pouches. Brigades, comprising community groups, schools or individuals, collect packaging for a particular stream and TerraCycle uses innovative recycling and upcycling processes to keep waste from going to, well, waste. Since its launch, TerraCycle has grown to 21 countries including the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand. "The recycling programs are hugely successful," TerraCycle Australia & New Zealand PR and Marketing Manager Gemma Kaczerepa said. "There are currently 60 million people collecting for TerraCycle worldwide. Since 2006, we have diverted more than 3.7 billion units of waste from landfills and incinerators, and raised more than $15 million for charity. Further, there are now over 60 types of non-recyclable waste that can be recycling through our programs." Different programs are run in each country, depending on support of brands. In Australia some of the successful programs include:

• Beauty products recycling program with L'Oréal - more than 138,000 products (including shampoo and hairspray bottles, eye-shadow palettes and lipstick tubes) have been diverted from landfill since the program's launch in 2014
• Kids Pouch & Snack recycling program with Whole Kids - more than 20,000 products have been diverted from landfill since the program's launch in 2015
• Nescafé Dolce Gusto Capsule recycling program - more than 600,000 capsules have been diverted from landfill since the program's launch in 2014
• Oral Care recycling program with Colgate - more than 203,000 products have been diverted from landfill since the program's launch in 2014.

This program also features the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures oral care recycling contest - a nationwide recycling competition for primary schools primary schools offering a $1,000 prize and, in the latest round, a recycled park bench made of oral-care waste. Mz Kaczerepa says there are program taking place overseas that she'd like to see implemented in Australia, such as recycling programs for stationery, pet food and treat packaging, and contact lenses and blister packs. Internationally, TerraCycle also works with retailers to create in-store recycling promotions and awareness campaigns to communicate the recyclability of the brand's products. "This can include in-store competition whereby shoppers are encouraged to return products to enter the prize draw; in-store collections whereby customers can redeem their used products for a discount off new ones; and shelf-talkers and other marketing collateral to promote the brand and its recycling efforts," Mz Kaczerepa said. "We hope to launch a similar initiatives in Australia in 2017."