Working in conjunction with packaging recycling organisation TerraCycle, baby food brand Ella’s Kitchen has passed the mark of 500,000 baby food pouches diverted from landfill in the UK, through its Ella’s Kitchen Brigade initiative, running since March 2010.
Although baby food pouch material is recyclable, local councils in the UK generally do not have the infrastructure to recycle this type of waste packaging, so it has been going into landfill.
TerraCycle claims to be the world leader in the collection and repurposing of non-recyclable post-consumer waste, operating in 23 countries around the world, and working with more than 50 major brands to collect used packaging and products – such as baby food pouches, biscuit wrappers, coffee packaging, yogurt pots, baby wipes packaging and pens – that would otherwise be destined for landfills.
Consumers can sign up for free to the Ella’s Kitchen Brigade and return batches of any brand of food pouch, free of charge, to TerraCycle, in exchange for points that can be redeemed for payments to the school or charity of the collector’s choice.
TerraCycle can use the waste baby food pouch material to make a wide range of recycled plastic products such as garden benches, watering cans, waste bins, lunch bags, tote bags, pencil cases and more.
“The programme has been passionately embraced by parents, nurseries, playgroups, schools and more across the UK as the perfect way to save baby food pouches from landfill and raise awareness of the importance of taking care of our environment,” says Ella’s Kitchen’s ‘head of giving stuff back’, Sarah Bright.
The Ella’s Kitchen initiative has raised £13,425 for schools, charities and non-profit organisations, saving 4500kg of baby food pouch material from going to UK landfills.
The Ella’s Kitchen brand is part of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., a leading natural and organic products company in North America and Europe.
According to TerraCycle, more than 791,000 people across the UK have signed up to collect through its systems, diverting more than 12,733,000 million items of packaging waste from landfill since it was established in September 2009, and earning more than £180,000 for schools, charities and non-profit organisations.
