Crisp packets turn into cash for animal sanctuary
For just over a year Oxford residents have been able to recycle used crisp packets at the ODS Marsh Road Depot and it's all added up to extra cash for a local animal charity.
Once collected, the crisp packets are sent to recycling company TerraCycle. They arrange for the packets to be separated by plastic type, cleaned, and extruded into plastic pellets to make new recycled products.
In addition to the packets that residents have dropped off at the Depot, City Council staff have been saving them at their St Aldates offices, and ODS staff at their respective depots. Other groups, including blood donor centres, have joined in, taking their crisp packets and biscuit wrappers to the depot.
It's estimated that 32,000 crisp packets have been collected since the scheme started and money made from recycling the packets will be donated to the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary in Stadhampton later this year.
ODS also has collection points for biscuit wrappers and baby food pouches at its depot ready to be recycled. Together with the crisp packets it means the animal sanctuary is set to receive and initial donation of £358.
Cllr Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Customer Focused Services said: "This is a valuable and useful initiative. Residents can't recycle crisp packets in their blue bins, but if it's practical, can drop them off at the ODS Depot where we can guarantee they will be recycled. That not only prevents crisp packets being incinerated, but raises money for charity as well."
TerraCycle offers crisp packet recycling locations across Oxfordshire and the rest of the UK. To find out more visit www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/crisppacket
