TerraCycle volunteers will take your hard-to-recycle waste at a new location
A new drop-off locations for the TerraCycle scheme have been added in Canton where residents can leave waste that can’t be recycled through the council collections.
Since the end of January, Lucy Vaatstra, 32, has invited locals to drop-off certain types of waste at her house in Canton, which she then collects and stores and hands over to a TerraCycle volunteer who sends them for recycling.
“It’s brilliant that so many people want to recycle and it’s amazing how much adds up over a week, that would usually go in the bin but can actually be recycled,” says Lucy.
Lucy has two children, aged one and two, and works as a registered childminder while also running her own business.
The national UK TerraCycle scheme launched in 2009 and recycles 40 different types of waste that can’t be recycled through council recycling systems.
About 162 million items of packaging waste have already been diverted from landfill.
In the first two weeks, Lucy received about eight black bags full of packaging from locals and neighbours who responded to her Facebook page.
“I didn’t think it’d be that much to be honest, but I’ve got the same people coming back each week now,” says Lucy.
To keep up with demand Lucy has set up a dedicated Facebook page called Cardiff Terracycle Caerdydd.
The TerraCycle scheme is free to use and run by volunteers.
“We really don’t like waste as a family,” says Lucy who became involved in the scheme when she realised how much waste was generated by the fruit pouches she used daily as snacks for the children.
“It’s mad really, I mean it’s really good I just didn’t expect it to be so popular straight away,” adds Lucy.
The bulk of items Lucy has accumulated are crisp packets, cat and baby food pouches and coffee capsules.
A list detailing the 27 items including contact lenses and blister packs, washing tablets and more, can be dropped off in Canton and Roath and will be recycled through Terra Cycle.
To get involved with the scheme, locals can drop off the items listed at Lucy’s house between 10am and 6pm on Saturday.
“I don’t mind helping out if you’re unsure how to separate the items,” says Lucy, although it makes it easier if waste is separated properly before it is dropped off.
Every week on Sunday Sara Lewis, a TerraCycle volunteer who has helped the scheme for 10 years, picks up the bags and packages them up to be sent off to the different schemes.
Through her work Sara collects points with TerraCycle that are used to support charities of her choice.
“It’s amazing that she’s being doing it for so long,” says Lucy, explaining how much work it is for Sara every week.
In November Sara posted on her Facebook page Ailgylchy/Recycling in Caerffili that over lockdown she’d spent 20hrs just sorting and boxing over 200kg of items, ready to be shipped.
