You may just be surprised by the things that you can recycle… and the dedicated recycling services that already exist around you.
While there are many recycling services and schemes available around Australia, we know that these can sometimes be difficult to navigate. At Utilitarian, we are dedicated to making recycling easier and more rewarding.
Here are three great recycling services that you can easily start using today. They are simple to incorporate into your life and don’t require much effort to do so. Start using these three super easy recycling services in your life right now:
- Envirobank
Envirobank is a can and bottle recycling service, with a difference. When recycling your eligible bottles and cans at Envirobank, you can choose to directly receive your 10-cent refunds or you can convert your earnings to ‘Crunch credits’, which go towards great rewards for you.
Why we love it:
- This Indigenous-owned 10-cent refund service is about making recycling more rewarding and more convenient.
- Envirobank goes a step further in allowing you to track your recycling progress and personal impact on the environment.
- You decide what happens with your rewards—cash out your refund, pay it forward to your favourite charity, spend your well-earned rewards on your favourite sustainable brands or next grocery shop, or even contribute to your next trip by transferring your credits to Velocity Frequent Flyer points.
How to use:
- Committed to making recycling accessible to everyone, Envirobank locations are located outside selected Coles supermarkets across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and the Northern Territory. (And as the company grows, more locations are popping up all the time!).
- Simply collect your cans and bottles, and drop them off at an Envirobank collection point. Then collect your Crunch points to redeem however you’d like.
- Upparel
Have you ever done a closet cleanout, but felt unsure about where your unwanted clothes were going to end up? While donating unused clothing to a charity bin is certainly better than throwing them away—there’s no guarantee that all your old textiles will be resold and reused rather than ending up in landfill. Enter Upparel: the clothing, shoes and textiles recovery and recycling service that ensures every single item and scrap of your old and unwanted clothing will be resold, reused, repurposed or recycled.
Why we love it:
- Upparel ensures that no items sent to them end up in landfill—they sort all goods and ensure they are resold or repurposed. Around 65% of items are sent to charity partners and social enterprises for resale, while the remaining 35% is repurposed or upcycled into new materials.
- Even badly damaged and unwearable fabrics and shoes are repurposed or transformed into new materials. Nothing goes to landfill!
- It’s a great option for your next closet cleanout or when moving home.
- The Upparel Recycle and Rewards program offers a variety of rewards from Australian brand and retailer partners.
How to use:
- Simply pack up your unwanted textiles and shoes in a cardboard box (or boxes). Check the Upparel website for a full list of what can be sent.
- Select your collection online, corresponding with the amount and weight of what you are recycling.
- Book your collection through the link in your confirmation email. Print and attach your labels to your box(es) and leave them outside for collection.
- Banish Recycling And Disposal Program (BRAD)
Have you ever thought twice about the many plastics thrown out in your household waste? BRAD is changing the game when it comes to hard-to-recycle plastics and household items. From plastic razors, toothbrushes, and toothpaste tubes to medical blister packs to makeup and skincare tubes, vials and bottles, BRAD accepts a wide range of your beauty and household products that would otherwise end up in landfill. Working in partnership with TerraCycle, BRAD sorts and sends your items on to be correctly recycled.
Why we love it:
- Participating in BRAD is easy to do for everyone!
- Reducing plastic and household waste that goes to landfill is a big step we can take toward creating a more sustainable future.
- With each box you send into BRAD, your $15 collection will be refunded for you to spend at the Banish store, which sells a whole range of sustainable, compostable, and environmentally friendly items.
How to use:
- BRAD has an easy-to-follow system, with a guide on their website listing all items that can and can’t be sent in.
- Simply collect your hard-to-recycle items in any shoebox-sized box or satchel that you have. When your box is full, book a $15 BRAD collection online. This includes postage and the cost of recycling your items.
- Choose between a home pick-up or dropping your items into a red Australia Post box. A pre-paid BRAD mailing label will be emailed to you. Then just await pick-up or drop off your box in the mail (no need to go to the post office).
- Once your box has been received, you will receive a $15 voucher to spend at the Banish online store.
https://banish.com.au/pages/recycling-program
Where does Utilitarian fit in?
Utilitarian makes working with these (and countless other) amazing services ever easier. At Utilitarian, we connect you with the available services and initiatives that you need to live more sustainably, simply by participating.
Our app brings together everything you need to participate in the circular economy. We provide ease of access, facilitate ongoing customer service, and simplify your life by transforming your relationship with products.