Where can you recycle Tetrapak?

Masses of emails coming in about this. Who would think it? Flimsy little cartons that your juice arrives in and they kick up more debate than Al Gore’s Nobel Peace prize. It goes to show that it’s often the little things that trouble us, in our attempts to become earth-friendly. The fact that your morning glass of OJ comes from an irritating combination of materials that are difficult to recycle sets you off on the wrong foot. After covering it here, I admit that I was cynical about Tesco’s promise that it was setting up facilities to deal with the cartons at its recycling centres. But so far, I have learnt from readers that you can take your Tetrapak to the following places (click below to reach the list). I should also add that it’s worth, going to the Tetrapak Recycling website where there is an interactive map.
Thank you to everyone who emailed me

East Didsbury, South Manchester: at the car park of the Tesco's store

Sheffield city centre: behind the big Waitrose on Ecclesall Road and on Archer road, south Sheffield
Burnage

Manchester: at the Tesco

Wirral: Heswall Tesco, Bidston Moss Tesco, Asda Arrowe Park, Greasby Library and Dee Lane, West Kirby

Allerton, Liverpool: at the Tesco

Near Sale, south Manchester: at the Tesco in Baguley

Peak District: Whaley Bridge, Co-op in New Mills and Glossop, Morrisons at Buxton and on a local authority car park in Chapel-en-le Frith.

Derbyshire dales: there are banks at Sainsbury's in Ashbourne; Co-op in Bradwell, and on a local authority car park in Hathersage.

Hackney, London: next to the carpark of the local Tesco store

Comments

[anna]

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham now pick up Tetrapaks in their weekly curbside collections. Brilliant!

[Al Holland]

Chester Council has set some up. There's one at Sainsbury's and some others. Shame it's always full. Maybe they'll follow H&F's lead and collect from the kerb soon.

[Barbara]

I stopped buying tetrapak some months ago. You can buy things like orange juice in the same plastic bottles that milk come in - and they are recycled by my council in Huntingdon.

[Hannah Phillips]

Durham Tesco's and Sainsbury's both have tetrapak recycling facilities now, so you can add those to the list. However we are yet to receive plastic recycling up north.

[cmh]

A bin for tetrapak has recently been added to the Camden recycling area behind Homebase at the O2 Centre between Finchley Road and West Hampstead (north London).

[Jax]

I've heard of the one in Sheffield, but I've never been able to find it :(

[George Buck]

I got a strange response from Tesco’s regarding recycling Tetrapaks and similar cartons:
First time they sent me a page from their intranet, about their ‘TOMRA’ in-store recycling machines (not what I asked about, but we are getting some in the Leeds area, apparently.

The second time, I got 3 internet printouts:

- From veggies.org.uk headed ‘Tetra Pak Recycling’: says ‘see full UK interactive carton collection map at tetrapakrecycling .co.uk’ – it doesn’t exist, but Tetra pak advise asking local authority if they have facilities.

- from HouseOfStrauss.co.uk, also on recycling of Tetra Pak (answer: send them in bulk to Tetra Pak in Bridgewater!)

- and from tescocorporate.com – Environment/Waste & Recycling/operations, which tells you how hard they’re trying.

OK, one more phone call …..

[George Buck]

By the way, you may be able to buy orange juice in plastic or glass bottles, but I have yet to find a regular supply of grapefruit juice in either, in this country.

[George Buck]

Amazing!
After all that searching, on a visit to my preferred local recycling centre in Menston, LEEDS, they were able to tell me which Leeds recycling centre DOES accept Tetra Paks! (Milner Road, Guiseley).
Even Leeds City Council's helpline ('this is only a call centre') couldn't tell me that!

[David]

Forget Tetrapak, I drink orange squash. That way, you get through a bottle slower, so you create less plastic waste. I'm not sure if I'm doing my health any favours though!

[Peter Smart]

The only sustainable solution is to shun products that are not ecologically packaged or recyclable. That way you don't have the problem of identifying recycling facilities for your purchasing decisions. Think before you buy before you recycle !