Recycling Rewards: Here Are The Companies That Pay You to Recycle

Recycling Rewards: Here Are The Companies That Pay You to Recycle

You might do your best to recycle because you know it’s so good for the planet, but did you know that it can put money back in your pocket too?

Big companies are increasingly giving customers incentives to reduce waste and recycle more including freebies, discounts, loyalty points and more. All seems like a great idea, right? Well the problem is, not many people are even aware that these types of incentive schemes exist. So here are just some of the companies that pay you to recycle. So now you know.

Companies that reward you for recycling

Freebies for plastics

• The makeup retailer MAC has a scheme called ‘Back to MAC’ where customers can get a free lipstick if they return 6 empty containers (must be plastic) to a MAC store.
• The eco-conscious cosmetics company Lush gives customers a free face mask when they return 5 of their black recyclable pots to the store.

Reverse vending machines

• Shoppers who shop at Iceland can get 10p for every plastic bottle they return to their local store, and Tesco are following suit.
• Coca Cola’s theme park reverse vending machine scheme saw customers being given half-price discounts on the entry fee to theme parks and other attractions including Madame Tussauds and SeaLife Centres.

Rewards for old clothes

• Clothing retailer H&M offers a 10% discount to customers who return unwanted clothing to their stores.
• Marks & Spencer run a ‘shwopping scheme’ where customers donate their unwanted clothes and receive loyalty points. Customers can also take their old M&S clothes to Oxfam and get a £5 voucher to use in M&S for purchases of £35 and over.

Recycling for a good cause

• The beauty giant Garnier has partnered with the recycling charity TerraCycle, and the company sends its packaging to TerraCycle to be recycled, then the money is given to charities across the globe.

Good vision, good deed

TerraCycle has also just launched the first ever nationwide recycling scheme for contact lenses and their packaging. If you’re a contact lens wearer, you can drop your old lenses off at one of over 600 recycling bins at Boots Opticians and other independent opticians across the country.

Love coffee? love the planet

If you love your coffee, you can take your reusable coffee cup with you and get money off as well as helping the planet. You can get 50p off at Pret A Manger, and 25p off at Starbucks and Costa.