What are my options if a program is waitlisted?

While it’s great that so many people want to recycle, it’s not ideal when you come up against a notification that the recycling program you would like to join is waitlisted.

This happens because most programs have a limited number of participants or a cap on the amount of rubbish they can accept. You can still sign up for these programs and wait in the queue to be admitted. When you come to a waitlisted program page on our website, the sign-up button will note ‘sign up and join waitlist’, and you’ll be placed on the waitlist until there are more spaces available. We can’t estimate how long it will take for you to be added, because the decision to admit more recyclers ultimately lies with the brand partner who sponsors the program.

In the mean time, there are still a number of ways you can recycle your items through TerraCycle.

Visit a public drop-off point

Check out our network of public drop-off points to find a location nearby accepting the types of rubbish you’re looking to recycle. These are often set up at small businesses, schools, community gardens and council offices. Simply type in your suburb or postcode and select the maximum search area you’re willing to travel to.

Don’t forget to also select the specific waste stream you want to recycle – some locations accept several waste streams so be sure to check and recycle as much as possible! We also recommend calling the drop-off point manager first to ensure none of the details on their TerraCycle listing have changed.

Become a public drop-off point

Some waitlisted programs allow collectors who sign up as a public drop-off point and collect rubbish for their community to be fast tracked into the program. If you live or work in a location that can be accessible to the public on a regular schedule, this could be a fantastic way to build up your recycling collections and send them off sooner, all while earning more TerraCycle points which can be redeemed as charitable donations.

Take recycling to in-store collection stations

Some of our free recycling programs allow you to drop off your rubbish for recycling at select stores. There are a number of beauty brands offering this option across Australia and New Zealand, and in Australia you can also take wetsuits to participating Ripcurl stores and Havvianas thongs to certain retail outlets for recycling. Check out the program pages on our website to see if there’s an in-store drop-off option for the rubbish you want to recycle. 

Buy a Zero Waste Box

TerraCycle’s paid recycling solution, Zero Waste Box, offers almost endless ways to recycle complex rubbish that isn’t accepted through standard kerbside collections. Order a box to match your recycling needs, and it will be posted directly to you. The boxes come with a return shipping label attached, so when it’s full you simply seal the box and drop it off at your closest post office. The price of the box covers entire process, include the box itself, shipping and the cost of recycling the contents.

This simple, pre-paid solutions can help you recycle practically everything, from used facemasks and gloves to sporting equipment, party supplies, shipping materials and more. Take our quiz to find the right box for you and your recycling needs.

Try Nourished Life or Banish in Australia

Online Aussie store and sustainability education platform Banish accepts beauty empties, oral care, coffee capsules, kitchen products and more for recycling via TerraCycle. Head to their website to find all the details on the rubbish they accept (this includes recycling beyond the TerraCycle sphere) and where to send your items. It costs $15 to send a shipment to Banish, but you’ll receive a $15 voucher to spend at their online store for each parcel you send in.

You can also recycle beauty products for free by sending them into natural product retailer Nourished Life, who use our Zero Waste Boxes to recycle them. Get a free shipping label from Nourished Life and send them your beauty empties.