Hey planet lovers!
At Go For Zero, our mission is to make sustainable & non-toxic products more accessible, affordable and fun. While we don't sell you waste, we know that many companies are not up to speed yet. This is why we take back other brands' packaging that can't be recycled in your kerbside recycle bin. When you send us your waste, you'll earn a $10 GFZ store voucher to help you switch to the waste-free alternative. Can we get a *woot woot*?!
Our address is 2/8 Tectonic Crescent, Kunda Park 4556 QLD.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WASTE?
Send us your hard-to-recycle items (see the list below), and we'll give it a second life with our recycling partners like Breadtags for wheelchairs and Terracycle.These legends are known as the company that recycles almost anything that is not accepted in a kerbside recycling bin (including trigger sprays, disposable razors, coffee pods etc. - see full list below)
They turn them into park benches, consumer products, roads and more! 🙏
WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?
Aside from saving precious resources from landfills, we also earn points through Terracycle that turn into donations. We've donated $1080 to the following legends through our recycling program: WWF Australia, Planet Ark, 1 Million Women, Clean up Australia, Sea Shepherd, Bungalow Koalas, Terracycle Global Foundation, and Ten Little Pieces Australia.
HOW CAN I EARN A GFZ VOUCHER?
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND T&C's:
1. Redemption: Please make sure each box is the size of (or bigger than) a shoebox (30x20x10cm). You will receive your credit within a week after your box arrives at our warehouse. Make sure you are a member of our loyalty program so we can manually add the points to your account. If you are unsure how to redeem them, you can find out here.
Please note that you can only redeem one box maximum every 3 months.
2. Packaging:Please think about Steph and Lauren (our recycling sorters) and couriers by ensuring your waste is safely packaged to reduce the handling risk. To be able to allocate your 200 points ($10 GFZ store voucher), make sure your contact details are listed on the parcel.
3. Postage:If you don't live locally and cannot find a recycling program closer to you, you will have to cover the postage costs required for sending your parcels. We aim to offset this with the $10 GFZ store voucher for you.
And lastly, this program is for personal use only. We cannot accept business waste because we would not have any office space left ☺️
4. Wishcycling:Wishcycling is the act of throwing something in the recycle bin without knowing if it is actually recyclable. Please do not send items in because you are unsure where else to send them. If our team cannot find a recycling location to take them we have to send them to landfill. This takes time and we are only a small team so we ask you to respect that ♡. Recycling Near You is an amazing resource that helps you find collection hubs for waste streams near you. Please utilise their platform and recycle responsibly.
ACCEPTED WASTE
All brands of empty medicinal blister packs with no tablets or capsules left in them.
HOW TO PACK Ensure blister packs are empty and dry.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
They're sorted and separated into aluminium and plastics. Then they're shredded or melted and transformed into new products!
You can also drop them off to a chemist near you 🎉 Check out the eligible chemists here
ACCEPTED WASTE
- Aluminium:L'OR, Moccona & illy coffee capsules.
- Plastic:NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® & Starbucks® by NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Capsules
- Compostable: Terracycle stopped their compostable coffee pods collection, so these can't be recycled with Terracycle anymore
HOW TO PACKPlease seal coffee capsules in a plastic bag or dry before sending them back. Keep brands separate.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Aluminium & Plastic:Shredded to separate the coffee ground & then melted & remoulded to make new recycled products.
Compostable: Sent to commercial composting facility & combined with other organics to be broken down into compost.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVEA coffee plunger, press or reusable coffee pods.
ACCEPTED WASTE
All brands of:
- Blades and razors (refillable and disposable products, and replaceable-blade cartridge units)
- Rigid plastic packaging & flexible plastic packaging.
HOW TO PACKPack into cardboard box & tape closed, avoid plastic bags as blades can cut through.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Razor blades and their packaging are broken down and separated by material. Plastics are cleaned and pelletised to be recycled into new products, and metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVE:Reusable butterfly razors with replaceable blades.
ACCEPTED WASTE
Any brand of:
- Toothpaste tubes and caps
- Plastic toothbrushes & electric toothbrush heads
- Bamboo toothbrush heads
- Toothbrush plastic packaging
- Floss containers (add floss inside)
*no electric brushes and chargers
HOW TO PACK:Ensure products are empty, dry & packaged in a box or bag.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
It's shredded and melted into plastic pellets that are remoulded to create recycled products.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVES:Bamboo toothbrushes, waste-free toothpaste & low waste dental floss
ACCEPTED WASTE
Any brand of:
- Trigger sprays, pumps, caps, tubes and droppers
- Empty glass & plastic bottles (if they are not large enough to go in your kerbside bin)
- Compacts, palettes, lipsticks, gloss, mascara and wands, eye and brow liners
- Soft and rigid makeup packaging including sheet mask & wipe packaging.
HOW TO PACKAll packaging should be empty and dry.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Materials are processed and used to create new recycled products.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVES:Refillable and plastic-free bathroom, care & beauty products.
ACCEPTED WASTE
- All brands of bread tags, no matter if they are coloured or broken. Does not include twist ties or tapes
HOW TO PACK Ensure tags are clean and dry
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Aussie Bread Tags For Wheelchairs recycle them into new products and sell them to raise funds and buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVES
Visit your local baker with your bread bag or ask for a paper bag, it feels sooo good to do!
Silicone is a fantastic alternative for plastic because it doesn't leach toxins into your food, its temperature resistant, and durable. Silicone cannot yet be recycled through our kerbside bin, but you can send your silicone products back to us!
ACCEPTED WASTE
We can only accept silicone products from our Go For Zero store:
- Baking mats
- Silicone pouches
- Silicone food covers
HOW TO PACKEnsure products are dry and clean
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Materials are manually or mechanically separated into metals, fibers and plastics.
Metalsare melted & recycled.
Fibers(paper or wood based products) are recycled or composted.
Plastics are pelletised and moulded into new recycled plastic products.
ACCEPTED WASTE
Please place plastic bottles in your kerbside recycling bin and only send us the plastic trigger spray heads. This program also accepts clip on car air fresheners.
HOW TO PACK Ensure products are empty, dry and clean
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVE Check out our toxin-free, plastic-free, and refillable cleaning range here.
ACCEPTED WASTE
All foil and latex balloons
HOW TO PACK: we only accept the balloons so take off the ribbons, closure clips. Please note we don't accept any other party accessories
ACCEPTED WASTE
We want broken, streched and damaged...
- Hair ties
- Scrunchies
- Hair ties with metal clasps
HOW TO PACK? Pop 20 into an envelope and mail them to us!
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT?We send them to Upparel to be made into recycled fibres that is then used in things like home insulation, filling for furniture and mattresses.
🌎 ALTERNATIVE: When you send us 20 broken, old or stretched hair ties and mail them to us, you'll receive 20% off the Eco hair ties range here
ACCEPTED WASTE
Any brand of:
- Perfume Bottles
- Essential Oils
- Deodorant Roll-on
HOW TO PACK
Ensure all products are empty and dry.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT
Once collected the packaging is cleaned and separated by material type. The materials are then recycled by Terracycle to make new products.
🌎 WASTE-FREE ALTERNATIVES
Refillable and plastic-free deodorant & perfume.
IS RECYCLING THE ANSWER?
Whilst recycling and giving materials a second life is an awesome thing, it should be our last option. Recycling still leaves a footprint on our planet and requires precious resources from the earth.
It's so important to reduce your waste first by using reusable alternatives. Our mission is to help you find those alternatives. Are you starting out on your waste-free journey? Check out our resource hub here, our blog on 'where to start reducing your waste' is a great place to start.
Thanks for being responsible for your waste, you rock!
With love,
Ellie & the GFZ team xx