Frequently Asked Questions

Which Zero Waste Box is right for me?

You can take our short quiz here to see which Zero Waste Box fits your recycling needs. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team!

General Phone: 1800 983 324

Email: customersupport@terracycle.com.au

There are two sizes of Zero Waste Boxes to choose from:

• Small 25 x 25 x 46 cm (28 liters)
• Medium 28 x 28 x 95 cm (75 liters)

Your order should arrive within 7 to 10 business days and deliveries are carried out by Australia Post. After your order has been dispatched from our warehouse, you’ll receive an email with your tracking information.

Once received, start by unfolding the flat box and follow the folding instructions on the bottom. Next, fold and close the top lid and secure it with the cardboard flap. Press down on the perforated cut-out on the top lid. Remember to place your box in an easily accessible spot. That’s it! 

Check out our Zero Waste Box setup video for step-by-step instructions here!

For the Zero Waste Box service to work effectively and safely, please follow these simple shipping guidelines on how and what you can ship back to TerraCycle:

• When will my order arrive? All orders are processed within 2 to 3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email. Your order should arrive within 7 to 10 business days and deliveries are carried out by Australia Post. After your order has been dispatched from our warehouse, you’ll receive an email with your tracking information.
• Do I need to seal up my Zero Waste Box? Once ready to be shipped back to TerraCycle, securely tape your Zero Waste Box to prevent any spillage in transit and ensure your collected waste arrives safely at our materials recovery facility (MRF).
• Only send in items the box accepts. Sending in items that fall outside the selected category causes contamination and the need for added separation, which increases costs. For more technical descriptions of what is accepted, please click here.
• Do not send in household items that may be considered hazardous waste. These include items such as lithium-ion batteries, pressurised canisters, pesticides, oil-based paint or medical sharps, organics, broken glass, biomedical waste, soiled nappies, or expired medication. Do not send in anything sharp, flammable, reactive, corrosive, ignitable, radioactive, toxic, infectious, or pathogenic.
• Do not ship dripping packages. Please make sure all excess product has been removed before putting it in your Zero Waste Box. If you choose to rinse your items, please note that the system must be completely dry prior to shipping.

IMPORTANT: Please note maximum box weight is 20 KG, to meet Australia Post shipping requirements

To check your nearest Zero Waste Box dropoff location at Australia Post, click here 

No time to get to the post office? You can book a convenient pickup through Australia Post’s My Post Business service click here. This incurs a pickup fee of $13.95 payable upon booking. Drivers can collect up to 100 boxes in one pickup. The maximum box weight of 20kg applies and the total weight of all boxes must be less than 350kg. Note this service is currently limited to metro areas, please check that your postcode is included before booking this service. 

When your Zero Waste Box is full, simply tape the top opening shut. Your box will arrive with a prepaid return shipping label already attached to the back of the box! All you need to do is drop the sealed box off at your local post office or if Australia Post collects your mail they can also collect the Zero Waste Box.

You can view our return policy here.

Unfortunately, we are unable to make edits to the contents of an order, including changing the payment method used. If you ordered an incorrect item or need to change your payment method, please reach out to customersupport@terracycle.com.au to have your order canceled.

Delivery addresses may be edited before your order has shipped by reaching out to our Customer Support team. However, once an order has shipped, the address can no longer be changed. Please note that some orders ship in under 24 hours, so we cannot guarantee that your shipping address can be changed after the order has been placed.

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak and safety measures we’ve put in place to protect our customers, employees and partners, your box should be fully sealed with adhesive tape and stored securely before dropping it off at the post office or organising pickup.

We will quarantine any PPE waste coming into our facilities for a minimum of 2 months for the safety of our operators. We will store and aggregate the waste until we have the necessary volumes for processing.

We cannot accept any hazardous waste (sharp, flammable, reactive, corrosive, ignitable, toxic, infectious or pathogenic) or material contaminated with blood which presents a danger to the environment, or to people.

We can solely accept non-hazardous waste. We cannot collect medical waste, which includes material contaminated with blood or bodily fluids, or waste that originate from health care facilities, hospitals, home care etc. We also cannot accept homemade, fabric or paper face masks.
If you or any of your staff are self-isolating, quarantined or suspect COVID-19 contamination of the PPE, please do not use your box to recycle the material and follow Government guidelines on how to dispose of such waste.

We will quarantine any PPE waste coming into our facilities for a minimum of 2 months for the safety of our operators.

The PPE Zero Waste Boxes we refer to are as follows:

Face Masks
Safety Equipment and Protective Gear
Disposable Gloves
Disposable Garments
Ear Plugs
Hair Nets and Beard Nets
Protective Eyewear

To learn how we recycle face masks visit our blog.

If you are a business choosing to offer a recycling solution to your customers using Zero Waste Box™, we are looking forward to working with you and have put together a guide to help you promote your recycling efforts.

Click here to access our guide.

Our National Recycling Programs are funded by brands and retailers around the world to help you recycle items that municipal programs don’t typically accept. To participate in one of these programs, simply sign up for free at TerraCycle.com and start collecting. To learn more about our National Recycling Programs and how they work, please visit this page.

Unlike our National Recycling Programs, the Zero Waste Box system allows you to recycle everything with a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for nearly everything that is not accepted through public programs. The transportation and recycling costs are built into the price. To learn more about Zero Waste Box and how it works, please visit this page.

The cost of recycling can be broken down into two main parts: transportation and the recycling process itself. In public recycling, your taxes pay for curbside pickup, transportation to the plant, sorting, and recycling. With National Recycling Programs, the sponsoring brands and retailers pay for these expenses.

With Zero Waste Box, you have the power to take matters into your own hands and recycle everything. The price of a Zero Waste Box includes the cost of transportation and recycling. To learn more, please visit this page.

The price of a Zero Waste Box is based on the current shipping and recycling costs for each material type. We understand this service may not be a fit for all customers at this time. We recommend checking out TerraCycle’s National Recycling Programs, which offer free recycling solutions.

That’s the spirit! Follow us on social media for daily tips and tricks, and refer to the links below for more information on ways you can eliminate the idea of waste.

National Recycling Programs

QUIZ: Which Zero Waste Box is Right for You?

TerraCycle Do-It-Yourself Projects

TerraCycle Blog

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