Amscan announce partnership with TerraCycle® and Card Factory

Tuesday 17th August 2021

Continuing to lead the way in sustainability for the industry, Amscan announce partnership with TerraCycle® and Card Factory to create a recycling program for Foil Balloons!

“As one of the world’s largest designers, manufacturers, and distributors of party goods and party accessories, Amscan International is dedicated to leading the sustainability initiative in the party industry, making products that spread joy, but are also mindful of the environment. Whether it concerns costumes, balloons, tableware, or our packaging, we are taking a close look at all our product categories, looking for new ways to make them better for the world around us” commented Lisa Norris, Amscan Commercial Director.

Raluca Runcianu, Head of Sustainability continues: “With foil balloons being one of our main areas of focus, we have partnered with TerraCycle® to help recycle waste and reduce landfill. With our “Do not let go!” message, we are aiming to inform consumers that they should not let foil balloons fly away, but instead dispose of them responsibly”.

For the first year, the team at Amscan have partnered with High Street retailer Card Factory. From August, 500 stores nationwide will have the in store drop off facility, where consumers are able to take their foil balloons and banners and place them in the recycling boxes.

Disa Keeling, Head of Buying at Card Factory, “By starting this initiative in 500 stores, we are making the recycling of foil balloons accessible on the high street, and are proud to be working alongside Amscan and TerraCycle®. As both a brand and retailer, we are looking into what we can do to improve recyclability and sustainability, with this being one step in the right direction.

It's important that customers are free to recycle any foil balloon, not just a Card Factory balloon. We know there is a need to make recycling easier and as an industry, we should be working together to minimise our overall impact on the planet.”

Head of Marketing at Amscan Jen Wilson explains: Once collected from store, your foil balloons and banners are shredded and melted into plastic pellets that can then be remoulded into new products therefore recycling a product which is otherwise extremely difficult to do so. What’s more exciting, is that whilst Amscan are the partner for this activity, we welcome all brands of foil balloons to be added to the cartons, not just those which are part of our distribution channels, really driving the way for our industry to think about sustainability as a whole, rather than individual entity.

To find out more about the program, visit https://www.terracycle.com/foil-balloons-uk

About TerraCycle

Founded in 2001, TerraCycle (www.terracycle.com) is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with hundreds of major brands in twenty countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s National recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay schools, charities and non-profits for every piece of waste they collect and return.

TerraCycle launched in the UK (www.terracycle.co.uk) in September 2009 (its first market in Europe) and today operates in 12 European markets (UK, ROI, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden and Denmark). In the UK TerraCycle currently runs collection programmes for over 50 types of waste which can’t be accepted by local council run recycling systems. For example, Marigold gloves, Babybel packaging, cheese packaging, yoghurt pouches, L.O.L. Surprise! packaging and products, cracker and biscuit wrappers, crisp packets, nuts, popcorn and pretzel packets, confectionery wrappers, contact lenses, baby food pouches, yoghurt pouches Pringles cans, bread packaging, writing instruments, disposable gloves, pet food packaging, air, home and laundry care waste, hand soap pumps and refill pouches, plastic ring carriers (hi-cones), toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, Aqua Optima water filters, personal care and beauty products / packaging, Tassimo & L’OR coffee pod / TDISC waste and Lavazza Eco Caps. Currently more than 6,800,000 individuals and organisations across the UK have signed up to collect, which to date has diverted over 195 million items of packaging waste from landfill while earning over £1,740,000 for schools, charities and non-profit organisations.