Reduce, Recycle, Reuse Taco Bell sauce packets? Taco Bell is teaming up with TerraCycle, a company that helps other companies become more eco-friendly, to make “reusing” its single-use sauce packets possible.

Taco Bell is asking its customers to send in their used sauce packages through the mail to be recycled and reused.

Sauce packets are made of Polyethylene, which is a type of thermoplastic that is building up in U.S. landfills. More than 8.2 billion single-use sauce packets are disposed of every year, and Taco Bell wants to do its part to help tackle this environmentally damaging problem.

The two companies are making it simple to send sauce packets in for reuse by displaying QR codes in stores that will explain how to sign up and participate.

All that will be required is saving the packets, putting them in an envelope, printing a free shipping label off of Terracycle's website, and dropping it off at a mailbox.

"As simple as it sounds, it's important to remember to first reduce our consumption habits, then reuse products wherever possible, and then recycle," said Missy Schaaphok, Taco Bell's Director of Global Nutrition & Sustainability in a press release.

"We're excited that TerraCycle has provided a way for us to extend the life cycle of our iconic sauce packets as we reevaluate the rest of our packaging suite."

The move makes Taco Bell the first fast-food restaurant to take steps towards a recycling program for its single-use food packaging.

TerraCycle has helped other big businesses become more eco-friendly. Its website says its global impact has 200 million people recycling and that the company has recycled 7 billion tons of waste.

“Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our mission to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste' and provide solutions for items that are not traditionally recyclable curbside,” CEO Tom Szaky said in a press release.

"This unique recycling program not only highlights the forward-thinking nature of Taco Bell but also marks a huge step forward for the quick service industry on its journey towards more sustainable business practices.”

Taco Bell says that it would like all of its consumer packaging to be recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2025.

RELATED STORIES