recycling PSAs saw beverage containers with bushy eyebrows and condemning frowns glaring out from under trash can lids like Oscar the Grouch. The delightfully anthropomorphized bottles, juice boxes, and pouches would guilt their "owners" for throwing them away instead of recycling or returning them to a depot.
And due to popular demand Return-It has brought the characters to life off-screen as part of a limited edition collectable program that incentivizes people to recycle.
The program first ran back in 2019 with people getting really into collecting all five mascots and now Return-It is bringing it back with new redemption rules and seven mascots to collect.
The redemption rules are intended to educate about each container type and ensure every beverage container is returned. Each acceptable beverage container is worth a different number of credits and the Return-It Gang characters require 2000 credits and a minimum of certain container types to earn them, plus three separate Return-It depot visits (so you can't just show up on one day with all the recycling).
Glass and aluminium cans are worth one credit, drink boxes, plastic, bi-metal, and gable tops are worth three credits, and pouches and bag-in-a-box containers are worth five credits.
The promotion is only available to people with Return-It express accounts but the promotion is free to take part in. The credits are added to your account after each visit and when you have accumulated enough for a plushie you click on "Redeem Puppets" and select your preferred character which will be delivered to your house.
The mascots have distinct looks and funny names such as Walter Bottel, Al Capican, Juicenda Pouch, and Joyce Box and the specific info on how to earn each one is listed on the .
The mascots are also recyclable.
