We drink a lot of milk every day. But what happens to all those empty cartons? Do they go in the regular trash or the recycling bin?

Just one word make a big difference.

In the Shanghai Plaza Coffee Carnival, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)—partnered with OATLY and Tetra Pak to host a paper-based beverage carton recycling event themed “Giving Milk Cartons a Second Life” from May 16 to 19, 2024.

Participants simply brought their empty beverage cartons: every 10 cartons could be exchanged for a souvenir made from recycled cartons. More than the gifts themselves, what truly resonated with young visitors was the fun of the event and the chance to practice environmental action in their daily lives.

During the event, Shanghai residents responded enthusiastically, arriving with their empty cartons in hand. According to the statistics, 521 people took part in the on-site milk carton recycling activity—proof that sustainable living is truly the trendsetter!

In addition, over 500 more participants engaged in on-site activities such as photo booths, carton-toss games, and informational sessions, while online coverage generated over 1.5 million views.
The event successfully collected 21 kilograms of milk cartons, and every carton’s recycling process can be traced through the “PlasTrack” mini-program.

Jointly initiated by GIZ, Tetra Pak, and OATLY, the campaign sparked broader public attention to environmental protection. Many companies followed suit by setting up their own collection channels and offering “empty carton for a gift” exchanges, encouraging consumers to join the circular-recycling movement.

What made this seemingly modest milk-carton recycling activity so engaging?

Brands That Know How to Play

Appealing to Young Audiences

For Gen Z (born 1995–2009), casually “collecting recyclables” isn’t exactly a mainstream pastime.
That’s why the fun factor was key: exchanging cartons for gifts became an attractive hook.

Based on our insights, we identified two primary target groups:

• Trendsetters – socially active young people who love offline events and crave new experiences to share.

• Environmentalists – everyday “earth guardians” who value a strong eco-friendly core in any activity.

From theory to practice, we merged environmental action with the trendy Plaza Coffee Carnival, weaving in café culture that resonates with young visitors. Youthful signage and messaging set the tone, while a two-story milk-carton installation became the must-snap photo spot. An online mini-program for carton-tracking and social-media sharing added another layer of engagement—so everyone passing by simply had to join.

Creative Touch

Even Throwing Out Trash Deserves a Sense of Ritual

The effective recycling of milk cartons is not a new topic. GIZ has long been committed to the recycling of plastic film packaging, paper-based composite packaging, courier packaging, PET bottles, and rigid packaging for household products.

But when it comes to the question of “Should milk cartons go into the recycling bin?” many people know the rule without understanding the reason.

Sure, you can put a milk carton in the recycling bin… But then what happens? 🤔

In fact, milk and beverage cartons belong to what is technically known as “paper-based composite beverage packaging,” a material with real regenerative value. Research shows that for every metric ton of these cartons recycled, it is possible to obtain 750 kg of recycled paper pulp, 200 kg of recycled plastic, and 50 kg of recycled aluminum powder—saving resources equivalent to protecting 12 trees, conserving 0.8 tons of petroleum, and reducing 3 tons of CO₂ emissions.

What we’ve done is take existing environmental knowledge and give it a creative boost—turning it into the perfect vehicle for expressing eco-friendly attitudes and inspiring sustainable lifestyles.

Brain Food for the Scrollers

See It, Learn It

An immersive offline experience wouldn’t be complete without our friends online. During the pre-event warm-up, we released “Their Fate—You Decide!”: part invitation, part heartfelt call to action. It teased the upcoming event while revealing the mystery of where milk cartons really go.

Unlike previous campaigns aimed at all age groups, this time Gen-Zers took center stage.
The power of self-media and emerging platforms was fully unleashed—partnering with top influencers on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and beyond, while encouraging participants and followers to share posts and check-ins.

One of the most striking highlights was an eco-bench made from 160,000 recycled milk cartons, installed on Shanghai’s North Bund.
This tangible symbol of environmental action became a must-visit photo spot and gave concrete form to the power of sustainability.

In addition, the event introduced the “PlasTrack” mini-program to record each carton’s recycling journey. This digital tool ensured complete and transparent data, allowing every collected milk carton to be “tracked from origin to destination.” It underscored authenticity and reliability while greatly enhancing the event’s professionalism and overall depth.

Looking back on the entire “Giving Milk Cartons a Second Life” campaign, it’s clear that this was more than a successful environmental initiative—it was a light and immersive experience blending creativity, interaction, and communication.

From online to offline, the journey of a single milk carton was felt firsthand rather than preached. This small creative step in carton recycling marks a big leap for broader environmental action!