Beauty businesses across the UK have been encouraged to take part in a new packaging recycling scheme designed to address hard-to-recycle beauty and cosmetics waste.
The British Beauty Council has partnered with waste management firm MYGroup to introduce a take back solution for used beauty packaging that is not widely accepted through existing household recycling systems.
Under the scheme, businesses can install collection boxes in stores and other locations as part of a managed system covering collection, sorting and processing. Customers will be able to return a range of used beauty items, including small or complex formats such as mascara tubes, makeup compacts and blister packs, as well as products classified as hazardous.
The collected materials will be recycled into new products, including combs, mirrors and furniture.
MYGroup holds Environment Agency permits for hazardous waste, allowing residual cosmetic material to be handled safely. This material is converted into biofuel as part of the process.
Great British Beauty Clean Up
The initiative is being rolled out under the Great British Beauty Clean Up campaign, with the British Beauty Council and MYGroup seeking participation from across the sector, from large retailers to independent brands, in the new year.
MYGroup already works with retailers including Boots, Superdrug, Cult Beauty, LookFantastic and Harrods, and says it has processed more than 40,000 tonnes of beauty waste in the UK to date.
Steve Carrie, MYGroup’s group director, said: “Our work with the British Beauty Council on the Great British Beauty Clean Up focuses on removing barriers and providing businesses with a straightforward way to capture what kerbside systems simply can’t.”
The scheme follows recent polling, which found that almost nine in 10 used beauty and cosmetics products do not reach a recycling facility because they are too small or complex for current infrastructure.
The research also showed that around half of people in the UK admit they do not recycle their empty bathroom products.
Carrie added: “We believe there must be a growing convergence between beauty brands and waste management partners to build the systems and drive the behaviours that will define a more sustainable sector.”
