Prime Highlights:
- The British Beauty Council and MYGroup have partnered to collect and recycle cosmetic packaging that cannot be handled through regular curbside recycling.
- The take-back initiative is part of the Great British Beauty Clean Up, aiming to make the beauty industry more sustainable.
Key Facts:
- Over 1.3 billion cosmetic products are made each year, with up to 95% of packaging ending up as waste.
- The program will turn collected materials into new products, such as mirrors, furniture, and combs, reducing environmental impact.
Background:
The British Beauty Council is partnering with recycling company MYGroup to start a program that collects cosmetic packaging that regular curbside recycling can’t handle. The initiative aims to tackle a major recycling challenge in the beauty industry.
Steve Carrie, group director at MYGroup, said the project is designed to make it easier for businesses to recycle items that are not accepted by standard collection systems.
The program focuses on small or mixed-material cosmetic packaging that is hard to recycle, including mascara tubes, makeup compacts, blister packs, and leftover products. Beauty companies taking part can send these items for collection, where they will be sorted and turned into new products like mirrors, furniture, and combs.
According to the British Beauty Council, more than 1.3 billion cosmetic items are produced each year, but up to 95% of their packaging ends up as waste. Studies also show that most beauty packaging isn’t recycled because it is small, made of mixed materials, or contaminated.
This take-back program is part of a bigger effort in the beauty industry to become more environmentally friendly. Around the world, brands and stores are finding ways to return and reuse packaging. For example, Sephora has recycled more than 45,000 kilograms of empty packaging through its Beauty Re(Purposed) program, while German retailers Kaufland and VollCorner Biomarkt are testing a deposit return system with Reo.
MYGroup highlights the need for teamwork, saying, “Beauty brands and waste management partners must work together to create systems that encourage sustainable habits in the industry.”
The program will grow early next year, allowing more beauty brands to participate in this green initiative.
