The Body Shop has launched a new recycling scheme across its 225 UK stores.
The retailer, ethical beauty retailer, ranked Top150 in RXEU Top1000 research, is working with MyGroup and Scan2Recycle to power its Return, Recycle and Repeat scheme.
The scheme is designed to process cosmetic and bathroom product packaging that is considered hard-to-recycle and not taken by kerbside recycling collections. Each piece is quarantined before being washed and then shredded into a plastic mix that is heated to more than 200C and pressed into 100% recycled plastic boards. That board is then used by ReWorked to make products from furniture and shelters to bins, shop fittings as well as children’s play equipment and furniture, the latter donated to local schools in need.
The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick with an ethical purpose. It was one of the pioneers in recycling cosmetics, with a ’Bring Back Our Bottle’ recycling scheme introduced in 1993. In 2017 it was bought by Brazilian brand Natura & Co from previous owner L’Oreal.
Linda Campbell, managing director UK & Ireland, The Body Shop, says: “Our founder Anita Roddick pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, and this belief is still The Body Shop’s driving force. We’re constantly looking at ways to develop and improve our sustainability and create positive change.”
At The Body Shop, the scheme sits alongside a new in-store refill system that is currently being rolled out. The company has also said that from 2023 all products will be Vegan Certified.
Izzie Glazzard, marketing manager at ReWorked, says, “Working with The Body Shop allows us to normalise the recycling of cosmetic and bathroom waste that would usually go to landfill or incineration. We hope in turn we can positively affect customer behaviour, encouraging responsible shopping and recycling habits.”
