John Lewis launches beauty products recycling scheme
John Lewis & Partners is launching a trial scheme for recycling beauty product containers.
The Beauty Cycle scheme offers members of the retailer’s loyalty programme the chance to recycle empty makeup and skincare products from any brand.
John Lewis is partnering with Terra Cycle on the scheme which takes the empty beauty packaging and separates it into metals, fibres and plastics. Each part will be recycled, composted or made into pellets which will then be molded into new products like storage containers, plastic lumber and outdoor furniture.
According to Terra Cycle, the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging each year.
Martyn White, senior sustainability manager at John Lewis & Partners, explains: “Beauty products are notoriously hard to recycle which can make it hard for customers to know what to do with them, which often means they end up being thrown in the bin.
“One of our key aims is to make ‘being sustainable’ as easy as possible for customers, so it doesn’t have to be a difficult choice. The Beauty Cycle trial will help us to do just that, enabling customers to shop and enjoy beauty products in a more sustainable way, ensuring the materials are re-used in the best way possible.”
The month long trial is running in all John Lewis shops that have full-line beauty services.
The scheme accepts all types of packaging including shampoo bottles, caps to lotion bottles and jars, lip gloss and mascara tubes.
