Wilko to trial in-store face mask recycling scheme
Wilko is to trial an in-store recycling scheme for disposable face masks to enable them to be reused in products ranging from building materials to new furniture.
From 1 April, 150 of the home and garden retailer’s stores will have special collection bins where customers can drop off used single use face masks after doing their shopping.
Once full, the bins will be taken away by recycling specialist ReWorked. Wilko is also partnering with Metrisk and Scan2Recycle on the scheme which will be the first of its kind on a UK high street.
Collected masks will be shredded down into raw materials for use in other products.
Jerome Saint Marc, chief executive at Wilko, said: “One of our core values is to show we care and, we understand the importance of climate change to our customers who expect us to take-action on their behalf and make better choices about caring for the environment.
“That’s why we’re thrilled to have developed this scheme, which makes it super simple for shoppers to safely recycle a product which is often unavoidably discarded as a result of us all taking steps to protect the health of everyone around us.”
The retailer has pledged to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2040 by signing the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap and has joined The UK Plastics Pact, which focuses solely on reducing the use of single use plastic.
