The luxury department store’s MyBeauty Recycle & Reward programme is now available at H Beauty locations in Bristol, Edinburgh, Gateshead and Lakeside, as well as the pilot location of Milton Keynes.
The British Beauty Council has revealed that only 9% of cosmetic packaging finds its way into recycling through conventional household waste channels, leading the vast majority to end up in landfills. The H beauty recycling scheme is being extended in order to combat this issue, enabling consumers to take back typically ‘unrecyclable’ cosmetic products as well as packaging.
Customers can deposit items in specially designed bins near the tills, then gain rewards through the MyBeauty loyalty scheme. Customers returning five or more eligible used items will then receive 500 bonus MyBeauty rewards points.
Make-up products including compacts, lipsticks and mascaras can be recycled as part of the programme, along with shampoo and skincare bottles, lotion pumps and travel minis.
Mia Collins, director of beauty buying at Harrods, said: “Launching the recycling scheme’s second phase on a wider scale stands as a pinnacle for Harrods and H beauty, emphasising our dedication to sustainable practices.
“The scheme resonates with our customers who are passionate about embracing a more eco-conscious lifestyle.”
Harrods will continue to work with MYGroup, an innovator in processing cosmetic waste, for the extended programme. Items deposited through the H beauty scheme will be collected and recycled at MYGroup’s dedicated UK-based facility in Hull, East Yorkshire.
MYGroup has invested in a series of advanced technological processes, meaning both the packaging and inner cosmetic product can be fully extracted, recovered and recycled.
Steve Carrie, group director, MYGroup, added: “Working with another iconic retail brand in the space further solidifies MYGroup’s position as the market leader in cosmetics recycling. Our commitment to innovation and sustainability is at the forefront of a revolution in the waste industry, and through initiatives like this scheme, we’re setting new standards for what can and can’t be recycled, and leading the charge in making sustainability a cornerstone of retail.”
