Beauty & cosmetics waste

Looking great doesn't need to cost the earth

MYGroup is the UK leader in recycling used beauty and cosmetics products, offering the only circular take back scheme on the market – from collection to remanufacturing into new materials and products – that avoids landfill and incineration. Working in partnership with some of the largest companies in the UK and globally, MYGroup has given new life to millions of waste cosmetics items to date.

Industry and consumer waste: an ugly reality

23kg

Each UK household generates 23kg of plastic packaging, annually, with cosmetics and personal care a major contributor

Waste generated from used beauty and cosmetics products and their packaging presents a significant environmental challenge. The global health and beauty industry generates over 120 billion units of packaging annually, which is said to account for as much as 30% of worldwide plastic waste.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that over 1.3 billion units of cosmetic items are produced each year, with the British Beauty Council reporting that up to 95% of cosmetics packaging ends up being thrown away, due to being:

too small (e.g. travel minis, samples or mascaras)
made of composite materials (e.g. make-up palettes, compacts or lipsticks)
made from non-recyclable or hazardous materials (e.g. toothpaste tubes, lotion pumps, fragrances or nail varnishes).

The problem is exacerbated by the often small size of containers and the use of mixed materials for packaging, such as plastic, metal and glass. These materials are usually bonded together in ways that make them difficult to separate and recycle effectively. Additionally, the small size and complex shapes of many health, beauty and cosmetics containers lead to them being rejected by local authority waste collections, resulting in their disposal through landfill or incineration.

Further challenges to recovery and recycling come due to the presence of residual cosmetic product left in used items, which can be hazardous and contaminate general local authority or traditional recycling.

The UK Government is urging retailers to take greater responsibility for their packaging waste, including cosmetics, with a particular focus on plastics. This initiative is being implemented through policies such as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. EPR requires retailers to cover the costs of recycling and disposing of their packaging waste, promoting more sustainable practices within the industry.

Our solution: A makeover for beauty and cosmetics waste management

Frictionless customer deposit and collections

MYGroup’s waste beauty and cosmetics product take back scheme is an end-to-end solution delivered in partnership with retailers, allowing shoppers to easily drop off used items while they shop into bespoke-designed recycling boxes placed across a brand’s store network.

This drop-off mechanism can also incorporate the Scan2Recycle system – unique in the recycling market and delivered in partnership with technology partner Metrisk – which introduces an incentive for customers to make deposits, seamlessly integrating with clients’ current communications and promotional efforts, such as reward programmes. Scan2Recycle integration can also include the creation of a dedicated mobile app for clients’ schemes – available on both iOS and Android devices – enhancing user engagement and further incentivising participation in recycling.

MYGroup also works with retailers to facilitate customer returns of used products through doorstep collections and drop-offs using the Royal Mail network.

Partnership delivering the world’s first image-based scanning system.

What beauty and cosmetic items can MYGroup recycle?

Our take back scheme solution covers the safe and complete recovery of a wide range of used products and packaging, including make-up, skincare, haircare, personal care and hazardous items.

Make-up compacts

Concealers & foundations (tubes & sticks)

Eyeliner pencils & cases

Eyeshadow palettes & tubes

Lipsticks, glosses & balms

Mascara tubes

Make-up palettes

Beauty jars and cream containers recycling

Beauty jars & cream containers

Cosmetics recycling for skincare products

Skincare bottles & tubes

Health and beauty pump bottles recycling

Lotion pumps

Soap & handwash pumps

Shampoo & conditioner bottles (inc. caps)

Vitamin & supplement bottles & containers

Travel minis and samples

Tubs & other containers

Perfumes & fragrance bottles

Nail varnish bottles

Blister packs recycled together with beauty and cosmetics waste

Blister packs, commonly user for over-the-counter medicines and health supplements, are notoriously hard to recycle – but they don’t have to be. MYGroup’s state-of-the-art process can fully recycle waste blister packs, with plastic and foil separated and any residual product safely recovered. This service can be added to a wider beauty and cosmetics waste take-back scheme.

Transforming waste into new resources and products

MYGroup sets itself apart from other waste management providers by viewing all waste as a renewable resource, rather than a disposable burden.

The collection and sorting of waste cosmetics items is managed fully in-house by MYGroup, from the manufacture and provision of the bespoke physical recycling boxes to client locations, a brand-agnostic approach to used products dropped-off by customers and courier services for the transport of deposited waste items.

Deposited beauty and cosmetics items are processed by MYGroup at its specialised facility in Hull, East Yorkshire, boasting advanced technology that allows for the complete extraction, recovery and recycling of both packaging and any residual cosmetic product. Packaging waste is either composted, repurposed and reintroduced into the supply chain as raw material or transformed into new products.

Manual phase of product sorting at our Hull plastics facility

Recycle at Boots, Christmas trees made from recycled cosmetics and health and beauty products

Christmas trees at Boots stores, made from product containers deposited with the ‘Recycle at Boots’ scheme

Polypropylene and polyethylene separated during the plastics sorting process are transformed into a diverse range of refined, injection moulded products – from hair combs to decorations. Any remaining plastic is transformed into MYGroup’s innovative MYboard™ product, used for fittings, furniture and more, manufactured by the company’s ReFactory™ team, which specialises in upcycling various waste materials into new products.

Using further advanced machinery and tools, the ReFactory team is also able to integrate processed waste materials from MYGroup’s wider operations into products alongside MYboard. This includes reclaimed wood, recycled steel and cement, textiles, such as leather and foam, and even recovered paint.

Crucially, MYGroup’s recycling process for beauty and cosmetics waste also includes provision for hazardous items, such as fragrances or nail varnishes, with the company holding the appropriate environmental permits to process the packaging and any remaining residue in full. Any residual cosmetic produce is converted into biofuel.

Every stage of MYGroup’s process is fully transparent, with clear data reporting to support ESG compliance or ESG and CSR targets. Our ReFactory team also collaborates with clients on closed-loop recovery projects – turning recovered waste from schemes into bespoke products for use in everything from workspace fit-outs and brand activations to staff engagement initiatives.

MYGroup became the first waste management and recycling company to join the British Beauty Council as patron in 2025

Why choose MYGroup for beauty and cosmetics waste?

R

Ownership of process from collection through to recycling and remanufacture

R

Integration with existing technology, communications and campaigns

R

trusted by leading brands and retailers

R

Frictionless take back scheme, with customer deposits in-store or by post

R

Zero waste to incineration or landfill, even hazardous residual product, with option for bespoke closed-loop recovery projects

R

Transparent reporting for EPR compliance, ESG and CSR initiatives

Case studies: Beauty and cosmetics waste

MYGroup’s take back scheme for recycling waste beauty and cosmetics is trusted by a growing number of leading UK retailers and brands, supporting them in meeting their circular and sustainability objectives.

Boots – ‘Recycle at Boots’ scheme

In-store take back scheme for recycling used beauty, health, wellness and dental products (including blister packs)

Launched in September 2020
Live in 800 UK stores
10 million used items processed to date
Integration with Advantage Card rewards programme through Scan2Recycle system
Incorporates Recycle at Boots app for iOS and Android devices

Find out more about Recycle at Boots

Harrods (H beauty) – ‘MyBeauty Recycle & Reward’ scheme

In-store take back scheme for recycling used beauty, make-up and skincare products

Harrods H beauty scheme

Launched in January 2023
Live in all Harrods H beauty stores UK-wide
Bristol, Edinburgh, Lakeside (Essex), Metrocentre (Gateshead), Milton Keynes
Integration with MyBeauty rewards programme

“Upholding our promise to minimise waste and increase recycling across the business, our collaboration with MYGroup remains pivotal in propelling this mission forward. Together, we’re leading a transformative journey towards recycling and circularity in the beauty industry, in line with the Harrods brand commitment to responsible practices.”
Mia Collins, Director of Buying – Beauty, Harrods

THG – ‘recycle:me’ scheme with Cult Beauty and LOOKFANTASTIC

Doorstep collection and postal take back scheme for recycling used beauty and cosmetic products

recycle:me cosmetics recycling scheme with MYGroup

Launched in January 2021
Consumers can return used items for free using Royal Mail service
Integration with Cult Beauty and LOOKFANTASTIC rewards programme through Scan2Recycle system
Incorporates recycle:me app for iOS and Android devices

“For brands, recycling schemes are incredibly complex and costly. With recycle:me, we are offering our brand partners a cohesive industry approach that provides the level of data needed under new EPR regulations.”
Mark Jones, Chief Sustainability Officer, THG

Find out more about recycle:me



MYGroup is leading the way in the safe and complete recycling of used health, beauty and cosmetics products, offering a take back scheme that is both user-friendly and highly effective for retailers and brands. Unlike some providers whose practices may not align with their promises, MYGroup’s solution delivers tangible circular results beyond the rhetoric.

