Leading waste management company MYGroup and Harrods have expanded their cosmetics recycling scheme across the luxury retailer’s five H beauty stores, following a successful trial.
The scheme, which allows customers to bring used beauty, make-up and skincare products back to stores to be recycled in exchange for rewards through Harrods’ MyBeauty scheme, is now live at H beauty Bristol, Edinburgh, Lakeside, Gateshead and Milton Keynes.
H beauty customers can recycle a huge range of products – from make-up items, such as compacts, mascara and eye shadow containers, to shampoo and skincare bottles, lotion pumps and vitamin bottles. Specially designed bins for depositing items are located next to tills in stores. Customers returning five or more eligible used items to one of the stores will receive 500 bonus MyBeauty rewards points.
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 re-introduced in order to combat this issue.
MYGroup is an innovator in processing cosmetic waste and already works with several high-profile beauty retailers on similar in-store schemes.
Items deposited through the H beauty scheme will be collected and recycled at MYGroup’s dedicated UK-based facility in Hull, East Yorkshire, where the company has invested in a series of advanced technological processes, meaning both the packaging and inner cosmetic product can be fully extracted, recovered and recycled.
Packaging waste is either composted, re-purposed and returned to supply chains as raw material or manufactured into MYGroup’s unique solution for ‘unrecyclable’ plastic waste: MYboard™. Cosmetic residue is recovered into bio-fuel.
I am immensely proud of our collaboration with Harrods and the expansion of our cosmetics recycling scheme across all H beauty stores.
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.
Steve Carrie, Group Director, MYGroup
Launching the H beauty recycling scheme’s second phase on a wider scale stands as a pinnacle for Harrods and H beauty, emphasising our dedication to sustainable practices. MyBeauty Recycle & Reward scheme resonates with our loyal customers who are passionate about embracing a more eco-conscious lifestyle. 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
The roll-out of the scheme to the five H beauty stores follows a successful trial at the Milton Keynes store, which ran throughout 2023. Throughout the pilot phase, MYGroup and Harrods achieved great results. 200kg of beauty packaging and products were diverted from landfills and successfully recycled. H beauty customers complimented and embraced the beauty recycling scheme, enjoying the various rewards and the opportunity it provided to foster sustainability by recycling their old products.
About MyBeauty Recycle and Rewards
Promotion Details: Bring back 5 or more eligible empty beauty products in one visit and receive 500 bonus rewards points.
Eligible items
- All make-up products (compacts, concealers, and foundations (tubes and sticks), eyeliner pencils and cases, eyeshadow tubes and palettes, lip products (lipstick, gloss and balm), make-up palettes and tubes, mascara tubes
- Beauty jars
- Cream containers
- Hair care product bottles (non-pressurised only)
- Lotion pumps
- Shampoo and conditioner (bottles and caps)
- Skincare bottles
- Soap and handwash pumps
- Travel minis
- Tubs
- Tubes and caps (including glass)
- Vitamin bottles
Excluded items
- Hazardous products including fragrances or nail varnishes
- Biodegradable and plant-based plastics
- Pressurised containers and aerosols
- Razors or blades
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Any samples or testers (these products will be accepted for recycling but Qualifying Members will not accrue Recycling Rewards on these products)
- Cardboard
- Cigarette waste
- Clothing & fabrics
- Electronic waste and batteries
- Food and liquid waste
- Medical waste
- Medicinal blister packs
- Harmful waste (including but not limited to) sharp glass, flammables, toxic or corrosive materials
For more information, please see the link here. T&C’s apply.
