The innovative recycling scheme runs in partnership with MyGroup and Scan2Recycle, engaging with consumers to encourage recycling, create positive change and help our customers to recycle things that are classed as ‘hard to recycle’.
Some cosmetic and bathroom product packaging is considered ‘hard-to-recycle’, meaning kerbside services won’t take it. But this scheme is designed to process and recycle the ‘non-recyclable’ material, preventing unnecessary landfill or incineration usage; instead, the waste is given a second life.
The packaging undergoes a complex process, which sees every single piece recycled, regardless of the material type. It undergoes a quarantine before washing and shredding removes any remaining make-up & product. The shredded plastic mix is heated to over 200C and pressed into 100% recycled plastic boards.
Our innovative team at ReFactory use the plastic boards to make furniture, shelters, bins and shop fittings. They even create children’s play equipment and furniture, which is donated to local schools in need.
Working with The Body Shop allows us to normalise the recycling of cosmetic and bathroom waste that would usually go to landfill or incineration. We hope in turn we can positively affect customer behaviour, encouraging responsible shopping and recycling habits.
The Body Shop’s founder, Anita Roddick, was one of the pioneers in recycling cosmetics, as in 1993, the company introduced a ‘Bring Back Our Bottle’ recycling scheme.
Our founder Anita Roddick pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, and this belief is still The Body Shop’s driving force. We’re constantly looking at ways to develop and improve our sustainability and create positive change.
Linda Campbell, Managing Director UK & Ireland, The Body Shop
Find the box in your local store
Deposit your used items, and we’ll do the rest!
Return, Recycle, Repeat is just one of many recent commitments made by The Body Shop, with the view to set the highest possible bar in sustainable and ethical beauty. The brand has started to roll out a new in-store refill system on a mass-scale, and from 2023 all products will be Vegan Certified.
Find your nearest participating store here.
About MYGroup & ReFactory
ReFactory is the innovative plastic recycling arm of MYGroup. They specialise in the recovery and remanufacture of plastic products from the retail and consumer industry and ocean plastic recovery; helping maintain a circular economy for plastic waste for brands and supporting the clean-up of the seas and oceans worldwide.
We will be taking the Body Shop partnership material and recycling all elements back into graded shred for remanufacturing. Our in-house processing will create a clean graded granule that is used to make new products. Our on-site board manufacturing facility will also make bespoke items such as furniture, shop fitting and building materials.
About The Body Shop
Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally inspired skincare, body care, hair care and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this ethos is still the brand’s driving force. The Body Shop operates about 3,000 retail locations in more than 70 countries. Along with Aesop, Avon and Natura, The Body Shop is part of Natura &Co, a global, multi-channel and multi-brand cosmetics group that is committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact. The four companies that form the group are committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact.
We re-introduced this scheme in 2019 as Return, Recycle, Repeat in five markets (UK, Australia, Canada, France and Germany), and now in 2021 we’re re-launching the scheme (after Covid-19 hygiene pause) with more countries on a global scale in 800 stores and 14 countries.
About Metrisk & Scan2Recycle
Metrisk Ltd developed Scan2Recycle to reward consumers who engage with recycling, creating positive change and a lasting shift in behavioural trends. Leveraging our partnership with ReFactory & MYGroup, a recycling powerhouse has been created, which delivers industry leading reporting and traceability, whilst importantly, 100% landfill diversion and zero incineration, ultimately helping to protect our planet for future generations. www.scan2recycle.com
