THG’s free doorstep collection service recycles cosmetic waste into beauty packaging

THG expands its consumer recycling scheme that targets hard-to-recycle beauty and cosmetic packaging, helping brand partners offset new packaging waste fees. 

The Recycle:me program offers partners a “collaborative approach” to waste in collaboration with THG’s beauty retail sites, Lookfantastic and Cult Beauty. Using a Royal Mail doorstep collection service will allow consumers to recycle any brand’s cosmetic packaging at no cost.

In partnership with waste management company MYGroup, the collected waste packaging will be repurposed and used for new projects, such as beauty packaging R&D or creating equipment for schools. 

The British e-retailer aims to recycle one million units within the first year of launch.

“The beauty industry faces a significant issue in tackling its waste problem. Although many consumers are keen to do their part, the UK recycling system often causes confusion and means that only 9% of cosmetic packaging is recycled, according to the British Beauty Council,” says Steve Carrie, director at MYGroup.

“As the market leader in cosmetics recycling, we’re proud to be partnering with THG and its premium beauty brands to make recycling easy and accessible through Recycle:me.” 

Critical data insights

The beauty industry sees an estimated 120 million units of packaging thrown away each year, stresses THG.

Recycle:me provides detailed data that conveys insights into consumer recycling behavior and supports new modulated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees — a policy whereby retailers must take financial responsibility for the end-of-life management of products and packaging. 

Metrisk, a sales promotion, marketing and digital specialist, partnered with THG’s Recycle:me program to create the free Recycle:me app that consumers can use to scan their packaging, arrange a doorstep collection and track reward points in exchange for eligible products. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with THG’s Recycle:me scheme to divert excess cosmetics packaging from landfill. The technology behind our app offers full traceability, allowing brands to confidently report on the lifecycle of their products,” comments Alistair Morelli, co-founder and director at Metrisk. 

Mark Jones, chief sustainability officer at THG, adds: “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.”

Circular beauty packaging

The THG announcement comes during Recycle Week 2024, the theme of which is “Rescue Me,” which encourages consumers to retrieve recyclable items from the rubbish bin.

The refillable tagline has been steadily making headway in new beauty launches. Last week, Berry Global updated its supply deal with True, which provides the men’s skin care brand with refillable packaging for its deodorant. The deodorant sticks launched last year as the first refill antiperspirant in the Polish market.

In other circular packaging developments, Virospack recently introduced a 100% Recyclable Eco-Pump designed for the beauty and personal care industries. The pump enables recycling without needing prior disassembly as it is made entirely from PP monomaterial, unlike traditional pumps, which often contain multiple materials, including metals, that complicate recycling.

Lightweighting for material and cost savings has also risen in prominence. Metsä Board recently entered a supply deal for space-saving promotional packaging for Finnish cosmetics brand HejBuddy. Offering “flexibility and luxury appeal,” the new lightweight packaging is made of micro-flute corrugated board using Metsä Board’s white kraftliner.