Pure Beauty

Boots dubs recycling scheme ‘overwhelming’ success, rolls out to 700 stores

By Becky Bargh | Published: 20-Sep-2021

More than half a million beauty empties have been deposited in-store since the launch in 2020

UK health and beauty retailer Boots has deemed its in-store recycling an ‘overwhelming’ success, and has confirmed it will roll out the scheme to 700 destinations.

Following the Walgreens Boots Alliance-owned chain’s 50-store trial nationwide, which kicked off in September 2020, the retailer is adding 650 further drop off outlets to the scheme; almost one third of Boots’ UK stores.

Once beauty skus have been dropped off at the recycling points, the products are sent to Boot’s recycling partner Mygroup, where they are made into reusable storage containers that are being used at Boots warehouses.

The retailer has promised that none of the products deposited will be sent to landfill or incinerated.

However, due to safety reasons, Boots cannot accept aerosols, perfume bottles, nail polish bottles, hair dyes, brow and lash tints, razors, vitamin or supplement blister packs and electrical items.

“We are delighted with the reception the Recycle at Boots scheme has had, the reaction from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Lucy Reynolds, Director of Communications at Boots UK.

“We’ve listened to their feedback and as a result are rolling the scheme out further, making it easier than ever for our customers to recycle their empty products that would usually go to landfill.”

Customers are also rewarded for taking part in the initiative, and receive 250 Boots points, worth 2.50, for every five products they recycle.

“From old mascaras and toothpaste tubes to finished lipsticks and empty vitamin pots, customers can feel even better about treating themselves with their Boots Advantage Card points knowing that their products can be recycled.”

Since its launch in September 2020, Boots said that its customers have deposited more than half a million beauty empties, including those that are hard to recycle.

The top recycled beauty packs are toothpastes, hand washes, mascara and shower gels; while the brands with the most recycled skus were from Colgate, No7, Boots and Nivea, so far.

Birmingham was found to be the area with the most eco-conscious consumers, followed by Brighton, London and Leicester.

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