Harrods expands beauty recycling scheme across UK

Harrods has expanded its beauty recycling scheme across all H Beauty stores in the UK, following a successful trial last year.

The scheme is now available at H beauty locations in Bristol, Edinburgh, Lakeside, Gateshead and Milton Keynes.

It allows customers to bring used beauty products back to its stores in exchange for rewards through Harrods’ MyBeauty scheme.

As part of this, customers can recycle a variety of products – from makeup items, such as compacts, lipsticks and mascaras, to shampoo and skincare bottles, lotion pumps and travel minis.

Specially designed bins for depositing items are located next to the tills in H Beauty's stores. Customers returning five or more eligible used items will then receive 500 bonus MyBeauty rewards points.

The scheme is operated in partnership with MYGroup, an "innovator in processing cosmetic waste".

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 solution for ‘unrecyclable’ plastic waste. In addition, cosmetic residue is recovered into bio-fuel.

Mia Collins, Director of Beauty Buying at Harrods, said "Launching the recycling scheme's second phase on a wider scale stands as a pinnacle for Harrods and H beauty, emphasising our dedication to sustainable practices.

"The scheme resonates with our 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."