Innovation of the Week is a series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our team. Every week, we bring you new ideas and case studies across consumer, technology, sustainability, economy, policy, and industry.
What is it?
The Sustainable Beauty Coalition is launching a “pioneering industry initiative” that it says will tackle beauty’s waste problem “head on”.
The Great British Beauty Clean Up will see industry-wide teamwork to educate consumers about what types of packaging can and cannot be recycled at home, the launch of an updated interactive map to help shoppers find recycling points for their empty products, and shine a spotlight on the different recycling schemes available from doorstep collection to drop-off locations.
The campaign has support from more than 50 retailers, brands and industry professionals, including John Lewis, Tesco, Boots, THG and more, and is said to be a “first-of-its-kind collaboration to reduce beauty’s impact”.
Why does it matter?
According to British Beauty Council research, 86% of plastic beauty packaging is not recycled, creating masses of plastic waste and doing untold damage to our planet. The council found that of all packaging, only 14% of beauty empties make it to a recycling plant and only a pitiful 9% is actually recycled.
Although 79.3% of consumers view sustainability as important when making purchasing decisions, only 23.4% currently use refillable skin care products, so there’s a real need to improve recycling of single-use product packaging.
Strategic implications
For those retailers which will be hosting drop-off points, these bins will create additional store visits and engagement opportunities, and in the cases where retailers run rewards and loyalty point initiatives for using the bins – there’s a chance to build better loyalty from regular use.
Addressing the sustainability concerns among 79.3% of shoppers will also help participating brands create goodwill among consumers, positioning themselves as more ethical and forward-thinking.
Winning strategies
- Sustainability and circularity initiatives
- Informed decision-making for consumers
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