Only one in five Brits always recycle their skincare packaging, according to new research from The Body Shop.
From a survey of 2,000 UK skincare users, the retailer is estimating that 33 million skincare users across the UK routinely throw away their tubs, pots, and tubes to landfill.
Skincare packaging is often made of glass, plastic, and cardboard – much of which can all be recycled at home via local council collections. Meanwhile pumps and pipettes that are now commonly used in beauty products can be recycled at most major beauty retailers, such as The Body Shop, via its in-store recycling bins.
Product wastage was also found to be a key issue within the research, leading to more packaging than necessary being produced and ultimately thrown away.
The Body Shop’s study found nearly 74% of Brits don’t completely finish a product before disposing of it, with people citing it ‘wasn’t right’, ‘it fell flat’, or that a newer more exciting product replaced the original. UK skincare users spend an average of £17.51 per product, according to the research, and each person currently has around two unused or abandoned products in their cupboards equating to an average of £35.02 in wasted products per person.
The Body Shop urges consumers to do all they can to reduce the amount of plastic they use in their skincare and beauty regimes.
And on recycling, it says: “Typically, pumps and bottle caps can’t be recycled by your local council, but many beauty retailers and supermarkets have recycling bins specifically designed to combat the fiddly waste.
“Parts like mascaras, palettes, and trigger sprays can be dropped here once cleaned and dried. At The Body Shop we know how important it is to provide consumers with as much support as possible when it comes to recycling. That’s why we launched our refill scheme, Return.Recycle.Repeat to help prevent drowning our planet in plastic.”
Read more The Body Shop tips on skincare packaging recycling and other beauty regime guidance
[Main image credit: Green Retail World; embedded image credit: The Body Shop]