Boots UK and No7 save over a tonne of plastic from landfill with their recycling scheme
Thanks to the commitment of its customers across the UK, the Boots and No7 recycling scheme introduced in September has now recycled over one tonne of plastic in just under two months. The initiative has seen over 30,000 customers signing up to take part in the scheme, and they have recycled over 100,000 empty products.
The first-to-market scheme allows customers to recycle empty health, beauty and wellness products* (even from brands not stocked at Boots) – with customers receiving £5 worth of Boots Advantage Card Points when five products are deposited**. Toothpaste, mascara and hand wash were amongst the top products being deposited, and No7, Colgate and Boots own brand have been the most recycled brands. Customers can sign up to the scheme via Scan2Recycle technology.
The deposited products have been sent to Boots recycling partner, ReWorked, where they have already been formed into new items such as reusable storage containers that are now being used at Boots warehouses.
Committed to becoming a more sustainable business, the scheme is available in 50 Boots stores nationwide. Stores have remained open throughout lockdown for customers to continue to shop and recycle in confidence, with enhanced safety measures in place. Boots customers at Leicester’s Fosse Park Shopping Centre have recycled the most products (5,588), closely followed by London’s Sedley Place store (4,911) and Brighton’s North Street store (4,732).
Joanna Rogers, Commercial Director & VP, Beauty & Gifting at Boots UK said: “Our customers are more aware than ever before of their impact on the environment and they are taking proactive steps to mitigate this. At Boots we are constantly challenging ourselves to do more, and as part of our commitment to becoming a more sustainable business we’re super excited to see the impact this scheme has had in such a short period of time.”
Recently, Boots announced it had removed 2020 tonnes of plastic from its Christmas gifting range as well as launching own-brand plant-based menstrual cups, tampons and biodegradable face wipes. Last year, it became the first national pharmacy, health and beauty retailer in the UK to move to unbleached (brown) paper carrier bags, replacing plastic bags across its 2,465 stores. In 2018, Boots signed up to the UK Plastics Pact, a unique partnership for businesses across the UK with an ambition to work collaboratively to transform the UK plastic packaging sector by 2025.
No7 aims to have 100% recyclable packaging for all products by 2025, and has already began making changes to cosmetic displays, making them 42% more energy efficient.
- Boots UK customers have deposited 104,235 empties so far
- Toothpaste, mascara and hand wash are amongst the top products recycled
- Customers in Leicester have deposited the most items, followed by those in London & Brighton
- With Boots stores remaining open throughout lockdown, customers took the opportunity to recycle their empties whilst shopping for the essential items they needed
To find your nearest recycling bank visit Boots.com/Boots-recycling-scheme
*Exclusions apply – For health and safety reasons, we cannot accept the following items: aerosol cans, perfume bottles, nail polish bottles, hair dyes, brow and eyelash tints, safety razors and razor blades, disposable razors and razor heads, used PPE (disposable masks, gloves and visors), food packaging including crisps, medicine, vitamins and supplements blister packs and foils; any electrical items such as hairdryers and straighteners and any medical devices, electrical or not.