Harrods tests in-store recycling at H Beauty branch

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jan 16, 2023

Sustainability will remain a 2023 priority despite the cost-of-living crisis. And with its customers perhaps less worried about rising bills, it certainly will be key for Harrods.

The high-end retailer is trialling an in-store beauty recycling scheme at of its H Beauty store in Milton Keynes as part of its wider sustainability strategy to reduce waste and increase circulatory across the business.

The three-month scheme, in partnership with MyGroup, began at the weekend with customers encouraged to bring in used beauty, fragrance, and skincare products to the store to be recycled at stations situated by the tills at the H Beauty store.

Product returns include compacts, mascara, eyeshadow containers, shampoo and skincare bottles, lotion pumps and vitamin bottles. Importantly, the scheme also includes nail polish products and fragrance bottles, a claimed first for UK beauty recycling, as these are typically considered unrecyclable.

As a further incentive, the scheme is linked to its MyBeauty rewards programme with customers incentivised to recycle a minimum of five used beauty products to access a range of experiences and benefits, both online and in-store.

Mia Collins, Harrods head of beauty, said: “The launch of the scheme marks another incredible milestone for Harrods and H beauty, showcasing our commitment to bringing a more circular and sustainable shopping experience to our customers and encouraging the H beauty community to recycle beauty packaging and products that are not able to be recycled by traditional kerbside collections.”

She added: “We are committed to making beauty more circular and by partnering with MyGroup we are able to capture more materials that might otherwise have found their way into landfill and waterways.”

Steve Carrie, director at MyGroup, added: “MyGroup is trusted by a growing number of high-profile, forward-thinking partners in the retail space, who see the tangible, visible difference our in-store take-back schemes can make to meeting their sustainability goals.”