A new industry-wide effort to boost recycling of hard-to-recycle beauty items

Waste management firm Mygroup has partnered with the British Beauty Council and its Sustainable Beauty Coalition to roll out a fully managed take-back solution for hard-to-recycle beauty empties as part of the 2026 Great British Beauty Clean Up campaign.

Launching ahead of the month-long initiative – running from March 2, 2026, and tying into Global Recycling Day (March 18) and the UN International Day of Zero Waste (March 30) – the collaboration aims to make it easier for brands, retailers, salons and spas to collect used beauty products that cannot be recycled via normal kerbside systems.

Supporters of the British Beauty Council and its Sustainable Beauty Coalition will receive additional discounts to activate the scheme.

What the Mygroup x British Beauty Council take-back scheme includes

The take-back programme will cover a wide range of used cosmetics and personal care items – including hazardous products and blister packs – which consumers can drop into dedicated Mygroup x British Beauty Council collection boxes in participating stores, salons and spas. All empties can be deposited loose, making the process simple and accessible.

The initiative forms a key part of the Clean Up campaign’s mission to get more businesses actively involved in refill, reuse and recycling, while helping consumers take meaningful steps to reduce their environmental footprint.

Why the beauty industry needs better recycling pathways

The campaign highlights the scale of the UK’s beauty waste problem. UK households generate an estimated 21kg of plastic packaging annually, much of which includes beauty-related bottles, pots, tubs and trays.

However:

  • 56% of households do not recycle bathroom empties at all
  • 86% of used beauty and cosmetics products never reach recycling facilities because items are too small, composite or complex for kerbside recycling

One of the core goals of the Great British Beauty Clean Up is to close this recycling gap by expanding access to take-back schemes and increasing participation from businesses of all sizes.

Mygroup’s growing role as a recycling partner to the beauty sector

Mygroup was the first waste management company to become a patron of the British Beauty Council earlier this year.

Its existing take-back collaborations with major retailers, including Boots, Harrods (H beauty), Cult Beauty, Lookfantastic and Superdrug, have already resulted in the processing of 40,000 tonnes of beauty products, packaging and cosmetic residue. This is the equivalent weight of three Elizabeth Towers (Big Ben).

These programmes help participating brands meet extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations while supporting broader sustainability and circularity targets.

How Mygroup turns beauty waste into new products

Through its Refactory division, Mygroup converts recovered materials into new products such as:

  • injection-moulded beauty accessories (e.g., combs and mirrors)
  • Myboard furniture
  • bespoke retail point-of-sale fixtures made from recycled plastic

The company also holds full Environment Agency permits for hazardous waste. Residual cosmetic materials are safely processed and transformed into bio-fuel.

Beyond recycling, Mygroup’s six-acre Bio-Park is developing advanced bio-derived materials using insect and worm bioconversion, mycelium and algal cultivation.

Meanwhile, its Schoolcycled programme engages over 40,000 pupils in circular economy education by turning collected plastics into school furniture.

Industry reaction

Mygroup’s group director Steve Carrie said, “We know the industry is determined to reduce its waste footprint, but consumers still struggle to recycle many everyday beauty items at home.

“Our work with the British Beauty Council on the Great British Beauty Clean Up focuses on removing barriers and providing businesses with a straightforward way to capture what kerbside systems simply can’t.”

He added, “From our industry-leading take-back schemes to new materials innovation at our Bio-Park, as well as the impact we’re creating through Schoolcycled, Mygroup stands ready to help guide the industry into this next chapter.”

Victoria Brownlie MBE, chief policy & sustainability officer at the British Beauty Council, commented, “We are delighted to be working with Mygroup to make recycling of hard-to-recycle beauty products easier for our community, their customers and clients.

“Knowing that only 9% of beauty waste is actually recycled, we hope that this programme will up our rates and educate people on how easy it is to reduce our impact.”

How to get involved in the 2026 Great British Beauty Clean Up

Businesses and consumers can sign up for more information about the Mygroup x British Beauty Council take-back scheme and the full list of recyclable beauty products via the campaign website.

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