Reposit, City to Sea, M&S, and Ecover are expanding their pre-filled returnable packaging scheme to ARRAN Sense of Scotland and Mama Bamboo’s beauty and personal care products, and simultaneously plan to reduce plastic waste in e-commerce applications.
Research from City to Sea suggests that 95% of the general public is concerned about plastic pollution – an 86% increase compared to 2018. Almost half of respondents, or 45%, reported that a lack of availability is holding them back from integrating reusable packaging into their own shopping habits.
Similarly, 82% of British consumers are said to want brands to offer more of their products in returnable packaging.
A ‘buy anywhere, return anywhere’ scheme was launched last October, supported by the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Fund. A year into its operation, the platform is available across multiple channels and sectors, with the consortium confident in its commercial viability and scalability.
Now its newest phase intends to drive an uptake in returnable packaging for the beauty and personal care markets and tackle the amount of plastic waste generated through online shopping.
As part of the CLUBZERØ reusable scheme, long-time initiative member Beauty Kitchen will sell six products – including its Bright Night Intensive Cream and Bright Eyes Probiotic Serum – in returnable Reposit packaging via Abel and Cole. Reposit’s returnable system is designed to encourage the return of empty packaging through a ‘return for reward’ framework, through which consumers can redeem a discount against their next purchase.
To return the packaging, consumers can scan the QR code on the base of the empty item and find their nearest return point, including relevant stores and Freepost. The returned items are professionally cleaned at Reposit’s state-of-the-art facility and recirculated.
Additionally, ARRAN Sense of Scotland and Mama Bamboo are currently distributing products in returnable packaging throughout September and October. Over 60 products across multiple categories are now available in returnable packaging in M&S stores, two ARRAN Sense of Scotland locations in Scotland, and online.
“By working with key names across industry we have been able to grow our in-store presence and, as we approach our first-year milestone, expand into new industries,” said Reposit co-founder Stuart Chidley. “The vision for return and reuse is to unlock further industries and channels through multiple partnerships, and we thank those brands and retailers who have worked alongside us to make this game-changing system a reality.
“The project has demonstrated its success as a commercially, operationally and environmentally scalable reuse platform, cutting down on the scourge of single-use plastic produced by supermarkets and brands, and accelerating growth towards a circular economy.”
“At ARRAN Sense of Scotland, we’re proud to introduce our new Reuse & Refill programme, in partnership with Reposit — another important step in our business’ ESG strategy & further reducing our environmental footprint,” CEO Kevin Meechan continued. “This initiative empowers our customers to make sustainable choices without sacrificing quality or luxury.
“By reusing packaging and offering prefilled returnable options, we’re actively reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy, where wellbeing-focused bath and body care go hand in hand with sustainability. This is just one of many actions we’ve taken as part of our broader sustainability journey.”
“At Beauty Kitchen, we’ve always been at the forefront of driving sustainability in the beauty industry, setting a new standard for reducing environmental impact,” commented co-founder Jo Chidley. “As the leaders of the B-Corp Beauty Coalition, we’re pioneering the shift away from single-use plastics with our innovative reusable packaging system.
“We believe the beauty sector must take decisive action to address plastic pollution, and we urge more brands to step up and join this movement. By adopting reusable packaging solutions, we can collectively transform the industry, meet growing consumer demand for sustainability, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.”
Laura Crawford, founder and CEO at Mama Bamboo, said: “It was essential for us to find the right partners to develop our Baby Care range with. We want to push the boundaries of what is ‘acceptable’ in the Beauty industry, and drive towards what is ‘right’.
“Our products will tick all the boxes for vegan, organic and cruelty-free, as well as being high quality and high performing, but the additional choice to use reusable packaging is key for us. We believe every new product should be designed with circularity in mind; only by designing in sustainability, can reverse the crisis we now find ourselves in.”
“One year on from launch and reusable packaging schemes are gaining momentum across the country,” added Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea. “Working with this consortium of retailers and industry specialists has helped to create a system that works for people and the planet.
“Reusable packaging has a key part to play in transitioning to a more circular economy, giving businesses and consumers the opportunity to make sustainable packaging a part of their everyday lives. However, as ever, we’d welcome support and intervention from government to expediate the positive effects of these programmes; it’s time the government stepped up for reuse and finally put an end to single-use plastic packaging.”
M&S first launched a reuse system in six of its stores in the spring of 2022, enabling consumers to choose from eight pre-filled, own-brand homecare products, including cleaning sprays, laundry detergents, fabric conditioners, and washing up liquids. In return, they would receive a £2 voucher, which was redeemable against a second purchase from the M&S Refillable range.
This system was rolled out to nineteen more stores earlier this year. Now consumers could choose from ten pre-filled, own-brand homecare products, with the expansion set to save 15,000 pieces of plastic. Apparently, over 10,000 people have taken part in the scheme.
The retailer has also worked with beauty recycling expert HANDLE to run a Beauty Takeback Scheme and collect hard-to-recycle beauty packaging. Plastic and aluminium beauty packaging components from any retailer could be taken dedicated boxes found in the in-store beauty section in a scheme hoped to keep over two tonnes of empty beauty packaging out landfill within the first twelve months.
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