Because being kind to the planet is important when it comes to your beauty regime
It’s safe to say that many of us are on a mission to live more sustainably in various ways. Aside from the fact that, in September 2019, six million people participated in a global climate strike, the British Beauty Council’s 2020 The Courage To Change report also found that “of those surveyed who changed beauty products in the three months from April to July 2020, one in seven bought a new product as they wanted to use a more environmentally friendly product”.
Research by sustainability agency, Futerra, contained within The Courage To Change found that “88% of consumers want brands to do more to help them make a difference,” which includes things like using less packaging, displaying clearer information on how to recycle products and providing information on more environmentally friendly ways to use products. At the time The Courage To Change was published, “two thirds of people weren’t clear which cosmetic products could be recycled,” with research from Garnier finding that “56% of British people currently don’t recycle bathroom waste … because it’s inconvenient to do so.”
According to The Courage To Change report, “every year, 120 billion units of packaging are produced by the global cosmetics industry” and it doesn’t help matters that, due to the composite nature of their packaging, beauty products are rarely easy to recycle* in accordance with local council rules that require each material to be separated.
Fortunately, there are sustainable beauty brands creating sustainable beauty products that can be recycled or refilled to help address this issue. And, beyond stocking said sustainable beauty products, here at Boots we’re also doing our bit to help the environment on a long-term basis. For example, we’ve signed up to the UK Plastics Pact meaning that, by 2025, 100% of our own packaging will be either reusable, recyclable or compostable. By 2030, we will have reduced food waste by 50%. And, along with other retailers, we’ve committed to being completely carbon neutral by 2040 - 10 years ahead of the government’s current legislation.
Lastly, to help with recycling beauty products, we’ve launched our own recycling scheme at 700 stores nationwide. Using Scan2Recycle technology, it’s a unique solution that rewards customers with Boots Advantage Card points (if they spend £10) while helping the environment.
Speaking of which, here are some of the best sustainable beauty products available at Boots to peruse before you register online for it.
10 OF THE BEST SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT BOOTS
When it comes to incorporating more sustainable beauty products into your routine, where do you even begin? These ten are an excellent starting point – and they’re all available on our website!
KVD Beauty Planet Fanatic Fully Recyclable Wet/Dry Eyeshadow Palette (£38)
• Size: 18.2g
• Vegan
This KVD Beauty Planet Fanatic eyeshadow palette has got a lot going for it. It’s vegan for one. Then there’s the fact that it contains both matte and shimmer shades inspired by the earth’s many terrains – 14 of them, to be precise. And, best of all in terms of sustainability, the packaging (so long as it is completely emptied) is fully recyclable.
Beauty Kitchen The Sustainables Citrus Burst Organic Vegan Soap Bar (£5)
• Size: 120g
• Vegan
If you’re looking for an organic** and vegan bar of soap that will serve you as well in the kitchen as it does in the bathroom, look no further than this delight by Beauty Kitchen. Scented with a citrus burst of grapefruit, orange and lemon, it makes washing a joy. And, to make things even better, the packaging is completely recyclable.
**Certified B Corporation
Beauty Kitchen Abyssinian Oil Prime Time Cream Cleanser (£12.50)
• Size: 150ml
• Zero plastic
• Vegan
Packed with AHAs to brighten and abyssinian oil to hydrate, the Beauty Kitchen Abyssinian Oil Prime Time Cream Cleanser is a great choice when it comes to washing impurities away. In terms of its sustainability credentials, Beauty Kitchen promises that if you don’t refill and reuse its packaging yourself, you can send it to them for free so that they can reuse it in their next production batch.
Brushd. Lemon Mouthwash Tablets (£5.50)
• Size: 120 tablets
• Vegan
There’s nothing quite like mouthwash to give you that fresh feeling, but the plastic bottles it comes in aren’t very sustainable. These Brushd. Lemon Mouthwash Tablets offer a great solution, with one small bottle of 120 offering between two to four months’ worth of mouthwash.
Bambaw Reusable Makeup Remover Pads (£13.50)
• Size: pack of 16
Considering the massive amount of energy it takes to produce, single-use cotton isn’t the best thing for the environment. So what on earth are we supposed to remove our make-up with? Reusable make-up remover pads of course! With one side to give your skin a soft touch and another to exfoliate, you can wash them with your everyday laundry at 40℃ and reduce your daily waste.
Lancôme Absolue Revitalising Soft Face Cream Refill (£187)
• Size: 60ml
Luxury beauty brands are offering sustainable solutions to combat waste too these days, and we couldn’t be happier. If you’re obsessed with Lancôme’s Absolue Soft Cream, it can now be refilled with a capsule instead of purchasing an entirely new pot, meaning that you can continue to reap its benefits without feeling guilty about all that packaging.
