Marks & Spencer (M&S) has doubled the reach of its Beauty Takeback Scheme by expanding to an additional 60 stores, bringing the total to 100 locations across the UK. This initiative, part of M&S’s Plan A sustainability roadmap, aims to drive a more circular economy by enabling customers to recycle beauty packaging easily.
Launched in partnership with HANDLE in June 2023, the scheme allows customers to recycle a variety of beauty packaging—plastic and aluminum bottles, tubes, caps, pumps, and tubs—from any retailer by depositing them in dedicated boxes within M&S beauty sections. Since its inception, the Beauty Takeback Scheme has processed over 1.6 tonnes of beauty packaging, which is equivalent to the weight of a small car, preventing these materials from ending up in landfill.
To further reinforce the circular approach, M&S and HANDLE have also produced a wide-toothed hair comb made from at least 98% recycled beauty packaging collected through the scheme. Available online and in select stores for £8, the comb represents M&S’s commitment to turning waste into useful, sustainable products.
Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability, Clothing & Home at M&S, commented, “At M&S, we want to play our part in driving a more circular economy, and the circularity services we offer are key to this. Since launching last year, our Beauty Takeback Scheme has proven hugely popular, providing a convenient option for customers to recycle their beauty products. We’re delighted to expand the scheme to even more stores, allowing customers to give their empty beauty packaging Another life.”
The Beauty Takeback Scheme is part of M&S’s broader ‘Another Life’ initiative under Plan A, which unifies all of the retailer’s circular services. This includes the Beauty Takeback Scheme with HANDLE, a new repair partnership with SOJO, and M&S’s long-standing clothes donation collaboration with Oxfam (formerly known as ‘Shwopping’). Together, these initiatives create a seamless experience for customers committed to supporting a shift towards a circular economy.
With dedicated beauty takeback boxes now available in additional locations like Birmingham Bullring, Cardiff, and Inverness, M&S’s expanded scheme makes it easier than ever for customers to recycle their beauty packaging and contribute to sustainable practices.
