THG's Recycling Scheme

THG has announced its new recycling scheme, recycle:me by THG, which allows customers to send all used beauty products—regardless of the brand—back to THG to be recycled. 

Previously: THG Q4 & Full-year 2020 Results

ESPA customers already have access to the recycling scheme, while Lookfantastic will launch recycle:me to its customers in Q1 2021, after which all of THG’s Beauty brands will be integrated in 2021.

Beauty products that customers send back to THG are melted down and repurposed in partnership with Storm Board LLP, a company whose mission is to turn plastic waste into weather-proof and recyclable materials which can be used for social projects.

The carbon emissions associated with sending the packaging back to THG are offset through its CarbonNeutral delivery certification.

Matthew Moulding, founder, chairman and CEO of THG, said: “The recycle:me scheme is part of our ongoing pledge via THG (eco) to reduce our impact on the environment and create innovative new sustainability practices. We have started with our THG Beauty division as we know that recycling processes are particularly complex for plastic beauty products such as mascara, lipstick and skincare items with inbuilt pumps, which leads to many consumers simply disposing of their used goods in their household waste.

“By spearheading an initiative that is as simple as possible for the consumer, we are hoping to reduce the amount of plastic that goes to landfill, not just on behalf of our own THG Beauty brands but for the industry as a whole. The added benefit is that the used plastic returned to us will be transformed for some fantastic projects, including storm shelters, playground equipment and refugee shelters.”

Nick Stillwell, MD of Storm Board, said: “Storm Board recycles the unrecyclable. Our focus is turning waste plastic into a weatherproof and recyclable alternative to plywood that can be reused many times and recycled into another board at the end of its life. We create a circular economy of waste whilst lowering the impact on our already strained environment.”