The cosmetics retail giant wants to do its part in the fight against pollution generated by packaging waste. In collaboration with Pact Collective (a nonprofit organization that works to improve the circularity of packaging used in the beauty industry), Sephora announced the launch of Beauty (Re)Purposed, the first North American empty product collection program.
The goal of this program is clear: to make the process of reducing waste from hard-to-recycle materials more affordable and accessible to consumers.
According to Pact Collective, the majority of “complex” packaging (too small, too soft or made of too many materials) ends up in landfills. The beauty and wellness industries alone generate 120 billion packs each year, most of which are not accepted in recycling channels.
According to the organization, nearly 80% of all plastics end up in landfills and eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year.
“The launch of Beauty (Re)Purposed is an exciting step in Sephora’s commitment to lead the way and offer more responsible solutions to the communities we serve. The reality is that throwing away beauty packaging can be complex for many consumers,” said Desta Raines, Sephora’s Director of Sustainability.
How it works
All U.S. consumers are invited to bring their packaging (emptied and cleaned) to their nearest Sephora and fill the container provided.
The bin is then collected by Pact. The collected materials will be sold to partners and then transformed (pallets, carpeting, new packaging…).
Beauty (Re)Purposed will be deployed in more than 600 stores across the United States …
