The British Beauty Council and recycling specialist MYGroup have joined forces to tackle hard-to-recycle waste in the beauty sector through an expanded take-back and recycling initiative linked to the Great British Beauty Clean Up 2026 campaign.

The collaboration is aimed at addressing a major gap in existing recycling infrastructure that leaves many cosmetic products and packaging formats outside standard kerbside recycling systems. Items such as mascara tubes, makeup compacts, pumps and other small or mixed-material components are often too complex or contaminated to be processed through conventional municipal recycling channels.

Under the initiative, MYGroup will operate a take-back scheme enabling participating beauty brands, retailers, salons and spas to collect empty products and packaging that are not typically recycled. The collected waste will be sorted and processed through MYGroup’s facilities, where materials will be repurposed into new products including mirrors, furniture and combs.

“We know the industry is determined to reduce its waste footprint, but consumers still struggle to recycle many everyday beauty items at home. Our work with the British Beauty Council on the Great British Beauty Clean Up focuses on removing barriers and providing businesses with a straightforward way to capture what kerbside systems simply can’t.

We believe there must be a growing convergence between beauty brands and waste management partners to build the systems and drive the behaviors that will define a more sustainable sector. From our industry leading take back schemes to new materials innovation at our Bio-Park, as well as the impact we’re creating through SchoolCycled, MYGroup stands ready to help guide the industry into this next chapter,” said Steve Carrie, group director, MYGroup.

The program is aligned with the Great British Beauty Clean Up 2026, an industry-wide campaign supported by the British Beauty Council and its sustainable beauty coalition. The campaign is scheduled to run from 2 March to 30 March 30, 2026, coinciding with Global Recycling Day and the United Nations International Day of Zero Waste.

“We are delighted to be working with MYGroup to make recycling of hard-to-recycle beauty products easier for our community, their customers and clients. Knowing that only 9% of beauty waste is actually recycled, we hope that this program will up our rates and educate people on how easy it is to reduce our impact. This is an easy way to get involved in our annual Great British Beauty Clean Up, and we can’t wait to see our bins up and down high streets, in offices, warehouses and beyond,” said Victoria Brownlie MBE, chief policy & sustainability officer, British Beauty Council.

The initiative promotes zero-landfill and zero-incineration approaches to personal care waste, encouraging beauty companies to keep packaging materials within the circular economy rather than allowing them to end up as pollution. As part of the collaboration, the British Beauty Council and MYGroup are offering a managed take-back box and collection service designed specifically for products that fall outside existing recycling systems.

To support participation, incentives such as discounted service costs are being offered to businesses that join the program. The effort builds on MYGroup’s existing work with retailers and beauty brands and reflects growing momentum within the beauty industry to address packaging waste through reuse and recycling solutions.