The Reposit reuse platform is expanding its scope to include the beauty and personal care sectors, as well as e-commerce packaging, in collaboration with brands like ARRAN Sense of Scotland and Mama Bamboo. The scheme, created with partners such as City to Sea, M&S, and Ecover, offers consumers a 'buy anywhere, return anywhere' system, allowing the return of products in pre-filled, reusable packaging across a wide range of retailers.

Jo Chidley, co-founder of Beauty Kitchen and Reposit, emphasized the importance of addressing plastic pollution in the beauty industry, urging more brands to adopt reusable packaging solutions. According to her, this is a significant step towards meeting consumer demand for sustainable practices and advancing a circular economy. ARRAN Sense of Scotland and Mama Bamboo will be joining the program by September and October 2024, with over 60 products offered in returnable packaging formats.

Stuart Chidley, also a co-founder of Reposit, discussed the platform’s future, which aims to extend reuse systems to more industries and channels. The initiative has already seen success with M&S expanding the platform to 19 stores, with over 10,000 customers participating.

The system operates on a 'return for reward' basis, where customers scan a QR code on the packaging and return it to designated locations, receiving discounts on future purchases. The returned packaging is then cleaned and reintroduced into circulation, reducing waste.

City to Sea's CEO, Jane Martin, expressed optimism about reusable packaging's role in transitioning to a circular economy but urged government intervention to support these initiatives further. Unlike deposit schemes that charge upfront fees, Reposit offers a more accessible system by rewarding returns, encouraging participation without financial burdens.

This approach not only aligns with circular economy principles but also represents a meaningful shift towards reducing plastic waste in key sectors such as beauty, personal care, and e-commerce.