A coalition, including NGO City to Sea and Beauty Kitchen's reusable packaging platform Reposit, is expanding its efforts in the beauty and personal care categories following the success of its home cleaning products initiative. The group's long-term goal is to establish a 'buy anywhere, return anywhere' system for packaging that can operate at scale across the UK, making reuse a practical and widespread alternative to single-use packaging.

The coalition, which was formed last year, has already made significant strides in reducing plastic waste. In early 2024, M&S introduced pre-filled own-brand homecare products in reusable packaging. Under this system, shoppers pay a £2 deposit for the bottle, which is refunded in the form of a voucher when the packaging is returned. This model encourages circular usage of packaging materials, reducing waste and single-use plastic. Each participating M&S store offers a collection point where consumers can return their used packaging for cleaning and reuse.

M&S reported that more than 10,000 customers have engaged with the system since the trial began, indicating strong interest in reusable packaging options. Encouraged by this success, the coalition is now expanding the trial to include beauty and personal care products from several new brands. This month, brands such as ARRAN Sense of Scotland and Mama Bamboo will offer products in returnable packaging on their websites, while Abel and Cole will stock six Beauty Kitchen products, all using the reusable packaging system.

Shoppers will be able to scan a QR code on the product for details on how to return the packaging in exchange for a discount on future purchases. Packaging can be returned in-store or via Freepost, and the returned items are cleaned and reintegrated into the supply chain by Reposit, further supporting the circular model. These additions bring the coalition’s ecosystem to over 60 products spanning multiple categories, including homecare, beauty, and personal care.

Unlike the M&S homecare products, which still require a £2 deposit, the newly-added health and beauty products will not carry the same deposit requirement. Items such as shampoos, conditioners, hand washes, lotions, and soaps are now included in the expanded system, providing consumers with a wider range of sustainable options. This evolution in packaging reuse demonstrates the potential for scalability across industries, according to Reposit co-founder Stuart Chidley. He stated, 'By working with key names across the industry, we have been able to grow our in-store presence and, as we approach our first-year milestone, expand into new industries.'

Chidley further highlighted the broader vision for reusable packaging: 'The vision for return and reuse is to unlock further industries and channels through multiple partnerships. This project has proven its success as a commercially, operationally, and environmentally scalable reuse platform, cutting down on single-use plastic produced by supermarkets and brands, and accelerating growth toward a circular economy.'

City to Sea CEO Jane Martin also emphasized the importance of the coalition’s success and urged policymakers to provide government support to expedite the adoption of similar reuse models. She stressed that government intervention could amplify the environmental benefits and help scale reusable packaging initiatives across the country.

The initiative has already gained financial and operational support from UK Research & Innovation’s (UKRI) Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Fund, but progress at the governmental level has been slow. The UK government has yet to fully implement many aspects of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, including key Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules intended to make manufacturers more accountable for the waste their products generate.

Recent research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation underscores the potential of reusable packaging to mitigate environmental impacts. Scaling reusable packaging for consumer goods could reduce water and emissions footprints by up to 70% and cut material use by 75%. However, currently, only 2% of products from the largest brands in these categories are housed in refillable packaging. This gap highlights the urgent need for more comprehensive adoption of reusable systems to reduce the environmental toll of packaging.

A separate study conducted by ReLondon, Valpak, and WRAP highlights the climate implications of single-use packaging in urban areas. According to the research, the 2.2 million tonnes of packaging used annually in London alone is responsible for a carbon footprint equivalent to half of the city’s transport emissions. Plastic packaging is the largest contributor, and most of these emissions (76%) are associated with the upstream supply chain, with incineration accounting for 20% of packaging-related emissions.

The findings indicate that more substantial efforts are needed to reduce unnecessary packaging, increase recycled content, and prioritize reuse models to combat these environmental challenges. London's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, stated that eliminating unnecessary packaging and scaling up reuse models will be essential to achieving the city’s goal of becoming a low-carbon, zero-waste city. These priorities, along with improving collection and recycling rates, are key to building a greener future for urban areas like London.

The full findings from the study will be shared during ReLondon's Circular Economy Week, which aims to promote solutions for sustainable urban living and packaging innovations. This event will offer insights into the challenges and opportunities that come with shifting from a linear to a circular economy.