Ads
Published
Jul 18, 2016
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Waitrose announces it will reduce plastic in its beauty ranges

Published
Jul 18, 2016

Upmarket British grocer Waitrose, which is owned by the John Lewis Partnership, today revealed two initiatives that will help reduce the amount of plastics used in its health and beauty ranges.

Photo: Waitrose - Waitrose


Waitrose says it is the first supermarket to announce cuts in plastic in key beauty products. The company has promised that by September 2016, none of its branded cosmetic products will contain microbeads. It also announced the change to stems of its own label cotton wool buds, from plastic to paper this September. This will save about 21 tonnes of plastic every year, and the new stems will be biodegradable and made from an FSC source of paper.

Organisations including Greenpeace, the United Nations and the Marine Conservation Society say both microbeads and plastic cotton bud stems are a serious threat to marine ecosystems.

Tor Harris, Waitrose's Head of Sustainability and responsible sourcing, said: 'Minimising our impact on the environment is a top priority and this is absolutely the right thing to do. Although the changes we're making don't seem dramatic, they are likely to have a positive impact for marine life. We know there's more work to be done and we will continue to see how we can reduce plastics across our ranges.'

The John Lewis Partnership did not reveal if its John Lewis department stores will take the same steps to minimise plastic in beauty products.

Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.