Celebrate Global Recycling Day: Easy Ways to Recycle

March 18, 2025

Happy Global Recycling Day! Today, we celebrate the importance of recycling and minimising waste in our everyday lives. Whether it's clothing, beauty products, or packaging, there are plenty of ways we can contribute to a greener planet while saving money in the process. Here are some accessible and impactful initiatives to help you recycle and reuse across various categories!

1. Clothing & Footwear Recycling

Decluttering your wardrobe doesn't have to come at the expense of the environment! Several brands offer convenient recycling programs:

H&M: Drop off clothes of any brand and condition at H&M stores for recycling or reuse. In return, you'll receive an H&M voucher for your next purchase. It's a simple way to refresh your wardrobe sustainably.
Zara: Zara accepts old garments for recycling, donation, or resale. They also offer a home collection service for a fee, making participating in their sustainability efforts easier.
John Lewis: Collects unwanted clothes in-store for recycling or reuse. My John Lewis members receive a discount for returning items, encouraging more sustainable shopping habits.
M&S: Through their Shwopping scheme, M&S partners with Oxfam to accept donations of outgrown school uniforms. Customers receive a discount on M&S kidswear in exchange, promoting a circular economy.
Primark: Offers an in-store recycling scheme for pre-loved clothes, making it convenient to recycle garments while shopping for new ones.
Schuh: Schuh's "Sell Your Soles" program allows customers to recycle any pair of shoes in exchange for a voucher, encouraging the reuse of footwear.

2. Beauty & Health Packaging Recycling

Proper disposal of beauty and health product packaging can be challenging, but several retailers are making it easier:

Boop Beauty: Boop Beauty participates in The Great British Beauty Clean Up, a campaign by The British Beauty Council's Sustainable Beauty Coalition. This initiative focuses on reducing waste, promoting refill solutions, and recycling beauty empties. Customers are encouraged to collect their beauty empties, learn how to recycle them at home and visit in-store recycling points to minimise environmental impact.
Boots: Customers bring empty beauty, health, wellness and dental products, from any brand, that can’t be recycled at home to Boots to be recycled through their "Recycle at Boots" initiative. Simply download the app, log your empty products, deposit them at your local store, and collect 500 Advantage Card Points when you recycle your first 5 products and spend £10 in-store.
Superdrug: Offers a medicine packet recycling program where customers can drop off empty medicine blisters in dedicated collection boxes, promoting responsible disposal. They also take makeup empties, free of charge, helping you de-clutter your makeup bag and save the planet!

3. Discount Dragon's Sustainable Approach

Founded in 2022, Discount Dragon has grown rapidly by offering branded FMCG products at prices up to 60% below what you would pay at supermarkets. Their business model focuses on buying surplus stock or items approaching their Best Before date, allowing them to reduce waste while passing on savings to consumers. This approach helps minimise waste from mispackaged or overstocked goods while offering significant savings to customers.

4. Soft Plastics & Other Packaging Recycling

Recycling soft plastics and other packaging materials is crucial for reducing waste:

Supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Morrisons, M&S): Many supermarkets offer soft plastic recycling points, allowing customers to recycle items like crisp packets, bread bags, and frozen food bags.
Aldi: Recycles soft plastics, providing customers with convenient options to dispose of packaging responsibly.
Dunelm: Provides a textile take-back scheme where customers can drop off clean home textiles in-store that are reused, repurposed, or recycled, supporting a circular textile economy.

5. Additional Tips to Minimise Waste This Global Recycling Day

In addition to participating in retailer programs, consider these habits to reduce waste further:

Opt for Reusable Shopping Bags: Carry reusable bags when shopping to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bags. Many stores offer discounts for customers who bring their own bags.
Compost Organic Waste: Set up a compost bin at home for food scraps, reducing landfill waste and enriching your garden soil.
Buy in Bulk: Purchasing products in bulk reduces packaging waste. Look for bulk stores or refill stations to minimise packaging.
Repurpose Items: Before discarding, consider how items can be repurposed. Old jars can serve as storage containers and worn-out clothing can become cleaning rags or be upcycled into new products.