UK high street staple Holland & Barrett has set in motion plans to save 200 tonnes of virgin plastic from its beauty supplements line.
By redesigning its packs to be smaller, the retailer will save 20% of plastic per bottle and intends to use plastic that is a minimum of 80% recycled.
The healthcare and beauty seller will also remove plastic wrapping from its caps and reduce its bottle colour levels, to make the materials more widely used when recyclable.
“We know sustainability is a really important topic for our customers, and we are continually looking at ways we can reduce our impact on the environment,” said Holland & Barrett’s Head of Brand Management, Geraldine Waterton.
“Our own-brand vitamin range is one of the biggest on the high street.
“We are introducing our new packaging over the next 12 months and in doing so, will be saving over 200 tonnes of plastic, while also making sure our bottles are easily recycled at home.”
Holland & Barrett will begin rolling out its new packaging from this month, starting with its immunity and vitamin D ranges.
The retailer has long been a champion of sustainability, implementing measures across its business in order to be more environmentally friendly.
Last month, the chain said it would no longer sell single-use beauty masks in-store and online, encouraging customers instead to opt for multi-use products that use recyclable materials.
Every shopper that makes the switch to reusable masks, the retailer will donate 5% of profits from their sale to Ocean Generation, a charity that works to preserve the world’s seas.
In December 2019, Holland & Barrett also said it would trial selling cosmetics that are past their best before date, in a bid to reduce landfill waste.
The concept initially rolled out across 25 stores in Devon and Cornwall, UK, and applied to all products excluding vitamins, chilled or frozen food, milk products, as well as protein shakes and powders.
Prior to that, the retailer waged war on single-use wet wipes, and encouraged its competitors to follow suit.
