Sustainable Beauty Coalition’s Great British Beauty Clean Up to Return in March 2026
The British Beauty Council and its Sustainable Beauty Coalition (SBC) is calling on the industry to unite and champion sustainable practices, packaging and products. Returning on 2 March 2026, ‘The Great British Beauty Clean Up’ (GBBCU) partners with brands and businesses to promote sustainable initiatives, such as recycling and take-back schemes nationwide, and lead the shift toward reuse and refill. The campaign will run throughout the month, also aligning with Global Recycling Day (18 March) and the UN International Day of Zero Waste (30 March).
With the increase in recycling and repurposing waste a core goal of this year’s GBBCU, the British Beauty Council has partnered with MYGroup, a waste management innovator, to create a co-branded recycling box.
An easy “zero-landfill and incineration" recycling solution, all items collected will be repurposed, including hard-to-recycle items like compacts, mascara tubes, and pumps or hazardous items such as used hair foils. With items being transformed into new materials such as school furniture and building supplies.
British Beauty Council patrons and members will receive 15% off the cost of a take-back box (£74.80) with free collection service using the code BBCOMEMBER15.
Millie Kendall O.B.E., CEO of the British Beauty Council says: “Empties are often hard to recycle and even more difficult to repurpose, so what's better than this easy solution. Not only will they take back your empties, but they’ll be repurposed into usable items, such as school furniture.”
Reuse and Refill
Beyond recycling, GBBCU calls on brands to promote reusable and refillable products to transition consumers away from ‘single use’ culture.
Also, encouraging brands to prevent usable products from ending up in landfill or incineration, by working with organisations that reuse surplus products such as This is Beauty, Beauty Banks, The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct. Brands can sell or donate surplus stock, discontinued lines, or products with slight packaging imperfections rather than destroying them.
Victoria Brownlie MBE, Chief of Policy and Sustainability at the British Beauty Council, says: "Whilst there is some great work going on in the industry, we can and must do better. With the industry accounting for one-third of all landfill waste, simply recycling is no longer enough. The 2026 Great British Beauty Clean Up is about reimagining waste completely. Whether it is donating surplus stock to companies like In Kind Direct to help those in need, or using MYGroup to turn compacts into construction materials, we are asking the industry to think more purposefully about closing the loop when it comes to packaging."
Oriele Frank, Chair of the SBC Steering Committee, adds: "By promoting reusable and refillable products, businesses can lead a cultural shift toward packaging that is valued, rather than discarded. We are inviting brands, retailers, and salons to join us in March to reduce the amount of waste created by the beauty industry and build a brighter, better future for us all."
A recent British Beauty Council survey, in collaboration with UNiDAYS, surveyed 3,533 students in Jan 2026, and revealed Gen Z’s attitudes to sustainable beauty. The results provide a data driven backbone for the GBBCU and highlight the importance of continued awareness and education, and the need for brands to engage.
84% say sustainability is important to them when buying beauty products
78% actively seek out sustainable beauty brands when shopping
56% always recycle and 27% sometimes recycle their beauty empties
26% are unaware that most beauty empties can be recycled
86% would be encouraged to purchase more sustainable products, if there were a discount, loyalty points or store credit
