Following the heels of the popular refillable, zero-waste shops cropping up in Brooklyn, Montreal, and all around Europe, the Body Shop is starting to market a new refillable program for its products.
The Body Shop just sent us an announcement about their five-year plan to roll out refill stations in the majority of its stores globally in an effort to reduce plastic use and become the most sustainable business possible. The Body Shop is now introducing the refill program in stores across the United States, with the goal to have about 50% of all US locations equipped with refill stations by the end of 2022.
“The foundation of The Body Shop’s environmental activism was born out of ideas like these, when our founder, Dame Anita Roddick, refilled her first bottle out of necessity in 1976,” said Hilary Lloyd from the Body Shop: “We’re thrilled to be embracing a circular economy approach and provide this sustainable alternative.”
Every year, the beauty sector generates billions of pieces of plastic that end up in landfills or the ocean. Since April 2021, when The Body Shop announced the rollout of refill stations across 400 stores globally, the brand collectively has saved over 3.7 tons of plastic, which is equivalent to 170,000 plastic bottles. according to their statistics.
Another 400 refill stations are planned for 2022, with the aim of saving 25 tons of plastic and helping to prevent up to 5lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
By the end of 2022, The Body Shop will have refill stations present in about half of its store locations across the country. Find them in Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando. The stations will allow customers to refill their favorite body, hair and hand care products including shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, and hand washes. The selection of available products will vary from six to twelve depending on store size.
Another option to your plastics problem is just avoid the beauty industry altogether, with most of its aromas and products damaging to the body in ways known and unknown. Creams and shampoos contain preservatives and synthetic smells that can disrupt your endocrine system and which can lead to diseases like cancer.
One in 7 beauty products also contain asbestos and other harmful ingredients. Despite asbestos’ declining use in the US, mesothelioma deaths remain substantial, especially among younger people. From an analysis of federal mortality data, EWG Action Fund estimated that up to 15,000 Americans die each year from asbestos-triggered diseases.
Try keeping it simple by making your own. Ancient people used natural creams and lotions. You can too.
Here are some sunscreen tips.
The Bedouin also have some beauty hacks. Find some here.
