TOILETRIES, SANITARY PRODUCTS AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WANTED
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Toiletries: make it clear!
The battle against plastic waste is being held back by a mountain of poorly-labelled bathroom products that could go unrecycled, Which? is warning.
Which? analysed the recycling information on the labels of 20 common toiletries, as well as the type and volume of packaging, to determine how clearly the products are labelled and how difficult they would be to recycle.
The consumer champion found that 12 out of 20 (60%) products had no recycling information on the label, despite most of them being partially or wholly recyclable.
Only six of the products (30%) that Which? looked at seemed to be getting the labelling right – advising consumers that the products should be recycled and with specific instructions on how to do so.
The consumer group is concerned that this lack of coherent labelling could cause confusion among consumers and lead to significant numbers of recyclable products being sent to landfill.
Which? found that while two-thirds (67%) of people think recyclability of packaging is important when supermarket shopping, a majority (65%) of Which? members said they were not cutting back on plastics in the bathroom.
A third (33%) explained that this was because it would be too difficult to replace bathroom products they regularly use, while a quarter (23%) hadn’t thought about it before. One in six (16%) explained that they don’t know how to cut back on bathroom plastic.
Experts at Which? found that Head and Shoulders classic clean shampoo (500ml), L’Oreal Elvive Colour Protect conditioner (400ml) and Listerine Total Care mouthwash (500ml) had no clear labelling regarding recycling, despite being made of recyclable materials.
While many brands fell short of the standards Which? expected, Carex’s Complete Original handwash (250ml) displays clear labelling about how to recycle the bottle, and encourages people to do so. Radox Feel Refreshed shower gel (250ml) gives similarly clear instructions.
For most people, the recycling habit has taken hold more effectively with groceries and other kitchen products. Previous Which? research found that on average 58 per cent of packaging for grocery products was clearly labelled.
Which? is concerned that many toiletry brands are not doing enough to offer consumers clear information about whether or not their bathroom products are recyclable.
The onus is now on these brands to make significant changes to the way they approach the production of plastic packaging and how they communicate with their customers.
Which? is also calling on the government to make recycling labelling simple, clear and mandatory and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to make it easy for everyone to recycle, regardless of where they live.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “Recycling and sustainability are a high priority for many consumers – so the lack of clear information on the products we looked at is inexcusable in this day and age.
“With the packaging of many recyclable bathroom toiletries going into landfill in the UK, brands must take action to ensure bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are clearly labelled and can be disposed of in an efficient way.”
Which? advice for consumers:
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Items such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles can usually be recycled by emptying, rinsing and replacing the lids.
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When recyclable products have pump dispensers, you usually need to remove the pump and throw it away separately.
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Some retailers offer refills for certain branded toiletries so you don’t have to buy another container.
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A lot of plastic-free options can actually save money, such as using a soap bar and buying refills in bulk. Other plastic-free options include:
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Reusable face wipes
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Solid shampoo / conditioner bars
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Bamboo toothbrushes
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Toothpaste and mouthwash tablets
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Menstrual cups
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Plastic-free deodorant
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Recyclable / plastic-free toilet paper
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Full table of products
Product |
Packaging |
Recycling information provided on label |
Recyclability |
Andrex: Classic Clean Toilet Paper (4 rolls) |
Cardboard, plastic film |
Tube – widely recycled |
Cardboard collected at kerbside, plastic film not widely recycled |
Sure Men: Invisible Ice aerosol anti-perspirant deodorant (150ml) |
Aluminium |
Widely recycled |
Collected at kerbside |
Sure Women: MotionSense Invisible Aqua deodorant (50ml) |
Plastic (unspecified) |
Widely recycled |
Collected at kerbside |
Simple: Kind to skin vital vitamin day cream facial moisturiser (50ml) |
PP and cardboard |
Please recycle me. Jar and lid are PP; carton is cardboard |
Collected at kerbside |
Simple: Kind to skin vital vitamin face wash (150ml) |
PE and PP |
Please check if packaging is recyclable in your country. Tube is PE. Cap is PP. |
Collected at kerbside |
Radox: Feel Refreshed shower gel (250ml) |
PP |
Widely recycled, please recycle but remove cap first |
Collected at kerbside |
Complete: Original handwash (250ml) |
PET |
Widely recycled, reuse our pump, recycle our bottle |
Collected at kerbside when pump removed |
Nivea Men: Rehydrating moisturiser (75ml) |
Cardboard and LDPE |
Mobius loop image |
Cardboard collected at kerbside; LDPE not widely recycled – check local recycling |
Gilette: Fusion5+ 10-blade men’s razor |
Cardboard and plastic packaging |
No recycling labelling |
Packaging collected at kerbside, razors non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle) |
Gilette Venus: Swirl women’s razor |
Cardboard and plastic packaging |
No recycling labelling |
Packaging collected at kerbside, razors non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle) |
Gillette: Fusion 5 shaving gel (200ml) |
Steel |
No recycling labelling |
Collected at kerbside |
Head and Shoulders: Classic clean shampoo (500ml) |
HDPE |
No recycling labelling |
Collected at kerbside |
L’Oreal: Elvive Colour Protect conditioner (400ml) |
HDPE |
No recycling labelling |
Collected at kerbside |
VO5: Matte clay hair styling product (65ml) |
Aluminium |
No recycling labelling |
Collected at kerbside |
Oral B: Indicator 35 medium toothbrush |
Cardboard and plastic packaging |
No recycling labelling |
Packaging collected at kerbside, toothbrush non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle) |
Colgate: Total Original toothpaste (125ml) |
Cardboard packaging and mixed plastic tube |
No recycling labelling |
Cardboard collected at kerbside; tube non-recyclable (except through specialist collection schemes like TerraCycle) |
Listerine: Total Care mouthwash (500ml) |
PET |
No recycling labelling |
Collected at kerbside |
Tampax: Pearl Compak regular tampons (18 pack) |
Cardboard packaging and plastic applicators |
No recycling labelling |
Cardboard collected at kerbside; mixed plastic applicators not widely recycled |
Neutrogena: Hand cream (50ml) |
LDPE |
No recycling labelling |
Not widely recycled – check local recycling |
Radox Scent Touch Feel Fresh shower gel (200ml) |
Mixed plastic |
No recycling labelling |
Not widely recycled |
Edinburgh Napier launches Dignity Box campaign
Free basic toiletries to be made available to people in areas across Lothian experiencing social deprivation
A campaign being spearheaded by an Edinburgh Napier lecturer will see free toiletries made available to those who need them most across the Lothian region. Continue reading Edinburgh Napier launches Dignity Box campaign