Making the beauty industry better for the planet

The beauty industry may not have been the most environmentally friendly in the past, but some Scottish firms are attempting to change that.

Jo Childley, co-founder of the Beauty Kitchen brand, wants to increase the reuse of packaging in an industry where 95% of containers are thrown out after one use.

The brand re-uses empty beauty product containers to help reduce waste, and customers can return their empties in a variety of ways from dropping off at a shop to sending back for free by post.

Aberdeen hair salon Linton and Mac are now able to recycle most of the waste they produce, including human hair.

The Green Salon Collective help hairdressers to recycle products such as metal foils contaminated by hair colouring.

Salon owner Jenn Linton told the BBC that some of her customers even choose to recycle their hair, using it for compost in their garden or a deterrent against slugs and snails.

11 April 2023