Lush chooses Spectra’s Prevented Ocean Plastic

Working alongside Spectra Packaging, leading high-street cosmetic retailer Lush Cosmetics has chosen to use Prevented Ocean Plastics.

Since they began, Lush has been committed to sustainable practices, reducing their impact on the planet and applying their buying power to drive positive change. The British cosmetics retailer has been using 100% recycled PET for their clear bottles for over a decade but is constantly looking for ways to innovate with packaging. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is proud to join them on this exciting next step.

Lush will roll out Prevented Ocean Plastic™ globally. In the UK, working with its supplier Spectra Packaging, Lush has introduced certified recycled Prevented Ocean Plastic™ for its 100ml, 250ml, and 500ml bottles. The Lush Manufacturing sites in Germany and Croatia have also rolled out Prevented Ocean Plastic™ across these sizes, while Lush North America and Japan will follow suit later this year. Lush’s 1l bottles are still transitioning across all markets but will be introduced later this year.

Every time a customer takes home a product in a clear plastic bottle marked with the Prevented Ocean Plastic™ logo, Lush says, “They’re helping to protect marine ecosystems and the coastal communities who are at the forefront of the effects of ocean plastic pollution.”

Karolina Michalska, Creative Buying, Lush, said: Seeing how much impact the Prevented Ocean Plastic™ Programme has had on communities in areas at high risk of plastic pollution, being part of preventing tonnes of plastic from entering the oceans, as well as improving transparency of the supply chain is very much fulfilling our ‘Lusher than we found it’ statement. I feel honoured to have worked with such a passionate and inspirational group of people who care about people and the environment.

The plastic used to make the new Lush clear bottles has been collected within 50km of an ocean, coastline, or major waterway in Indonesia and would have been at risk of entering and polluting oceans if it were not collected and recycled. The discarded plastic is collected and taken to collection centres before going through the recyclers and packaging manufacturers for material distribution to Lush and many other retailer partners for branding and use.

Jonathan Powell, Sales Director, Spectra Packaging, added: The opportunity to work with a forward-thinking partner like Lush illustrates a common desire to align our visions to drive positive change. By working together towards these common goals, partnerships such as ours can make a positive impact.

The Prevented Ocean Plastic™ Programme works in Indonesia and around the world- developing efficient waste management infrastructure where it is lacking, creating reliable income opportunities with dignified working conditions for local people, and providing certified and traceable premium quality recycled plastic to global markets, all while preventing plastic from polluting our oceans.

Lush’s choice of Prevented Ocean Plastic™ through UK supply is expected to prevent over three million bottles from reaching the water.

Raffi Schieir, Director of Prevented Ocean Plastic™, said: It is our honour to partner with Lush and their commitment to leave the world lusher. By making better plastic choices, Lush is supporting the essential workers of the informal waste sector, preventing thousands of plastic bottles from reaching the ocean and giving a new life to previously discarded material. Together, we can ensure every bottle is counted, and every person counts.

This article was originally published by Spectra Packaging.