South Korean beauty firm Amorepacific has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global environment firm TerraCycle to recycle empty bottles.
Image: Amorepacific and TerraCycle have partnered on recycling empty bottles. Photo: courtesy of PRNewswire / Amorepacific.
Important aspects of the MoU are recycling at least 100 tonnes of empty plastic bottles each year for three years, as well as increasing the ratio of using recycled empty bottles for Amorepacific products and furnishings with 10% in the first year, 20% in the second and 30% in the third year.
Both entities will also work together to achieve 100% recycling of empty bottles and 50% of those used for products and furnishings by 2025.
Amorepacific, which had started with innisfree in 2003, has collected a total of 1,736 tonnes of empty cosmetic bottles, as of 2018. It is currently assessing various recycle possibilities to minimise the damage to nature induced by these containers.
The company is also running Greencycle campaign, which is an environmental CSR activity of recycling empty cosmetic bottles or upcycling them into creative artworks.
Amorepacific president Saehong Ahn said: “Plastic issue is now a common social problem which companies should also take part in.”
“Amorepacific will prepare for the age of ‘No Plastic’ by reusing collected empty bottles and developing environmentally-friendly materials. Through positive cooperation with TerraCycle, we will make the Earth beautiful with our contribution to responsible consumption and production.”
TerraCycle aims to help minimise the wasting of resources and achieve zero-waste.
The firm partners with individual collectors, as well as major consumer product companies, retailers, manufacturers, municipalities, and small businesses to divert millions of pounds of waste from landfills and incinerators each month.
At present, the company is offering recycle-related consulting services in 21 countries and actively involved in the recycling of cigarette butts and snack packaging.
Established in 2001 by Tom Szaky, TerraCycle started its operations by producing organic fertilizer and packaging liquid worm poop in used soda bottles.
Founded in 1945, Amorepacific’s portfolio is comprised of more than 20 cosmetics, personal care, and health care brands. The South Korean company has research hubs across the world.