The beauty industry contributes significantly to the UK’s waste problem, with 90 million beauty products discarded each year. To combat this, Boop has launched an online marketplace offering cosmetic seconds and overstock products at reduced prices. The marketplace aims to address the issue head-on, using the model employed by the ‘wonky’ fruit and veg industry to tackle food waste.
Boop, founded by Yasmine Amr, features a range of mid to high-end brands with up to 70% discounts on products that would otherwise be thrown away. Amr has a background in law and previously worked as legal counsel for L’Oréal, so she has seen first-hand how brands handle wastage and overproduction. Of the 90 million beauty products discarded each year in the UK, 10% are wasted in supply chains and 6.2% are due to overproduction.
France already prohibits the destruction of unsold cosmetics, and legislation is expected to follow for the EU and UK. Moreover, Boop’s study shows that 95% of consumers would purchase surplus or imperfect stock due to labelling errors, packaging deterioration, etc.
Amr confirms that consumers and manufacturers are becoming more environmentally conscious, with little regard for whether the products have less-than-perfect packaging or are surplus stock. Boop is doing its part to reduce the amount of waste in the beauty industry, and following in the footsteps of other marketplaces that curate “wonky” products to consumers.
Other industries are also beginning to eliminate wastage by removing “best before” labels. Love Health, Hate Waste is a health goods reseller that offers up to 90% discounts on past-it products. Multibank, an initiative led by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, aids disadvantaged households by receiving stock donations from retail giants. These surplus donations include essential household items such as toiletries, bedding, and clothing.
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