Celebrating Global Recycling Day – Interview with Shalom Lloyd

In celebration of Global Recycling Day on Saturday 18^th March, MyMiltonKeynes will shine a light on businesses across Central Milton Keynes who are doing their bit to help the planet through recycling.

In the week running up to Global Recycling Day, MyMiltonKeynes will feature businesses who are playing their part, no matter how small the actions are, and those who are living up to this year’s ‘Creative Innovation’ theme.

The last couple of years have been tough for businesses, particularly SMEs and while many business owners and managers have had to prioritise day to day operations over waste management and implementing new recycling infrastructures, companies have increasingly been bringing sustainability to the forefront.

New legislations such as Enhanced Producer Responsibility and Deposit Return Schemes will impact more and more organisations, so understanding what these mean for businesses, while taking a look at what others are already implementing in the local area, is so important.

There are so many recycling initiatives already underway across CMK but here we speak to Shalom Lloyd, Founder of the award-winning Naturally Tribal Skincare, about recycling, being part of Harrods’ in-store recycling trial at Milton Keynes H Beauty store, and how other SMEs in the city can make a difference:

Shalom, sustainability is at the heart of your company, what drives your commitment to using recyclable packaging?

Over 120 billion units of unrecyclable plastic are used in the beauty industry every year, it’s a staggering amount. Our business is all about natural, ethically sourced products so having recyclable packaging goes hand in hand. No matter how small – we are doing our bit to make a difference.

What continues to drive you, in the face of growing supply chain and raw material costs, to be sustainable?

We believe that we all have a responsibility to take care of our planet, which is especially prevalent during the midst of a climate emergency. We are passionate about contributing to the UK reaching its emissions target of net zero by 2050 and to help contribute to that we are trying to understand our impact on the planet and the work we can do to have a positive influence.

What would you say to a business who was trying to make their entire offering more sustainable?

I would say look at the full product journey and understand how you are impacting the planet. We looked at it from four different angles – first, through our sourcing, secondly, through our packaging, third through our ingredients and finally, through our production. We also need to try and look at the earth from the perspective that you wouldn’t take anything out that you couldn’t give back so consider replanting, and also research and manage the waste generated from your products or services.

What do you think of the in-store recycling trial at the Milton Keynes H Beauty store?

Being part of the H beauty family in our hometown, Milton Keynes, has always been a special achievement and we are delighted that Harrods have launched this trial initiative here. The scheme is incentivising customers to bring in used beauty, fragrance, and skincare products in typically ‘unrecyclable’ packaging. It clearly demonstrates Harrods’ commitment to bringing a more circular and sustainable shopping experience to customers.

What about smaller businesses across CMK – how can they implement new recycling initiatives?

Anything small can make a big difference. From clearly labelling recycling bins and placing them in easy to locate places, to working with suppliers to understand the impact any new legislation may have, to the waste stream from end-to-end. Clearly communicating efforts with employees and customers and ensuring that these measures are implemented will help sustain initiatives too. There are so many businesses across CMK already doing this, you only have to walk around the city centre to see the many different ways that retailers and businesses are playing their part, no matter how small, to make an impact.

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