How it works

Refillable products

1

Keep the glass bottle, pump and over cap to use with your next refill. If a jar, keep glass jar and lid. Remove the biobased plastic refill.

2

Place refill in an envelope (ideally pre-used) and follow HOW TO RECYCLE section to organise return.

3

First Mile sort and wash refills, shredding them into flakes or granules, to then be converted into plastic pellets for car parts and building materials.

Non-refillable products

1

Remove pump, over cap, lid or pipette. Non-refillable glass bottle or jar should be recycled at home with other glass.

2

Place pumps, over caps, lids and pipettes in an envelope (ideally pre-used) and follow HOW TO RECYCLE section to organise return.

3

First Mile sort and wash pumps, over caps, lids and pipettes, shredding them into flakes or granules, to then be converted into plastic pellets for car parts and building materials.

HOW TO RECYCLE…

  • STEP 1 

    Place the components, lids or pumps (as many as you want) into an envelope (ideally pre-used). 

  • STEP 2

    Email us here to organise a returns label. 

FAQs

What items can I recycle with the First Mile programme? 

You can recycle your refill components or refill lids, as well as all non-refillable product lids and pumps. 

What shouldn’t I send you? 

Keep your glass bottle/ jar, pump and overcap/ lid for your refillable products; you will need these for when you purchase a new refill component. Recycle your non-refillable glass bottles and jars yourself however you would usually recycle glass. We don’t recycle the glass because it’s already recyclable. 

Do I need to clean the items before sending them? 

Although not strictly necessary, we recommend cleaning and drying your components before posting them to prevent any leakage in transit. 

How many items can I send at once? 

As many as you want. 

Can I send you items from other brands? 

Sadly not. Our items have been carefully analysed and, as a result, are being recycled in a specific way. We wouldn’t know the composition of other brands’ materials and hence would be unable to recycle them. 

Can you advise on what to send the items back in? 

We advise using a pre-used envelope that is exactly the right size. We don’t advise wasting space or paper with a bigger envelope. We also think it’s best to avoid a box; this takes up more space so it’s definitely less efficient. 

My envelope doesn’t fit through the post box, what should I do? 

If it doesn’t fit, take your envelope to a post office for drop off. 

Where can I buy a new refill? 

All of our refills can be purchased.

How do I remove or insert the refill component? 

We have two types of refill components: bottles and jars.

For the bottles:

The refill is screwed to the pump. To remove, simply unscrew the pump from the outer glass bottle. Pull the pump and the refill component out of the glass bottle. Then, unscrew the pump from the refill component. 

If you have bought a new refill component. Remove the lid from this component (keep it for recycling later). Screw the refill component to the pump that you had previously, and then place this inside the glass bottle and screw the pump into the glass bottle.

For the jars:

The refill cup sits inside the glass jar. To remove, simply unscrew the lid from the outer glass jar. Pull the refill cup out of the glass jar.

If you have bought a new refill component. Remove the lid from this component (keep it for recycling later). Place the component into your glass jar that you had previously, and then screw the lid to the glass jar. 

Why should I recycle the components with you? 

Approximately 142 billion units of packaging are produced by the beauty industry each year, and the majority ends up in landfills or in the ocean because they’re not properly recycled or recyclable. Our recycling scheme prevents this from happening; components are repurposed into new products, giving them a second life.

Can you tell me more about Irene Forte Skincare’s sustainability philosophy? 

Yes, of course. More information can be found here.