As time goes on, it’s become increasingly obvious that we’re all on the same mission: to reduce our plastic usage and get better at recycling. Given what we know about climate change, tossing packaging into the bin without a backwards glance just doesn’t cut it anymore.

But while we’re all pros at being green in the kitchen, it’s a different story when it comes to bathroom and beauty products. Sure, packaging-free skincare is more common than ever, more of us have ditched one-use cotton pads and living sustainably is much more than a passing trend yet, from foundation tubes to moisturiser pots and perfume bottles, figuring out how to recycle beauty product containers is still a bit of a minefield.

Some beauty packaging – most plastic or glass bottles, for example – can be fully recycled at home as part of your usual curbside collection (see our everything you need to know guide to at-home beauty recycling for more details), but not everything falls into this category. Many products come in containers that are partially, but not totally, recyclable, which requires fiddly dismantling before you can chuck them out with a reasonably clear conscience.

Fortunately, though, several high street retailers and beauty brands now offer in-store recycling services. Some even offer incentives to do so, such as vouchers or money off later purchases. So you’re no longer obliged to spend hours disassembling atomisers and pulling springs out of pumps – and you’ve got literally no excuse not to recycle.

Where to recycle beauty product containers on the high street