How to Shop Beauty More Consciously

World recognition days, like World Recycling Day, Refill Day and Earth Day are so important for raising awareness, but, at Tropic, we don’t just celebrate our planet a few times a year. We’ve pledged an Infinite Purpose to help create a healthier, greener, more empowered world, and that means everyday is Earth Day to us! We believe in beauty without compromise and being a force for good in an industry awash with waste, where the planet rarely takes priority. How? By making it easy and cost-effective for you to make more conscious choices when shopping, and rewarding you for helping protect our natural world too.

What We Do

We wouldn’t exist without the tropical landscapes we were born from, and the tropical locations where we source our nutrient-rich, sun-soaked ingredients. We take from the planet to give you the healthiest skin ever, so we’re committed to always giving back more. 

With thousands of deliveries leaving our HQ every week, it’s vital that our packaging aligns with our eco-conscious ethos. All elements of our parcels are completely compostable or recyclable. We’ve substituted traditional plastic tape with gummed paper and vegetable glue, which isn’t just 100% recyclable and compostable, but more effective at safeguarding your order, promising extra security and tamper-defence. We use paper fill and compostable air bags crafted from potato and corn starch and all our product boxes showcase the FSC-certified stamp of approval, so you’re confident they’ve been sourced from environments that are responsibly managed and meet the highest environmental and social standards. 

As a certified Zero Waste to Landfill brand, we send no waste to landfill and have been independently verified by Valpak, a leading provider of environmental compliance for further transparency. In 2020, we recycled 122 tonnes, equating to 65% of all of our waste. Anything we can’t recycle is repurposed into an alternative fuel, that replaces fossil fuel, to power homes and businesses. All the energy used to recycle and turn our waste into alternative fuel is, like all aspects of our operations (including our employees commutes to work), double carbon offset. We’re phasing out the use of virgin plastics too, opting for PCR plastic and recyclable glass where possible. 

Plus, our moisturisers come suspended in state-of-the-art INNERBOTTLE™ technology, and we were the first beauty brand to launch this green innovation to the mass market. These products contain a balloon made from airless, medical grade and BPA-free silicone, ensuring every last drop is squeezed out of your freshly made favourites, while generating zero waste.

What You Can Do

On average, the beauty industry creates two billion tonnes of waste every year* and we’re on a mission to do our part in bringing that number down. We offer refill options across our entire skincare range and throughout our other ranges too and – because we believe in showing gratitude on behalf of us and the planet – you’ll enjoy a saving on all refills. Whether you’re building a collection or shopping your favourites individually, by choosing refills, you’re not only minimising waste but making more cost-effective choices. 

The refill option for all of our natural serums and oils feature an aluminium cap and glass bottle, both are widely recyclable and we stopped over 300kg of plastic waste from being generated in 2020 as a result. Plus, all our refill pouches across skincare, makeup and body care, and our Forest Leaves Water-Activated Facial Pads, Hydrogel Eye Masks and Hydrogel Face Masks, are biodegradable – all you need to do is pop them in your compost or food waste bin at home when you’re done. 

What You Can Get

We understand that some of our products aren’t easy to recycle at home, but that doesn’t mean they should be doomed to a life on landfill. We offer a Return, Recycle, Reward Scheme, where you can send these products back to us for FREE, and we’ll do the hard graft for you, working with our recycling partners to give this packaging a new lease of life. 

For going the extra mile, when you save five empties of the same product/s included in this scheme, we'll treat you to a Tropic voucher for the full value of a brand-new product! Exclusions do apply and you’ll find all the information, like the products included, on our website. But the giving back doesn’t stop there, return five empty INNERBOTTLE™ balloons and enjoy £10 OFF your next order – it’s our way of saying thank you for thinking of the planet.

At Tropic, sustainability isn’t a buzzword, it’s a way of life. While it’s so important to get the word out there and spotlight environmental causes on world awareness days, know it’s the little changes you make and the things you do everyday that matter most.

*The British Beauty Council