With zero plastic packaging, the new Market Street store could be the most ethical in the country
Lush, a UK leader in ethical cosmetics, is getting its kit off… so to speak.
On Friday 18 January, Lush will reopen on Market Street as a ‘Naked shop' - the first of its kind in the country.
With awareness of plastic pollution at an all time high, Lush has stripped its handmade bath and beauty products of plastic, and will offer packaging-free alternatives for popular items instead.
The new naked store - which is also 100% vegetarian and cruelty-free - will allow Manchester customers to shop without guilt, knowing there's no negative environmental impact to the world's oceans.
...the global cosmetics and beauty industry produces 120 billion units of packaging each year.
Expect old favourites such as solid deodorants, facial cleansers and of course, the ever-popular bath bombs. There will also be 'ethically-sourced swag' such as regenerative containers and colourful Knot Wraps to ensure your plastic-free goodies will get home in ship shape.
A plastic-free store is a natural move for Lush, a company which has long championed waste-free packaging solutions on the high street. In 2017, Lush claimed customers saved 800,000 bottles from going to landfill and more.
While new to the UK, the naked shop concept was initially launched in Milan in 2018, as customers grew more environmentally conscious.
And it's with good reason; according to The Green Alliance around 12.2m tonnes of plastic waste are deposited in the marine environment each year - the beauty industry is a major culprit. It's reported that the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging annually and the majority is not being recycled.
Upon the opening of its Naked store in Milan, Lush Product Inventor, Alessandro Commisso commented:
“With the naked shop we don’t just want to offer beautiful products to our customers, we want to use this as an opportunity for discussion. It’s pretty much about debating these topics with the public, with the media, and with Lush customers to find out where to go next.
Lush's Berlin store manager adds: "The Naked Shop is the cosmetics store of the future. It shows what cosmetics can look like if there are no plastic packaging. Our customers are also very interested in unpackaged products and we will offer an even wider selection of packaging-free alternatives."
