4 South African Shops that Reward You for Recycling

Being a part of today’s consumerist culture isn’t always ideal for the environment. With more stuff comes more packaging, which equals an increase in the amount of waste we produce. While many companies will choose to go the easiest and most cost effective route when it comes to packaging, as consumers we can ensure that we lessen the load on the planet on product at a time. The great news is, there are a few stores in South Africa that will reward you for your recycling good deeds, so choosing to be a little more environmentally friendly is a no-brainer! Here are just 4 stores in South Africa that will reward you for bringing items back.
Lush 5 Pot Program
Great news for ‘Lushies’, the beauty brand is all about rewarding its customers for recycling. As a commitment to conserving the environment, most new Lush products are being developed package-free but the brand still uses the iconic Lush black pot for its liquids, creams and jellies. Luckily the pots are made with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, making them a little more planet-friendly, and easy to recycle. Lush encourages customers to collect and return these little black pots by rewarding you with a FREE Fresh Face Mask for every 5 empty, clean black post you bring back to your local Lush shop.
Back to M·A·C
M·A·C loves environmentally conscious consumers and because they share your commitment to the environment they’ll accept, and encourage, returns of its primary packaging through the Back to M·A·C Program. Simply collect six primary M·A·C containers (think bottles, tubes, eyeshadow pots, etc) and return them to your nearest MAC store in exchange for a FREE M·A·C a primary in-line lipstick of your choice.
iStore trade-in and trade-up
Need to upgrade your iPhone or Apple laptop? Apple encourages its customers to reduce their electronics waste by recycling their old Apple products when upgrading to a newer model. Apple accepts previously loved gadgets (such as iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches and Apple TVs) at any iStore and rewards customers with a trade-in voucher that can be used to discount the purchase of any new product, on the same day or to be used at a later stage.
H&M Garment Collecting Initiative
Through its garment recycling initiative, H&M gives fashionistas the opportunity to turn their old duds into discounts. First launched in 2013, this recycling initiative encourages customers to bring in all their old, unwanted clothes, in any condition and from any brand, in exchange for discount vouchers. The initiative forms part of H&M’s commitment to reduce the amount of clothes and discarded textiles that end up in landfills and offers customers a 10& discount voucher for grocery sized bag of textiles you drop off. To get involved just ask for the garment-collecting box, often located next to the cash desks, and you’ll get rewarded with a voucher.