Everything you need to know about Eco Refills

In 2018, the European Union voted to ban single-use plastics by 2021 – a significant step in the right direction towards reducing the waste floating in our oceans. Lots of plastic waste drifts out to sea - destroying pristine beaches and coral reefs, and also harming our sea life. Environmental awareness makes the switch to more eco-friendly packaging – for example, using a refillable soap dispenser instead of one you discard once empty – a natural choice. Find out how we're doing our bit to save the planet, from the olive-grove-studded fields of Provence to the deep blue oceans at L'Occitane, with our sustainable packaging and eco-friendly products. By 2025, our goal is that 100% of L'Occitane shops will offer our TerraCycle® recycling program (more detail on this below!) and 100% of our products will be made out of recycled plastic.

Offering refill products since 2008

Over the past decade, more companies have been reducing the amount of plastic they use, and we're proud to say that we've always been at the forefront of the movement. It's been 10 years since we launched our first eco refill – our Liquid Verbena Soap, enriched with softening shea butter and the delicately alluring lemon fragrance of verbena leaves. Today, we have 25 eco refills available, with plenty more planned.

Eco refills save the day

In 2018, we were able to use 124 tonnes less plastic material thanks to our eco-refills, an amount weighing more than a blue whale. This is also almost twice as heavy as a space shuttle – NASA's Endeavour weighed 71 tonnes. Each eco-refill you purchase prevents the equivalent of roughly 50 plastic cups, 300 straws or 3,000 cotton buds from entering our oceans.

We recycle old products

Our partnership with TerraCycle® means your retired beauty packaging doesn't need to be sent to landfill – or a millennia-long voyage around the Atlantic – as it's transformed into new products. Simply drop into selected stores with your old packaging (as well as plastic, some stores will also accept aluminium waste like lip balm tins as well as metal cases such as lipstick tubes). It doesn't have to be a L'Occitane product – you'll receive 10% off on a L'Occitane product of your choice no matter which brand's packaging you give us.

Our small changes make a big difference

At L'Occitane, we treasure nature – from the nourishing properties of African shea butter to the uniquely relaxing fragrance of Provencal lavender. Preserving the environment is in our best interest and as such we've never used plastic bags, disposable cups or straws.

We can always do better, of course, so we're replacing our cellophane with a biodegradable version and will be using eco-spatulas for our in-store samples. We're also going to remove spatulas from each pack, to keep single-use plastic to a minimum.

Saving money as well as the environment

Our eco refills are also cheaper to buy. For example, our Shea Verbena Liquid Soap Eco-Refill is $36 for 500ml, while it costs $40 to pick up the Shea Verbena Liquid Soap with its refillable dispenser. This saves you $4 on each purchase, so you'll keep your wallet happy and feel financially thifty as well as environmentally friendly.

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REDUCING WASTE

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RESPECTING BIODIVERSITY

Since 1976, L’OCCITANE has been protecting the richness of our lands and we are committed to defending biodiversity for the generations to come.

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TERRACYCLE® PARTNERSHIP

We are committed to protecting the environment through recycling. You can also take part by returning your empty L’OCCITANE products.

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