Our new Community Trade partnership will not only help support waste pickers but also champion plastic as a valuable, renewable resource when used responsibly.

The bestselling Ginger Shampoo made of 100 percent recycled plastic.

Our planet is drowning in plastic. The devastating effect of plastic waste on our oceans is well known. However, there is a human element to this crisis, which is rarely discussed. Over three billion people live without formal waste management —- that’s almost half the planet’s population. This has given rise to an informal waste picking economy.

Some of the world’s most marginalized people pick untreated waste to try to make a living. These waste pickers, many of whom are women, often live below the poverty line, working in appalling conditions. Yet they form a critical line of defense in stopping plastic from entering our rivers and oceans.

That’s why The Body Shop recently launched its first Community Trade recycled plastic, in partnership with Plastics for Change. It was first launched at the World Fair Trade Day in Benglaru, India. The partnership will work alongside India’s local organizations such as Hasiru Dala and Hasiru Dala Innovations which are dedicated to fighting for the rights and creating employment opportunities for waste pickers, who will receive a fair price for their work, a predictable income and access to better working conditions.

Andrew Almack, CEO of Plastics for Change, believes that the partnership with The Body Shop will help waste pickers get the financial and social benefits they deserve.

To mark the launch of the Community Trade recycled plastic initiative, an artwork of a female Indian waste picker by perceptual artist Michael Murphy was showcased in London’s Borough Market.

Women waste pickers from Bengaluru, India.

Lakshamma, a waste picker, was given a formal identity to have a fair place in society.

They will also get help in accessing services such as education, financial loans and healthcare services and the respect and recognition they deserve.

“As a company, we’ve always had the conviction to stand up for our principles when it comes to helping empower people, especially women, while protecting our planet,” Lee Mann, Global Community Trade manager for The Body Shop, said. “Our new Community Trade partnership will not only help support waste pickers but also champion plastic as a valuable, renewable resource when used responsibly. We want to use plastic recycling to help transform lives.”

The Body Shop has started using Community Trade recycled plastic in some of its 250-ml haircare bottles. Over time, it aims to increase the usage of recycled plastic including its bestselling Ginger Shampoo.