MYGroup and Shellworks set up UK take-back route for VIVOMER bioplastic

UK waste manager MYGroup and materials company Shellworks have announced a collaboration letting consumers return VIVOMER-packaged products through MYGroup's beauty and cosmetics take-back network of over 800 retail stores, including Boots, Harrods H beauty and Selfridges. Returned VIVOMER, a biobased fermentation-derived polymer designed to biodegrade when composted, is processed at MYGroup's Hull facility and converted into MYboard, a wood-replacement board used in furniture and retail fit-outs. The scheme gives VIVOMER a disposal route for households without access to composting.

Why this mattersA nationwide take-back route addresses the end-of-life gap that has limited adoption of compostable bioplastics beyond niche use.

• VIVOMER is made by fermenting plant waste into biobased polymers designed to biodegrade when composted.
• Take-back points cover over 800 UK retail stores via schemes at Boots, Harrods H beauty and Selfridges.
• MYGroup's beauty and cosmetics take-back network has recovered 31 million kg of used items over five years.
• Returned VIVOMER is processed at MYGroup's Hull facility and converted into MYboard, a wood-replacement board.
• VIVOMER is used by brands including Wild (Unilever), SURI and OceanSaver, sold through Asda, Boots, Tesco, Sephora and Whole Foods.
• The collaboration was announced at British Beauty Week's Industry Day in London on 12 October 2026.

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