It's no secret that the beauty industry [1] is a huge contributor to the waste problem contributing to the devastating climate crisis. The vast amounts of waste and emissions used to create, ship, and dispose of our favourite products is a worrying one — and the worst offenders are single-use items, including sheet masks. [2]

Thankfully, brands have realised that they play a vital role in drastically reducing waste [3] in the form of unnecessary packaging, single-use plastic, and unethical sourcing. One brand that has continually pushed for positive change is health and wellness chain Holland and Barrett. As part of an ongoing effort to help consumers make more eco-conscious choices, from 6 Sept., single-use sheet masks will no longer be available to buy in the chain of stores.

Sadly, sheet masks fall into the same category as makeup wipes when it comes to the environment and it seems the popularity of them isn't slowing down. Holland and Barrett reported [4] that it's predicted we'll be spending approximately £369 million a year globally on single-use sheet masks by 2025. Sure, they're fun, but they're terrible for the planet and possibly the worst offender of single-use plastic in the beauty industry. Made from many complex materials, a sheet mask is difficult to break down and the extra plastic packaging housing the sheet masks isn't recyclable. Even biodegradable options aren't as sustainable as they seem because they can take years to decompose.

Through its #notanothersheetmaskcampaign, Holland and Barrett encourages its customers to use multi-use masks and more eco-conscious options in place of sheet masks. To encourage customers further, the brand has partnered with Ocean Generation [5] — a movement working with communities, businesses, and policymakers to help tackle the ocean crisis — and will donate five percent of profits from its range of multi-use masks from 6 Sept. until the end of this year.