May, 2025 – In the month we celebrate World Recycling Day (May 17), waste management in Brazil still presents major challenges. According to the 2024 Solid Waste Overview released by the Brazilian Association of Waste and Environment (Abrema), the country recycles only 8% of its urban solid waste. This figure underscores the urgent need for initiatives that promote conscious disposal and a circular economy.
It is in this context that O Boticário, a brand known for its sustainability efforts, launches an unprecedented initiative: the Boti Recicla Store, the world’s first store where the currency is recyclable material. This temporary campaign — the first created by LePub São Paulo for O Boticário — will take place exclusively at the brand’s flagship store in Pinheiros, São Paulo, from May 23 to 25. The initiative is part of a long-term brand movement, Boti Recicla, which runs year-round by collecting empty cosmetic packaging in stores and offering benefits such as purchase discounts — reinforcing the brand’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices.
Packaging turns into instant credit
During the three-day event, customers will be able to bring empty recyclable cosmetic packaging to the store. There, an exclusive scale — fully developed by the brand, from casing to embedded technology — will calculate exchange credits based on the weight of the materials. The process is immediate, simple, and accessible, emphasizing the importance of reverse logistics and recycling.
Among the prizes available for redemption: a surfboard from professional surfer and Olympic medalist Gabriel Medina and headphones from DJ and music producer Alok. Other brand products and experiences will also be available, including haircuts by TRUSS specialists. The hair collected from these cuts will be donated to the Fiotrar project, supported by the Boticário Group Foundation, which focuses on marine conservation by creating oil-absorbing mats used in ocean spill cleanups.
During the activation, the Pinheiros flagship will be fully dedicated to the experience, with no other products for sale.
Boti Recicla: the largest reverse logistics program in Brazil’s beauty retail sector
The initiative is part of Boti Recicla, the largest reverse logistics program in Brazil’s beauty retail sector, with more than 4,000 collection points nationwide. Launched in 2006, the program ensures all empty cosmetic packaging returned by consumers and resellers is sent to 15 certified waste processors — mostly recycling cooperatives — for environmentally responsible disposal.
Beyond recycling: circular economy across the Boticário ecosystem:
Innovation and product development
Highlights in sustainable innovation include the Arbo Puro fragrance, featuring a cap made from second-generation polypropylene (PP), produced with renewable raw materials certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification). This material is derived from used cooking oil and fats collected from food industries and restaurants, replacing virgin fossil oil from petroleum.
Using a mass balance approach, the initiative reduces both petroleum-based plastic consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The new cap emits 51%* less CO2 equivalent and is 100% recyclable within Brazil’s existing PP recycling chain. The initiative will avoid the use of approximately 11.68** tons of virgin raw material.
The SpongeBob collection, launched in October 2024, featured liquid soap bottles made of post-consumer recycled polyethylene (PE PCR) — a technically challenging milestone. As a result of extensive R&D, the group used PE PCR for the first time in packaging, preventing over 6 tons of virgin material from being used.
Retail innovation
O Boticário has invested in transforming not only its products but also its physical spaces. Its sustainable stores are an example of this commitment: each one incorporates at least one ton of recycled plastic in its structure. Today, over 100 units across Brazil follow this model.
These stores are 50% lighter and 40% more thermally efficient than traditional containers, contributing to energy savings. The brand also partnered with Mão Colorida to develop chapa sustentável — a material made from low-recyclability waste that replaces MDF in store furniture.
Communication and engagement
O Boticário created Movimento Extinto, which features unique, non-commercial fragrances designed to raise environmental awareness. Inspired by the scent of places before pollution, the initiative urges society to preserve ecosystems essential to human survival.
The project began in Brazil by recreating the scent of Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, before pollution. Using headspace technology — which captures aromatic molecules without damaging the environment — experts reproduced aquatic notes of the bay, floral tones of violet and jasmine, and woody elements from surrounding forests. To capture public attention, a giant bottle of Extinto Brasil was displayed at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio.
In partnership with Google, O Boticário is also working to expand access to recycling information and make it easier for Brazilians to engage with the circular economy. Through Google Maps, people can now find nearby recycling points and check exactly what materials each location accepts. Over 10,000 collection points are mapped, helping facilitate proper disposal across Brazil.
O Boticário’s ESG strategy is guided by the Commitments for the Future, launched in 2021 and aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are eight commitments spanning seven themes: Climate Change, Waste, Water, Biodiversity, Diversity and Inclusion, Social Development, and Sustainable Sourcing.
For more information on Boti Recicla, visit: https://boti-recicla.boticario.com.br/.
