What To Do With Empty Perfume & Aftershave Bottles (UK)

Wondering what to do with your empty perfume and aftershave bottles? Here are lots of ways to recycle or upcycle your empty bottles in the UK.

If you’ve used the last few drops of your favourite perfume or aftershave then you may well be wondering what the most sustainable way of disposing of the bottle is, or if there are ways to reuse or upcycle the bottles. After all, some perfume bottles are like miniature works of art!

To save you time, I’ve done all the digging for you. I have got all the details on how to recycle your empty fragrance bottles in the UK, alongside lots of clever ideas to reuse the bottles or give them a new life.

Recycling Perfume & Aftershave Bottles In The UK

Most perfume and aftershave bottles are made from glass, which is widely recyclable in the UK. This means they can be recycled either at home – in your glass recycling bin or box; at local bottle banks; or at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

However, don’t just pop it in the bin – there may be a little prep work you need to do first. This is because most fragrance bottles have metal or plastic components – including pumps, caps or decorative elements – that may not be able to be recycled along with the glass.

As such, it’s best to check your local authority’s recycling guidelines before recycling your bottle. Some councils may accept the whole bottle – pumps, lids and all. Meanwhile, others might require you to separate the materials first.

Specialist Recycling Schemes

If you’re unable to remove the pump mechanism, and your local council won’t accept the bottles, another option is to use a specialist recycling scheme.

The Perfume Shop, for example, offers a free fragrance bottle recycling scheme. Here you can drop off any empties, regardless of the brand. You’ll be rewarded with a 15% discount voucher, that must be used instore, on the day you drop off your perfume or aftershave bottle.

The only thing The Perfume Shop won’t take – for health and safety reasons – is any broken bottles. If you’ve got any broken bottles or jars, you’ll need to check with your local council on how to dispose of them. Some recycling centres may accept it if the glass is placed in a sturdy container or wrapped safely. If not, they’ll likely advise you to wrap it securely in newspaper or cardboard and put it in your general waste bin.

Other shops like Boots and John Lewis do take other beauty products, but they don’t take glass perfume or aftershave bottles.

Refill Them

If you’re looking for ways to cut down on waste, then another great sustainable option is to refill your empty perfume bottle. After all, recycling glass can be energy-intensive and reusing a bottle already in existence is always the most eco-friendly choice.

Many perfume brands and beauty retailers now offer refill options. Most offer refill bottles with reduced packaging that you can decant into your bottle. However, if you want to reduce waste further some brands and stores offer refill stations that you can visit to refill your bottle. These include:

• Selfridges – If you have an empty bottle from Mugler, Le Labo or D’otto you can take it to your nearest Selfridges store. There are handy in-store refill stations at the beauty counters in Selfridges, allowing customers to refill their bottles and reduce waste. The original bottle doesn’t have to have been purchased at Selfridges, so don’t worry about that.
• Lancome – If you live in London, there are three Lancome refill stations, where you can refill your Lancome Idole bottle.
• The Perfume Shop – If you live in Nottingham, The Perfume Shop there has a refill station allowing you to refill selected YSL, Prada, Lancome, Mugler, and Armani fragrances.

I hope these refill stations will roll out further across the country. At the moment it’s quite a new concept in the trial stages, hence the limited options.

Selling Your Empty Bottles

You might be surprised to hear that empty perfume and aftershave bottles can be sold. Collectors and crafters often seek out designer bottles, either to display or refill or to use in creative projects.

You’ll have the most success selling empty bottles from high-end brands – and you can typically command a higher amount if you also have the original box.

The best place to sell your empty bottles is undoubtedly eBay. Here you could get anything between a couple of pounds and £50 for your bottle, depending on the brand. Before you list your items, check the recently sold prices so that you know the best figure to price your bottle.

Looking for more ideas of things you can sell? Check out my post on the best things you can recycle for cash.

Repurposing Empty Fragrance Bottles

If you don’t want to part with a particularly lovely fragrance bottle, why not repurpose it? There are heaps of creative ways to give them a second life around the home.

One easy idea is to turn them into tiny flower vases. A small cluster of wildflowers or a single stem can look lovely in an old perfume bottle, especially if it has an interesting shape or colour. Just make sure you clean the bottle thoroughly first by soaking it in warm soapy water and rinsing well.

If the bottle has a spray mechanism that still works, you could refill it with something practical, like homemade linen spray or a DIY air freshener. You could even use the empty bottle as a reed diffuser – either by filling it with a reed diffuser refill and reed sticks, or by making your own reed diffuser solution.

More Recycling Ideas

There’s no need to send your empty perfume and aftershave bottles straight to landfill, especially when there are so many ways to recycle, reuse, or repurpose them. Whether you recycle them at home or with a specialist retailer, refill them, turn them into something new, or even sell them on, there are heaps of ways to give your bottles a new lease of life.

I’d also love to hear your top reuse tips. Please share them in the comments below if you have come across any clever upcycling ideas!

And if you are looking for more recycling ideas, check out my ideas on how to upcycle gin bottles. I’ve got tons of creative ideas for you.