Delphis Eco and First Mile call on the nation to recycle cleaning and personal care product packaging to help in the fight against coronavirus

Delphis Eco and First Mile are calling on homes throughout the UK to help in the fight against coronavirus, by recycling all their plastic bottle closures, such as trigger sprays, hand soap pumps, and flip top caps, via a free RecycleBox courier collection.

China and Northern Italy are the two main manufacturers of plastic bottle closures for cleaning and personal care products, and as a result of the coronavirus pandemic there is a global shortage of most bottle closures.

This shortage is causing issues in getting antibacterial hand soap and sanitisers to those who need them the most.

In response, Delphis Eco and First Mile are asking UK households to collect and give a quick-rinse to all of their empty plastic personal care and cleaning bottles and closures of any size or brand, place them in an empty cardboard box, and book a free collection at recyclebox.co.uk.

First Mile will then sort and clean items before returning them to Delphis to be refilled and reused.

Mark Jankovich, CEO at Delphis Eco, said: “I am excited to be collaborating with First Mile, and hopefully every household in the UK. We are a very proud UK manufacturer and currently have anti-bacterial sanitiser sitting in big containers but, like a wine without a cork, we can’t supply any bottles.”

“I’m sure some of the bottles may look a bit odd with strange tops on them, but that doesn’t matter, as long as people are getting the products they need.”

“This is a great way to help fight coronavirus, and help the environment at the same time.”

Bruce Batley, fouder and CEO at First Mile, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has led to shortages in various supply chains within the UK. Some of these challenges are tricky to solve, but for this one we have a simple solution.”

“We’re asking the public to please save all of their plastic triggers, pumps, and caps, and send them back, along with their bottles, to First Mile through to our RecycleBox scheme.

“This small action will have a big impact in terms of getting much-needed cleaning and sanitising products out to those that need them most.”