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Sustainability News for February 16th: Introduction
The Sustainability News for February 16th highlights progress that feels practical rather than performative. This week’s stories focus on systems changing from the inside, where people are invited to take part rather than simply observe.
Across retail, foodservice, and transport, sustainability is being built into everyday behaviour. Recycling is becoming easier. Nature repair is being funded with intent. Cleaner vehicles are gaining ground through consumer choice rather than pressure.
At Play It Green, our community often asks what real progress looks like beyond pledges. This week offers three examples where participation is doing the heavy lifting.
Selfridges expands beauty packaging recycling across the UK
Selfridges has launched a nationwide recycling scheme for beauty and fragrance packaging, targeting formats that cannot be recycled through kerbside collections.
The Reselfridges Recycle take-back points are now available in all Beauty Halls at Birmingham, Manchester, and London Oxford Street. Customers can return empty cosmetic packaging and fragrance bottles from any brand, excluding aerosols and medical waste.
Collected materials are processed by MYGroup. Residual products and fragrances are separated and processed into biofuel, while glass and plastics are recycled into new materials. This addresses two of the biggest barriers in beauty recycling: mixed materials and leftover product.
During trials at the Manchester Beauty Hall, loyalty rewards collected through the scheme almost quadrupled. Customers earn “keys” via the Selfridges Unlocked programme, which can be exchanged for services, prize draws, and exclusive sales access.
According to the British Beauty Council, only 14% of beauty packaging placed on the UK market is effectively recycled. Schemes like this capture materials that would otherwise be lost, helping your Sustainability News for February 16th reflect progress rooted in real behaviour change.
MYGroup director Steve Carrie said the collaboration allows “even the hardest-to-recycle items to be captured at scale in meaningful volumes and recovered safely.”
Levy commits £500,000 to nature recovery across Britain
Levy has launched a new Living System Fund, committing £500,000 to nature conservation and restoration projects across England, Scotland, and Wales in 2026.
Developed in partnership with RegenFutureCo, the fund supports projects that deliver ecological restoration alongside community benefits. Six projects have been selected, chosen for their relevance to Levy’s supply chain and for representing a diverse range of UK landscapes.
Funded initiatives include a community-managed orchard in Cumbria, pollinator habitat creation in the North York Moors, river-friendly farming in Shropshire, and expansion of the London Regenerative Farming Hub in Greenwich.
In Scotland, river restoration work will support the Kyle of Sutherland estuary and Cromarty Firth, with more than 21,000 trees set to be protected or planted. In Wales, Project Seagrass will develop a seagrass nursery in Laugharne, supporting marine biodiversity and carbon storage.
Levy CEO Jon Davies said, “These projects show our willingness to invest, to take responsibility, and to accelerate real change for both people and planet.”
Progress will be tracked and reported annually, with other organisations invited to contribute. It is a funding model rooted in accountability, which is why it fits naturally within our Sustainability News for February 16th.
Electric vehicles overtake petrol cars in the EU for the first time
Electric vehicle sales overtook standard petrol cars in the EU for the first time in December 2025, according to new figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Battery electric vehicle registrations reached 217,898 in December, up 51% year on year. Petrol car sales fell 19% over the same period, dropping below EVs for the first time.
Across 2025, EVs accounted for 17.4% of new EU car registrations, up from 13.6% the previous year. Nearly 1.9 million battery electric cars were registered, led by Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
Petrol cars continued to lose ground, with registrations falling sharply in all major markets. France saw the steepest decline, followed by Germany and Italy.
Hybrid vehicles remain the largest segment overall, though cars capable of running on grid electricity are growing faster. The figures reflect consumer behaviour shifting alongside policy, infrastructure, and cost considerations.
Sustainability News for February 16th: Wrap-Up
The Sustainability News for February 16th shows what progress looks like when systems invite participation rather than rely on promises.
Retailers are making recycling easier and more rewarding. Businesses are investing directly in ecosystems tied to their operations. Drivers across Europe are choosing cleaner vehicles in growing numbers.
At Play It Green, this mirrors what we see inside our community every day. Sustainability works when it fits real behaviour, real economics, and real systems. That is why this week’s news is really worth paying attention to.
If you enjoyed the Sustainability News for February 16th, why not become part of a community creating positive change by partnering with Play It Green?
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