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Case study

M·A·C Cosmetics: the giveback pouch.

28,500 recycled polyester pouches made from plastic bottles collected through Plastics For Change's Fair Trade supply chain, as part of a long-term partnership on India's coast.

M·A·C Cosmetics Plastics For Change
Impact dashboard · VIVA GLAM pouch programme Verified data
Plastic bottles recycled 57,000 2 bottles in every pouch The M·A·C VIVA GLAM pouch
Pouches produced 28,500 Recycled polyester
CO2 emissions saved 769.5kg ≈ 27 g per pouch
Work created 1,200 hours across the supply chain
Every pouch, on average
2PET bottles recycled
≈ 27 gCO2 saved
≈ 2.5 minof paid work

Sources: M·A·C Project Impact Report (pouch programme) and Plastics For Change partnership records (coastal collection and cleanups).

Our Kolkata centre

A collection centre dedicated to the M·A·C project.

For the M·A·C partnership, Plastics For Change set up a fully equipped plastic collection centre in Baruipur, Kolkata. Infrastructure work began in early 2025 and the centre has been operating since July 2025.

It aggregates PET today and is preparing to expand into PP and HDPE. Despite early logistical and regulatory hurdles, it has grown into a reliable hub for material recovery, supplier onboarding and compliant waste management, strengthening Kolkata's circular economy.

  • Equipped: segregation conveyors, a baling machine, a stacker and weighing systems
  • Licensed: all required government licences in place
  • Fair: Fair Trade principles followed and displayed at the gate
The Kolkata collection centre, with a M·A·C VIVA GLAM and Plastics For Change mural reading 'Plastic Waste Recycling Centre'
Baruipur, Kolkata · West Bengal
1,050tonnes of plastic diverted
404people directly impacted
1,340people indirectly impacted

Before and after

A cleanup for the M·A·C project.

Our team cleared this dumping site as part of the M·A·C project. Everything collected was sent to the Kolkata centre for sorting and further recycling.

  1. Cleaned up

    Waste workers cleared the plastic from the site.

  2. Sent to Kolkata

    The collection went to our Baruipur centre.

  3. Sorted and baled

    Segregated on the conveyor and baled for recycling.

  4. Recycled

    Sent on for further recycling, with weights recorded.

The same site after the cleanup, clear of plastic A roadside dumping site covered in plastic waste before the cleanup Before After
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Drag to compareM·A·C project cleanup site

The project

From discarded bottles to a campaign pouch.

The brief: a pouch for M·A·C's VIVA GLAM giveback campaign. We made it from waste, end to end, and gave every pouch its own proof.

  1. Collected

    Used PET bottles were collected by waste workers in India, paid fairly through Plastics For Change's Fair Trade supply chain.

  2. Recycled

    The bottles were sorted, cleaned and turned into recycled polyester: 2 bottles for every pouch.

  3. Made into pouches

    The recycled polyester was made into fabric and stitched into 28,500 pouches for the campaign.

  4. Proof for every pouch

    An impact report for M·A·C, with per-pouch figures the brand can share with its customers.

The story behind every pouch

Impact you can put a number on.

Every pouch carries a clear, checkable story: what it was made from, what the campaign achieved and the people who made it possible. It's the same story we turn into an impact tag and dashboard for our brand partners.

  • Per pouch: 2 PET bottles given a second life, about 27 g of CO2 saved
  • Campaign totals: bottles recycled, CO2 saved, hours of work created
  • The people behind it: the waste workers at the start of the supply chain
A smiling waste collector holding two plastic bottles

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