Home and garden retailer Wilko is launching an in-store disposable face mask scheme.

The retailer is launching the scheme across 150 of its stores in partnership with recycling specialists ReWorked, Metrisk Ltd, and Scan2Recycle.

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It is a pilot scheme launching on 1 April that will run for three months. It will see collection bins installed for customers to drop off their single-use masks after shopping.

Once filled up, these collection bins are taken away, and the masks are shredded down into raw materials which can be remade into new products, including building material and furniture.

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Jerome Saint Marc, Wilko CEO, said: “One of our core values is to show we care and, we understand the importance of climate change to our customers who expect us to take-action on their behalf and make better choices about caring for the environment.

“That’s why we’re thrilled to have developed this scheme, which makes it super simple for shoppers to safely recycle a product which is often unavoidably discarded as a result of us all taking steps to protect the health of everyone around us. What’s more, it also means we’re able to help hardworking families, local communities and other businesses by turning something that we’re simply throwing away into a useful and sustainable product that can have a genuinely positive impact.”

Find out more on our coronavirus information hub for retailers