Birthday Honours: Toiletries Amnesty founder made an MBE

Got any unwanted toiletries? Donate them to Cambridgeshire’s Toiletries Amnesty, the not-for-profit fighting both hygiene poverty and beauty waste

Few things are more gratifying than seeing credit given where it’s truly due - take Cambridgeshire’s Karen Harvey being made an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Recognised for her way-paving work with Toiletries Amnesty, the not-for-profit which tackles both hygiene poverty and beauty industry waste, Karen struck upon the ‘donate, don’t throw’ concept after giving a couple of bottles of unwanted shampoo to a Cambridge homeless shelter in 2014.

Seeing an opportunity to make a difference to both people and planet, a decade on and Toiletries Amnesty gives four million people globally access to hygiene essentials and diverts thousands of tonnes of toiletries - and their plastic packaging - from landfill annually.

Via its online directory, Toiletries Amnesty lists more than 800 UK and international locations where people can donate unwanted, unused or part-used toiletries. Follow @toiletriesamnesty and visit toiletriesamnesty.org