THE BEAUTY OF RECYCLING

Here are some solutions to the industry’s plastic waste problem!

While the global plastic crisis is multi-fold, the beauty industry is a massive contributor to the plastic waste found in landfills and oceans. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, it is estimated that the beauty and personal care industries create some 120 billion units of packaging annually, and only 9% of plastic is actually recycled. While some brands are striving to become more environmentally sustainable by using glass and aluminum packing, others are choosing to contribute to the solution by taking part in recycling programs.

But recycling plastic beauty bottles is more complex than you may know. For starters, only plastic type 1 and 2 can be recycled in most municipal recycling facilities, and most beauty products are not made from those plastics. Even if the outer bottle is, additional components like pumps, caps, wands, spray nozzles and tubes are not. Additionally, the vast majority of beauty products aren’t labeled with a recycling number at all, deterring both curbside recycling and recycling facilities’ ability to process.

Another part of this puzzle if that no matter how diligently consumers clean out their bottles, there is still residual product left behind that renders the plastic unrecyclable at Materials Recycling Facilities.

Stepping in to fill the gap is TerraCycle, a company known to be a global leader in sustainability solutions and recycling measures, and Pact Collective, a nonprofit with the goal of reducing the beauty industry’s plastic waste and helping to find circular solutions.

TerraCycle has developed a specialized beauty packaging recycling process that can handle all beauty waste, even aerosols that are notoriously impossible to recycle, and is free to consumers. Visit the TerraCycle website and look up which brands it partners with, sign up to take part in a program and print a free shipping label to mail all your empties. A few of the brand partners include Burt’s Bees, EOS, Dermalogica, Herbal Essences, Paula’s Choice, Josie Maran, Murad and Pantene.

Pact collects hard-to-recycle beauty packaging both online and in Pact Bins at beauty stores across the country. Locally, they’re at Authentic Beauty in Sandy Springs and all Nordstrom, Sephora and Ulta stores (these chains have bins at all their stores nationwide). But there are some parameters. Recyclable items must be 2-by-2 inches or smaller, which can include lipsticks, lip glosses, mascara tubes and wands, and pumps. A $12 cost covers shipping and recycling when you utilize the online program.

Other sustainability steps in the beauty industry are brands with their own in-house recycling programs so customers can return empties for cleaning and re-use. Some companies are also creating refillable packaging, so fewer single-use plastic containers enter the cycle.

Of course, none of these measures can make an impact without the participation of consumers, who need to figure out what recycling method works best for them. The good news: We can work together to keep our beauty routines from negatively impacting our planet.

terracycle.com
pactcollective.org

‘In-House Recycling’

LUSH: Most LUSH products are sold without any packaging, but if you return the black pots that house their masks, you can receive either money off your next purchase or a free mask.

Kiehl’s: Customers receive 10 rewards points for every bottle they return, and since 2009, the brand has recycled more than 11 million empties.

MAC: The brand’s Back-to-MAC program was one of the first in-house recycling programs, established 30 years ago. You can return empties in-store or online.

Côte: Mail in your used nail polish bottles to the address on the brand’s website and receive 10% off your next purchase.

REFILLABLE PRODUCT OPTIONS