How to Recycle Beauty Products – Keep a handy bookmark and guide
happy Global Recycling Day. First introduced in 2018, today is about educating people about the importance of recycling to keep our planet safe. This year people are buzzing about recycling as Earth’s seventh resource, which will revive limited natural resources that are rapidly depleting.
Sometimes it’s hard to grasp the extent of the destruction plastic is wreaking, especially on our oceans. He said, like the documentary Blue planet II has opened our eyes. According to Global Citizen, by the end of 2018, 88% of people who had seen it had completely changed their relationship with plastic. He called the episode “a pivotal moment that started the war on plastic”.
We’ve certainly noticed more water bottles on our commutes and in the office – some people have gone completely plastic-free for a week and big brands like Waitrose are doing something to reduce their plastic waste.
So, does this mean we’re adding to our recycling routine? Apparently not, according to research by Garnier, 56% of Brits don’t recycle their bathroom products and around 95% of our empties still end up in landfill.
It’s thought that the habit of having two bins in our kitchen is partly down to us, that separating our recyclables is almost second nature. But the second issue is the complexity of bathroom products; A bottle of hand soap and an eyeshadow palette are a little more confusing than what your mushrooms come in a plastic container.
‘Beauty product packaging is often made up of a variety of materials,’ explains Stephen Clarke, Head of Communications. TerraCycle Europe. ‘For example — mirrored glass, cardboard sleeves, paper inserts, expanded plastic foam and other items have been known to be used in cosmetics packaging – sometimes all in one item.’ This makes them very difficult to recycle.
Clark added, ‘Over 120 billion units of packaging are produced annually by the global cosmetics industry. ‘Of these, very little plastic waste generated in the bathroom is accepted by most public curbside recycling programs. Most common beauty products and packaging contribute to the world’s growing plastic waste problem and, without adequate recovery solutions, are tracked to landfill, incineration, burial or simply to waste management where waste management is inadequate. A lot of plastic waste finds its way into oceans and waterways, adding to the problem of environmental hazards.’
The Sustainable Beauty Coalition has always been a leader in cleaning up the beauty packaging act. On the subject, Jan Sterland, Chair of the Institute, said:I strongly believe that it requires a two-way street, a partnership between the brand and the consumer together to do right by the planet. As consumers, we need to ensure that we dispose of products in a way that does not add to an existing environmental problem.’
We need to make sure we are recycling our beauty products properly where we can. Below is our guide to what can be recycled and what should be thrown in the normal bin. When in doubt, throw it out.
This is important, says Stephen Clarke, because ‘beauty products and packaging that cannot be recycled through the public system will not only be diverted to landfill or incineration, they slow down the system and pollute bales of secondary materials. have the ability to This is important because we must improve the system to create a circular economy for plastics.’
How to recycle your beauty products
Cellophane
Many beauty products, such as fragrances and new make-up products, come wrapped in cellophane. Annoyingly, it cannot be recycled and must be placed in your normal bin.
Plastic bottles
Plastic bottles, such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, are accepted by most recycling programs. However, make sure you empty and clean them first. You can also skip the covers as they can be recycled, unless it’s the trigger head or pump. These will need to go in your normal bin. If you haven’t completely eliminated your conditioner, do so No Pour it down the sink. Instead, get out as much as possible and put it in your general bin. (The same goes for any product you have a little leftover.)
Aerosol
Yes, hairspray and deodorants can be recycled in most household collection schemes. But make sure they are completely gone before recycling them.
Mascara, lipstick, make-up palettes (eye shadow, bronzer, blusher)
Annoyingly, these are too complicated to recycle. however, TerraCycle has partnered with Garnieto create a free recycling program for beauty packaging, and these can be taken to one of their designated drop-off locations. Find your nearest here. They will also take sheet masks and their wrappers, facial wipes and their packets, trigger sprays, pumps, pipettes, roll-on deodorants.
glass jars
Hooray! As long as they are emptied and cleaned, they are free to pop into your recycling bin.
cotton pad
This is an interesting one, because they’ve come under quite a bit of criticism for being as bad for the environment as facial wipes, but they can actually be recycled with your food waste. So after removing your makeup, take them straight to the kitchen to throw away.
hair tools
If your tools still work, check with your local charity shop if they will take them. If they are broken, they can be recycled at a special center. To find your local, click here.
Especially for hair straighteners, Cloud Nine recently launched its iron recycling service. They will recycle or reuse your old hair tools, free of charge, and regardless of brand or when/where they were purchased. Simply download a pre-paid recycling label, pop your straighteners in a box and take it to the post office. You can get more information about the scheme here cloudninehair.com/recycle.
Nail varnish, perfume bottles, make-up brushes
They cannot be recycled, so they should be placed in the general waste bin.
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Do not put these in your recycling, there are special drop-off locations (which can be found here) established by TerraCycle and Colgate.
What else can you do?
- It has also tied up with brands like TerraCycle Kiehl’ss, L’Occitane and The Body Shop. Theses Brands are accepting old beauty containers and will recycle them on your behalf. There are often freebies and discounts if you do this.
- Get your hands on a TerraCycle Zero Waste Box – For a price they send an empty box to your home, you put it in your empty beauty items (shampoo bottles and caps, conditioner bottles and caps, hair gel tubes and caps, non-pressurized hair spray bottles, hair paste plastic , lip balm tubes, face soap dispensers and tubes, lotion bottles, lotion tubes, lotion dispensers and jars, non-pressurized shaving foam tubes, lip gloss tubes, mascara tubes, eye liner pencils and cases , eye shadow tubes, concealer tubes and sticker tubes ) and then send them all back for recycling.
- Download the Sustainable Beauty Coalition Planet positive beauty guide. The guide gives you evidence-based tips on how to make more sustainable choices. Whether you need to focus on which certifications you should look out for or want to learn more about brands dedicated to improving society, this beauty dictionary will get you there in no time.
- Buy products that are packaged in highly recycled materials, such as PET bottles
- Buy from brands that offer refillable service or reusable packaging
Brands are doing their job
Rain Skincare
Rain is 100% zero waste. The team phased out the use of single-use bags across its entire product line in 2018, saving 4.4 million of these harmful plastics from entering landfills. It has always worked closely with global recycling guidelines to prevent 16 tons from harming the planet.
freedom
Back in 2019 Liberty launched Conscious Beauty. In the meantime, there is a drop-off point where you can take your packaging for collection and recycling. They always champion all their brands doing what they can to be more sustainable.
Neel’s yard
Neil’s Yard Remedies has always been at the forefront of cutting back on plastic. Since the 1980s, the brand has never used plastic micro-beads in its products and was instrumental in successfully banning them in the UK. The team has also started in-store recycling and refilling.
body shop
The Body Shop, known for its ethical business initiatives, has teamed up with the tech business Plastic for a change and Hasiru Dala, a local Indian NGO and social enterprise, to buy 250 tonnes of plastic collected by waste pickers in Bangalore this year, which will increase to 500 tonnes in 2020. This recycled plastic will be used to bottle their hair care ranges. . The store also has recycling points.
L’Occitane
L’Occitane has TerraCycle collection points in its stores and has sponsored beach cleanings across the UK, from Brighton to Edinburgh.
Selfridges
The department store has been doing its part to save our oceans for the past ten years Project Samudra. Along with banning the sale of endangered fish, the team created a marine reserve in the Philippines. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Project Ocean at Selfridges – which has since become Project Earth.
If that wasn’t enough, here are some products you can get your hands on……..
