Do you know that the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year? According to research conducted by Zero Waste Week and published in the Designer magazine, these units cause 18 million acres of forest loss every year. Yes, I also broke down when I learned this news. As a beauty editor, I receive and test a large number of products every week. I often feel frustrated about the plastic and garbage used in the packaging. This is why whenever I use my favorite bronzer cosmetics or use my cleansing shampoo, I always put the leftovers in the appropriate trash can for recycling - or at least the trash can I think is appropriate. Facts have proved that the correct recycling of beauty packaging involves more research and information than I thought.
In order to find out how to recycle my beauty products in the right way, I contacted Alex Payne, the public relations staff of TerraCycle. TerraCycle is a recycling project that provides sustainable solutions for products that are difficult to recycle. Keep reading his best advice.
Get notified
"In general, plastic pollution is the main driver of negative environmental consequences caused by not recycling other recyclable products," Payne said Although it may be easier to throw your empty red bullet into the old garbage bag, it will have a lasting negative impact on the earth if it is not handled correctly.
Understand the recycling regulations in your city
Did you know that recycling limits vary from city to city? In general, items made of glass, aluminum and basic No. 1 and No. 2 plastics (such as disposable water bottles and milk bottles) are accepted by most local projects. Unfortunately, Payne explained that many modern forms of beauty packaging contain complex materials that most urban recycling centers cannot separate or dispose of. He said, "A simple way to check the recyclability of beauty products is to find the recyclable garbage in your town through the database provided by Call2Receycle."
Dispose of excess product - but not sink
This is the most important advice when recycling beauty products. Payne said, "Even if a product is technically recyclable through your roadside project, any remaining product may make the container non recyclable due to pollution." To make matters worse, if any other recyclable items encounter residual residues, they will also be contaminated and therefore not recyclable. So before recycling any beauty products, be sure to throw any residual products into the trash can. Penn explained that if the products in the tank contain micro beads and other components, if they contact the water channel, it will lead to a marine plastic pollution crisis, so it may be a problem to empty them.
Find a program to recycle "non recyclable" products
If you find that your products cannot be recycled through your municipal projects, try to find a cosmetics recycling project that can do this for you. For example, TerraCycle and Garnier cooperated to create a free recycling project for skin care, hair care and cosmetics packaging of all brands. Joining the program allows you to download a free shipping label, so that you can put your product. Once received, they will be melted and made into pellets, which will be molded into hard plastic for transporting things such as pallets and park benches. Payne said that if your products cannot be recycled through your municipal projects and are not accepted by any free programs of TerraCycle, you can also buy a zero waste box of TerraCycle - especially beauty products and packaging boxes - which allows you to recycle almost all kinds of waste. Everything collected from these boxes is sorted and processed into reusable raw materials instead of being sent to landfills or burned.
Pay attention when purchasing beauty products
Another way to help the planet is to buy products that already have sustainable packaging. Fortunately, more and more brands provide environmental protection choices every year. Our favorite is Seed phytonutrients, which uses paper bottles suitable for shower and uses 60% less plastic than traditional bottles. By the way, the pumps in these bottles can be recycled for free through TerraCycle. Also look for refillable cosmetic containers, such as Lanc ô me Absolute Skin Brightening Soft Cream. When you need to buy this luxurious cream again, you can choose a filling pod and keep your original fashionable golden jar - so it is friendly to your vanity, your skin and the earth.
