CheckSammy Beauty Recycling 101

Beauty Product Recycling 101

Recycling your old and empty beauty products can be an uphill task, especially since not every material may be recyclable; despite this, it’s a good habit to nurture and certainly one that pays off for the environment, especially since the global cosmetics industry was valued at 532 billion dollars in 2017–with tons of beauty products purchased and used every single day.

As it stands, most foundation bottles, shampoo, moisturizer jars, and body wash bottles are going into landfills. This article would like to change the dialogue on how people perceive recycling their old beauty products–it doesn’t have to be as challenging as people make it out to be.

The Impact of the Beauty Industry on The Environment

According to the most recent reports from Zero Waste Week, beauty packaging alone amounts to a staggering 120 billion units every year. That includes plastic, paper, glass, and metal– all of which end up in landfills every year.

Find Out What You Can and Cannot Recycle

Most of your beauty products likely come in plastic packaging, so these empty products would be a priority – the only problem is that different plastics exist, so you’ll have to determine which kinds are most recyclable in your area. To narrow down what you can recycle, you should ideally stick to the following:

• basic bottles
• containers
• jugs
• jars or tubs

Shape and Size Matters In This Case

If you’re looking to recycle items like lipstick tubes, this may be doing more harm than good, as they often get lost during the sorting process. A good rule of thumb is to dispose of anything smaller than an index card from your recycle bin.

As for material– these need to be hard, and anything that can be squeezed or squished, such as a toothpaste tube, should be tossed in the dustbin.

Remember to Rinse Your Empties

Rinsing empty beauty containers is vital to maintaining the recycling process’s integrity.

If liquids or substances mix with other recyclable materials like paper and cardboard, it can get everything wet and ruin its recycling ability. It’s important to note that if recycled materials cross-contaminate, they can’t be adequately sorted or repurposed.

Overall, recycling beauty products can take a chunk of your time. This is why more than anything, the intention of fostering a good habit is essential. The more you intentionally separate your beauty waste, the more natural it will become. No doubt, you’ll be doing your part to mitigate the effects of pollution caused by mass consumerism in the long run! CheckSammy is your sustainability partner. So if you’re at a loss for whom to contact for help in your recycling journey, visit our website and get in touch!