We really do wish we could be the type of citizen who lives a zero-waste lifestyle. You know those people who hold the contents of their lives in a Mason jar? We want to be them, we really do. Until we think of our dry shampoo habit, how alive we feel with a little blush, all the SPF and nail polish options we need... and, well, so long, tiny living. But just because we won’t cut down on our fragrance collection doesn't mean that there aren’t other things we can do to help cut down on waste and lighten our environmental footprint. A lot of times, tiny shifts in action can stack up — and making those changes to our beauty regimen is a great place to start. For example, if you religiously buy the same damned shampoo over and over again, then consider purchasing a jumbo-size bottle to cut down on plastic waste. Even better, if your shampoo is sold in bulk at your local purveyor of healthy-chic things, you can often bring your bottle back for in-store refills. Another idea: Since research shows that oxybenzone, a popular active in physical sunscreens, wreaks havoc on coral reefs and the organisms that live within them, try using one with zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide instead. And that’s just the tip of the ever-melting iceberg. Ahead, check out ten little changes you can make to your beauty routine in efforts to help spare the air, water, soil, animals, and yes, humankind. You’ll be shocked by how easy they are to make — no major downsizing required. At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission. Stop Wasting Your Wipes Just like body wipes, traditional makeup and cleansing wipes are known to pile up in landfills and ultimately harm the planet if they aren't sustainable or biodegradable. To combat that waste, multiple companies have started offering makeup towels. Think of them like a washcloth, but better and more eco-friendly. All you have to do is wet them, scrub them around your face, and they can do everything from cleansing to exfoliating to removing all your makeup. Then, after multiple uses, you can throw it in your laundry bag, wash, and repeat. Take A Waterless Shower Thanks to the miracle that is dry shampoo, many of us don’t have to lather up (our heads, at least) more than twice a week — something that saves 10 gallons of water per shower, presuming it takes about five minutes to wash and condition hair per session. If you want to up the ante and cut out an entire shower’s worth of water waste — about 17 gallons for an eight-minute rubdown — without smelling like a barnyard, ditch the water altogether by using a rinseless cleansing foam on your body. This one, and its wipe form, doesn’t leave skin feeling sticky or dry. Need your shower for shaving? Consider going the laser route, or try these simplified wax strips that — finally— don't require you to chafe your hands warming them up. Yuni Flash Bath No-Rinse Body Cleansing Foam, $22, available at Sephora Swap Out Aerosol Sprays After researchers found that chlorofluorocarbons were hacking away at the ozone layer, legislators required that product manufacturers remove the dangerous chemicals from hairsprays, deodorants, room fresheners, and more. That was more than 30 years ago. But taking CFCs out of aerosols didn’t exactly make them environmentally friendly, because our dry shampoos and canned volumizers still need compressed gases or hydrocarbons to do their thing. And once these elements are released in the air, our collective carbon footprint gets bigger. There’s even more not to love about aerosols: They emit volatile organic compounds (or VOCs), chemicals that contain carbon and vaporize in the air, and then we breathe them in. These chemicals, along with nitrogen oxides, are responsible for ground-level smog on hot, sunny days, smog which research shows may be linked to asthma. The effects of aerosols also affects our water supply: Studies also show that aerosols make for more pollution-rich clouds, which shrinks the size of rain droplets that form. To spare the air, waterworks and possibly, your lungs, consider dry shampoo in a powder form. Or try swapping out aerosol-based texture sprays for those housed in pump-fueled containers. This one creates volume sans can and uses niacinamide and pea proteins to boost hair health. Honest Beauty Honestly Uplifted Volumizing Spray, $24, available at Honest Beauty Switch Your Sunscreen To Save Coral Ask any derm, cosmetic chemist, or skin-care brand: Sunscreen is one of the trickiest items to make and get right. First, there’s the FDA to contend with. And unlike many other skin-care products, we can almost instantly tell whether it works or not — and it has to work. It must also apply smoothly, not leave a chalky residue, emit no funny scent, and, for some, have good-for-you ingredients. Now, there’s another vital characteristic a sunscreen must have to pass muster for anyone that gives a shit about the oceans: It must be oxybenzone-free. Because according to a 2015 study, the chemical active in some sunscreens (which washes off of our bodies and into the water) is also responsible for killing coral and accelerating DNA damage in the organisms that live inside it. This formula, which was developed for sensitive, post-procedure skin, uses mineral actives only, quickly absorbs without a trace, and doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy. And look how fun and happy the bottle is! Dermaflage Scar Screen Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $30, available at DermStore Edit Your Eyeshadow Collection Packaging and containers, including those holding beauty products, make up for 30% of junk in our landfills, according to the EPA. We can do better, right? For one, think about swapping big-ass (and plastic or glossy-coated cardboard) palettes for precise, singular products. By paring down to only the colors you'll ever actually use, you’ll not only cut waste, but save money and precious space in your makeup bag. This eyeshadow can be purchased with or without a compact, which means you can pop pans in and out to suit your needs (and buy refills for a heck of a lot less). And Alima Pure isn’t the only brand kicking down customizable makeup options — check here for a whole lot more. Alima Pure Pressed Eyeshadow Refill, $18, available at Alima Pure Support A Low-Waste Salon The last thing we think about after stepping foot into a salon is if and how the joint recycles. (What can we say, we’re blinded by the new-hair feels.) But between foils, color by-product, plastics, paper, and metal, salons go through quite a bit of materials in the process of making our hair look dope. It’s one of those no-duh realizations that kind of hits you on the head — and immediately begs the question: “But does my salon recycle?” It’s more than worth an ask. You might find out that, like Ion Studio NYC, it does. The conscientious salon also only uses green and renewable energy and is stocked with Davines hair-care products (which are amazing, BTW). The products themselves are made of environmentally-friendly packaging, including conditioner tubs that use a minimal amount of plastic, are 100% carbon-neutral, sourced from the food industry, and designed to be repurposed into little planters or a catch-all for hair ties and bobby pins. Or you may find out that your salon isn’t quite there yet. But either way, the inquiry may lead to greener practices by your favorite chop shop. “If a patron tells a salon that she chose it because the salon recycles, that will encourage the salon to continue,” says Lauren Taylor, a spokesperson for TerraCycle, a company that provides recycling services to salons. “Consequently, if a patron tells a salon that she chose another salon because it recycles, that may inspire others to start recycling. When consumers use their wallets to make statements, it affects change.” Davines NouNou Conditioner, $30, available at Davines Opt For A Waterless Mani & 10-Free Polish Because the earth has a limited amount of natural resources, we tend to be motivated by scary depletion statistics — as we should. But another motivator can be found in how much we’ve achieved. Take water conservation: According to the most recent information available from the US Geological Survey, Americans withdrew 13% less water for use in 2010 than in 2005. Every little bit is making a difference. Which is why electing for a waterless manicure, like the kind that LA’s Nails by Colvon and NYC's Van Court Studioprovide, makes more and more sense. (Not only do soak-free manis conserve water, they are thought to contribute to longer polish wear and more hydrated nails and skin.) Want to up the ante even further? Opt for a nail polish with fewer chemicals. The trend may have started with three-free formulas, but brands like Côte now offer 10-free formulas (in more than 100 chic shades, no less). On the out list? Formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, camphor, formaldehyde resin, TPHP, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, parabens, and gluten — some of which are known carcinogens and may negatively affectthe hormone systems in animals. Côte Nail Polish in No. 45, $18, available at côte Bulk Up For many of us, living in tiny apartments means buying in bulk is out. But Aveda offers a compelling reason to rethink that strategy, in the bathroom at least. The company notes that buying one of its liter-sized hair-care products — instead of five standard-size bottles — means consuming 40% less plastic (and a 25 cents/oz savings). As for the other 60% of that plastic consumed, the brand makes other moves to recoup waste. It uses post-consumer recycled material as much as it can and tries to package products in containers that can be recycled from home. If any brand product can’t be picked up curbside (like makeup brushes), bring it into an Aveda store and pop it in its recycling bin. Aveda Shampure Shampoo in 1 Liter Size, $40, available at Aveda Don’t Just Insta Your #Empties, Recycle Them Recycling beauty products isn’t as easy as you’d think. Lots of packaging contains thick plastic (to protect formulas from degradation), mixed metals, and springs all in one shot. Since different materials need to be separated and sorted, the mixed-media nature of cosmetics, skin-care, and hair-care packaging makes recycling these suckers a logistical nightmare. Thankfully, a few forward-thinking companies have programs in place to assist. Since 2009, Kiehl's has offered its Recycle and Be Rewarded program in its retail stores, which encourages customers to return ten empty bottles, tubes, and jars in exchange for a new product. Empties can be dropped off anytime — the store will track your exchanges as you go. Beauty giant MAC offers a similar program via its Back to MAC program. After returning six of the brand’s containers, either online or to a MAC counter, the brand hands over a free lipstick of your choice. The program also features digital tracking, which means you can recycle items as you finish them, instead of having to hoard empties to participate. Finally, Garnier also takes back empties of its Fructis products for recycling via TerraCycle. Any Garnier product with the TerraCycle logo can be sent into the company for recycling. Once received, the hair-care brand recycles the container and donates two cents to the charity of your choice. The extra step may sound like a pain in the ass, until you account for this fact: According to Garnier, personal care and beauty products account for 1/3 of all landfill waste. Yikes! To help raise its recycling numbers, the brand is partnering with DoSomething.org on its Rinse, Recycle, Repeat campaign, aimed at educating consumers about recycling beauty product empties, with a goal of diverting a total of 1 million bottles from landfills in 2018.

We really do wish we could be the type of citizen who lives a zero-waste lifestyle. You know those people who hold the contents of their lives in a Mason jar? We want to be them, we really do. Until we think of our dry shampoo habit, how alive we feel with a little blush, all the SPF and nail polish options we need... and, well, so long, tiny living. But just because we won’t cut down on our fragrance collection doesn't mean that there aren’t other things we can do to help cut down on waste and lighten our environmental footprint. A lot of times, tiny shifts in action can stack up — and making those changes to our beauty regimen is a great place to start. For example, if you religiously buy the same damned shampoo over and over again, then consider purchasing a jumbo-size bottle to cut down on plastic waste. Even better, if your shampoo is sold in bulk at your local purveyor of healthy-chic things, you can often bring your bottle back for in-store refills. Another idea: Since research shows that oxybenzone, a popular active in physical sunscreens, wreaks havoc on coral reefs and the organisms that live within them, try using one with zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide instead. And that’s just the tip of the ever-melting iceberg. Ahead, check out ten little changes you can make to your beauty routine in efforts to help spare the air, water, soil, animals, and yes, humankind. You’ll be shocked by how easy they are to make — no major downsizing required. At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission. Stop Wasting Your Wipes Just like body wipes, traditional makeup and cleansing wipes are known to pile up in landfills and ultimately harm the planet if they aren't sustainable or biodegradable. To combat that waste, multiple companies have started offering makeup towels. Think of them like a washcloth, but better and more eco-friendly. All you have to do is wet them, scrub them around your face, and they can do everything from cleansing to exfoliating to removing all your makeup. Then, after multiple uses, you can throw it in your laundry bag, wash, and repeat. Take A Waterless Shower Thanks to the miracle that is dry shampoo, many of us don’t have to lather up (our heads, at least) more than twice a week — something that saves 10 gallons of water per shower, presuming it takes about five minutes to wash and condition hair per session. If you want to up the ante and cut out an entire shower’s worth of water waste — about 17 gallons for an eight-minute rubdown — without smelling like a barnyard, ditch the water altogether by using a rinseless cleansing foam on your body. This one, and its wipe form, doesn’t leave skin feeling sticky or dry. Need your shower for shaving? Consider going the laser route, or try these simplified wax strips that — finally — don't require you to chafe your hands warming them up. Yuni Flash Bath No-Rinse Body Cleansing Foam, $22, available at Sephora

 

Recycling is so much more than tossing out your empty kombucha bottle and separating your plastics from your paper products. And even if those things have become second nature in your regular routine, there are things we often overlook in the recycling process — like our makeup.   It's easy to rack up on loads of compacts, lipstick tubes, and foundation bottles, only to toss them in the trash when you're done. But more brands are trying to make your beauty routine more eco-conscious. For example, Seed Phytonutrients offers shower-friendly hair products made from recyclable material. Brands like Le Labo and L'Occitane offer refillable services at discounted prices, so customers can re-up on product without extra waste. And companies like TerraCycle work with beauty brands, like Garnier and Burt's Bees, to help recycle empty packages.   MAC Cosmetics also gives customers rewards for recycling. When you return six completely used containers to the MAC counter, you can walk away with free makeup. "Because we share your commitment to the environment, customers returning to a MAC counter or MAC Cosmetics online, you can receive a free MAC Cosmetics lipstick, or, lipgloss, or eyeshadow if you're part of the MAC Lovers program," a representative for the brand tells Refinery29. Qualified containers include blush compacts, eyeshadow pots, foundation bottles, lipstick tubes, and more. And once the products are returned to MAC through this program, they get recycled by the retailer.   So, instead of tossing that taupe shadow you just hit pan on or the Ruby Woo you've smeared to the last drop, save your empty tins. You'll be cutting back on the staggering cosmetic waste problem (have you heard of "dumpster diving"?), saving money on your next MAC purchase, and you'll be minimizing your carbon footprint.

Earth Day is all about admiring and celebrating the beautiful things our planet has to offer — and many beauty companies are onboard. With April 22 approaching, we decided to round up some of our favorite new clean, green and sustainable hair, skin and makeup products to celebrate! These Are the Best Hair, Makeup and Skincare Products of 2019 There are tons of great picks that inhabit what it means to be eco-friendly without compromising efficacy. Because when it comes down to it, a cruelty-free and vegan formula is great, but it’s also got to work. So in honor of Earth Day, we gathered 15 products that fit the green-beauty mold and totally earn their spot on your beauty roster. Some of our favorite items are part of larger programs with proceeds that go to eco-friendly causes. For instance, John Legend teamed up with Kiehl’s for a limited-edition face mask that not only improves the appearance of pores but also doubles as a charitable donation. Proceeds up to $25,000 will go to the Earth Day Network’s Great Global Clean Up, which mobilizes volunteers to collect trash from green spaces, landscapes and waterways. Hair brand Garnier also takes part in a sustainability initiative, partnering with TerraCycle to reduce the carbon footprint. Not only do they prevent personal care waste from further filling landfills, but since 2011 they’ve diverted as much as 11.7 million empties and turned them into garden beds, park benches and lumber playgrounds. Youth to the People even came out with a special Earth Day edition of its cleanser housed in a large glass bottle was specifically made to be refilled and reused. Plus, the brand partnered with organizations to protect the plant to see that $1 from every purchase will go towards making our world a safer place. Then there’s just your basic clean formulas that are kinder to the planet that we just cannot get enough of. Keep scrolling to see our 15 favorite clean and green beauty picks for Earth Day!

    Natural is no longer enough; you need beauty products that are sustainable. We scoured the globe for new ways to green your hair, skin, and makeup routine. Here, the eco-friendly innovations we're most excited about.  

Skincare Treasures From Trash

  In France, the prune d’Ente is as coveted as foie gras, but the pits of the famous dried plums are routinely discarded in the manufacturing process. Enter Tina Hedges, the Jamaican-born founder of LOLI Beauty skincare. “When we started the brand, one of my priorities was to find powerful skincare ingredients that could be repurposed from organic-food-supply waste,” she says. One of her success stories: LOLI’s Plum Elixir, which features the cold-pressed oil of the Ente plum pit; it’s a luxurious, antioxidant-rich moisturizer-from what used to end up in the garbage.  

A Greener Space to Shop

  In the Venn diagram of places beauty enthusiasts shop and places the sustainability crowd frequents, there wasn’t much overlap-until New York City’s Hudson Yards opened this spring. At the heart of the multibuilding complex is a cogeneration plant that recovers wasted heat to make the buildings 70 percent more energy efficient. Plus, nearly 10 million gallons of storm water a year will be collected from building roofs and public plazas to be filtered and reused. This green hub is also a chic shopping destination with beauty stores like Sephora, Kiehl’s, and the Body Shop. There’s even a vegan nail salon, Sundays, where you can slip on headphones and do a guided meditation while you get your manicure. Retail therapy just took on a whole new meaning.    

The New Oil That Saves Trees

  Creating chemical alternatives to plants may seem counterintuitive to the cause, but it’s often the most environmentally responsible option. Green startup C16 Biosciences has developed a lab-grown alternative to palm oil, a popular beauty-product ingredient that often comes from plantations that contribute to deforestation in places like Costa Rica and Indonesia. The biotech firm is relatively new, but representatives say they’re already working with a confidential group of cosmetic companies to replace the palm oil in their products. Green moral of the story: Sometimes saving the planet starts in the lab.  

Shampoo Bottles That Save Beaches

  Tidying up the earth’s coasts can be a dirty job: Environmental-advocacy nonprofit Ocean Conservancy claims it has collected more than 250 million pounds of beach pollution in the past 33 years. Now Herbal Essences is assisting with the task and putting the conservationists’ earth-conscious efforts to good use. In collaboration with TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling hard-to-repurpose materials, the brand has created new bottles-for its White Grapefruit & Mosa Mint, Argan Oil, and Coconut Milk collections-made with 25 percent plastic that has been collected from the coastlines in Canada, Panama, and other polluted spots around the world.  

Creamy Colors That Power Flowers

  Danish makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis is known for her elegant, stunningly packaged line of cosmetics. She’s also an innovator who finds sustainability in the most uncommon places. Case in point: The beeswax in her velvety lipsticks and dewy blushes helps preserve a delicate ecosystem. The brand buys wax from Italian beekeepers, who cart their tiny charges to mountains on the border of France and Italy every summer to gather their nectar in biodynamic flower fields. The bees help pollinate the flowers, and the location ensures they aren’t exposed to any pesticides. Come winter, the harvest of the hives is used to create the rich, ultrapure wax that goes into those dreamy makeup compacts.  

Serums And Cleansers Made Without Water

  The new brand PWDR practices what founder Carrington Snyder calls BYOW, or bring your own water. “If you take water out of a skincare formula, you can take out a whole range of preservatives and emulsifiers, which often come from synthetic sources,” explains the California-based entrepreneur. “And many of those types of ingredients that aren’t good for you aren’t good for the earth either.” Another ecobonus? Powders are lighter than liquids, which cuts down on shipping weight, so less energy is used to transport them. The standout is a sophisticated serum made with concentrated extracts of hyaluronic acid, B vitamins, peptides, and floral extracts; just add water and it transforms into a silky emulsion in seconds.  

Products With Zero Packaging

  Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics bypasses the dilemma of packaging that contributes to landfill waste by selling “naked” skincare. After opening a packaging-free concept store in Milan last year, the company, which was founded in the United Kingdom, realized it was on to something and developed a collection of solid face oils, cleansers, masks, and moisturizers that are sold worldwide-without boxes or bottles.  

Carbon-Neutral Makeup From Vegetables

  Growing up in Mexico with a grandfather who was a medicine man and a mother who turned plants into makeup, Ere Perez was destined to start a holistic beauty line. And after she moved to Australia, that’s exactly what she did, creating a collection of botanical skincare and cosmetics that features all-natural colorants like beetroot and carrot extract. Her company also offsets all the greenhouse-gas emissions produced during its manufacturing process by purchasing credits to fund carbon-neutral energy initiatives. How’s this for a full-circle story: One project her company helps fund is a wind-energy farm in her native country.  

Recycled Bottles That Build Gardens

  You can’t guarantee the plastics you put in your recycling bin actually get recycled. (Some bottles, for example, are rejected by community processing plants if the labels aren’t easily removed.) But Garnier has a solution: Four years ago, it launched a program encouraging consumers to send their bathroom empties to TerraCycle to be cleaned, shredded, and ground into pellets that are turned into building materials. Now Garnier is using the 11 million bottles collected thus far to build garden beds, benches, signs, and trash bins for community gardens. The first green oasis opened in Miami this year, with more coming soon.  

Sheet Masks That Disappear

  Pick a more earth-friendly sheet mask and your self-care Sunday doesn’t have to be selfish. One option: the Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Concentrate Sheet Mask, which features babassu oil from Brazil. The mask is not just biodegradable but compostable too. Let it work its smoothing and plumping magic for 15 minutes, peel it off, then toss the sheet in your compost bin. Even if you use the bin at an organic community garden, you’re still good: The mask has been rigorously tested to ensure it disintegrates without leaving any trace metals or toxins that could affect plants or water.  

Wildcrafted Skincare

  There’s something romantic about the concept of products made from wild-grown and carefully harvested ingredients. And sustainable sourcing can lead to more potent ingredients too: Because wild plants have to fend off pests and survive in extreme climates without the help of pesticides or fertilizers, they may be richer in protective antioxidants than commercially grown versions. Alpyn Beauty uses a complex made with plants from the mountains of Wyoming to create its skin-brightening Plant Genius Survival Serum. And Shea Terra Organics puts tamanu nuts from Madagascar’s Vohibola Forest in its antiaging, skin-healing Tamanu Beauty Oil. Considering that commercial farming is responsible for 70 percent of the water used in the world, these products are truly a low-impact way to glow.

YouTubers are digging through the trash for free beauty products — but why are they there in the first place?

  Beauty with Mi, hosted by Refinery29's beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan, explores the coolest new trends, treatments, products, and subcultures in the beauty world. Never miss an episode by subscribing here.   Jessica Casler's one-bedroom apartment is packed to the brim with things she's found on the curb or at the bottom of trash cans. Glittery palettes, scented lotions, expensive hair tools, and fluffy makeup brushes are scattered across a table in her kitchen — the collective bounty of seven years of dumpster diving. I spot some familiar brands: Clinique, Sexy Hair, It Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills. Some of them have clearly been used, while others appear to be completely untouched. And she found all of it in the dumpsters behind the beauty store near her home in New Jersey.   Casler is part of a community of dumpster divers who share their finds on YouTube. In a world where hauls documenting new product purchases have become commonplace, dumpster diving videos serve as a type of "anti-haul," shedding light on cosmetic waste and breathing new life into products typically destined for landfills. Over the years, Casler has discovered thousands of dollars worth of products in the dumpsters behind stores like Ulta Beauty and Sally Beauty. A large number of these products are returns or testers, while others are leftovers from final sales. "The first time I went diving, I found a box that said 'returns or damaged,'" Casler says. "I pulled it out and inside was a bunch of nice product. I put it in my car and went home. Not every dive goes like that, but the first time was very successful." So, what happens with all the recovered products these divers bring home? Many people use the items themselves, but a growing number have taken to reselling them online in what's become a booming black market. Texas-based dumpster diver, Matt Malone, told Wired he could make upwards of $250,000 a year if he dedicated himself to dumpster diving full time. But he primarily sells electronic waste — and beauty products pose a much greater hazard. Because they're swiped directly onto skin, lips, and eyes, beauty products from the trash can put consumers at risk of contracting infectious diseases like staph, herpes, and E. coli, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of Cosmetic & Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. Yes, even if you dip them in alcohol. "When I hear about sanitizing the applicator of a liquid lipstick, you're not sanitizing the liquid itself," he says. "Products that are liquid or in a moist environment creates an environment that allows for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms like fungi to grow." And even if the products still have their protective seal, there's an issue of efficacy. Some ingredients, such as retinol, are less effective if exposed to sunlight or high temperatures (like, say, a dumpster on a hot summer day). Others might be expired. "If you're looking at something like sunscreen and you're using it past its expiration date, that sunscreen filter isn't doing the job it should be doing. You're putting yourself at risk," Dr. Zeichner adds Legally speaking, dumpster diving occupies a gray area. Thanks to the 1988 Supreme Court case California v. Greenwood, the warrantless search and seizure of garbage left for collection outside of private property isn't prohibited by the Fourth Amendment. In short, individuals or businesses have no reasonable expectation of privacy for items that were discarded, which means dumpster diving, as long as it occurs on public property, is legal. Certain local ordinances, however, can prohibit the practice in some places.   Many divers feel the benefits of dumpster diving outweigh the risks, especially if it means pointing a finger at America's waste problem. "The first time I went dumpster diving, it was so eye opening," says Casler. "When people hear that I dumpster dive, they always wonder why. But there's so much more than that. I hate thinking that all that stuff is going to be unused and go to a landfill when it doesn't need to be."   If you search "beauty product dumpster diving" on YouTube, the videos with the highest views (some in the millions) are all from dives behind Ulta Beauty stores. When asked why the retailer instructs employees to throw products away, and their stance on dumpster diving in general, Ulta Beauty provided this statement:   "Health and safety is a top priority for Ulta Beauty and we strongly discourage the unsafe, and sometimes illegal practice of “dumpster diving.” We are aware that individuals sometimes assume the risks associated with this practice and retrieve discarded products. Ulta Beauty, like other retailers, disposes of products for a reason. Products that are damaged, used, expired or otherwise unsaleable or unsuitable for donation are disposed of in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. These products should never be retrieved or used."   It's understandable that stores need to dispose of their unsalable product, especially if it poses a potential health concern. That's why some retailers have asked their employees to destroy makeup to keep it out of the hands of divers, including taking a knife to powders, cutting up lipsticks, or tossing foundation over makeup. This practice has become known in the dumpster diving community as "souping."     But while souping might deter dumpster divers, it doesn't solve the greater issue of waste — and that's a conversation that starts at the top. Beyond brands making efforts to create refillable makeup, eco-friendly packaging, and practice low-impact production, retailers and brands need to take better steps to recycle unused products. But because a large majority of beauty product packaging can't be processed in municipal recycling centers (pumps, pipettes, and some tubes don't qualify, for example), that often means bringing in third-party recycling organizations.   TerraCycle, which specializes in hard-to-recycle materials, is one such organization that works with major beauty brands like Garnier, Burt's Bees, and Tom's of Maine. The Garnier program, which is TerraCycle's longest standing beauty partnership, has diverted over 11.3 million pieces of waste from landfills. Says Gina Herrera, the US brand partnerships director at TerraCycle, it's high time for retailers to start thinking about the end of life of their products — and it's something consumers want, too; more than 66% of global consumers report they would pay more for a sustainable product.   Despite the obvious wasted product, many stores have made steps toward a more sustainable future. Ulta Beauty, for example, has created a Corporate Energy Team which reduced the store's electric consumption by over 3,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. The store also makes an effort to recycle cardboard and plastic shrink wrap. But there's a long way to go across the industry.   At the consumer level, there's a responsibility to make smarter purchasing decisions, too. Beyond choosing to support sustainable brands, it's also important to consider returns. While it's great that stores allow customers to return used makeup, this means that they're also required to throw that product away for obvious health and hygiene reasons. This contributes exorbitantly to the waste created by retailers, as consumers lean more heavily on generous policies — especially with the rise of e-commerce which doesn't always allow for testing.   In an attempt to really wrap my mind around the sheer amount of waste the beauty industry produces, I accompanied Casler on a midnight dive. As Casler and I sifted through a dumpster behind a strip mall near her home, we found two boxes full of products. Next to a bag of what smelled like the store's food waste, we spotted dozens of discounted hairsprays, hair gels, and dye. In a box a few inches away, we found a complete set of powder acrylic polish, body lotion, and shampoo. "Oh, this is that good shampoo for blondes," Casler said as she sifted through the bottles. While there was definitely a thrill in discovering products, it was coupled with dread over witnessing the sheer amount of waste from a single day.   While dumpster diving might look like a niche pastime, the community of divers are actually bringing up a much larger conversation about ethical consumption and corporate responsibility. And if the climate reports have shown us anything, it's that companies and consumers need to take responsibility for the impact they've having on the world — and soon.   When asked what she'd like to see from the dumpster diving community in the future, Casler looked me dead in the eye and told me she hopes it doesn't even exist. "You wouldn't even want to dumpster dive, because everything would have a home."