Most of us are familiar with recycling as a way to prevent litter and save resources. We look for the blue bin in public, many of us have curbside recycling pickup, and some have access to drop-off points provided by a municipality or local retailer. But as the world is waking up to the fact that most of our public recycling is not recycled, confusion abounds.

The focus on recycling has largely been on items generated in the kitchen or related to food and beverage (think aluminum cans, glass bottles), but the bathroom in particular is filled with products and packaging that are not municipally recyclable. All that plastic can be recycled, right? Not always, and infrequently.

Plastic personal care containers host a range of resin identification codes (not “recycling numbers,” as many believe) that indicate what type of plastic a container is made of. Because local programs accept different types of plastic, what’s recyclable in one town may not be in the next. This can be very confusing to consumers who want to do the right thing.

These are resin identification numbers (not “recycling numbers,” as many believe), and not all containers with these numbers can be recycled.

But the fact is very few items generated in the bathroom, many entirely made up of plastic, fall into the curbside recyclable category. The small sizes of the caps, pots, wands, trays of makeup and tubes of skin care fall through the cracks at recycling facilities. In addition, multi-compositional packages (i.e. metal spring in a plastic pump top, tube made of layers of plastic and foil) require separating and processing that your municipal recycler does not have the capability to handle.

Plus, nearly every color of plastic that isn’t clear or white (most beauty packages) is considered non-recyclable, because colors cannot be turned into any other color, which makes them undesirable in the market for raw material. With the high collection and processing costs for most personal care and cosmetics, landfilling and incineration are considered the easiest, least costly options.

Of course, this is at the expense of the environment, and the demand for accessible recycling options for cosmetic and beauty care products is recognized around the globe. Paula’s Choice, a premium beauty brand, is one of the latest companies to team up with TerraCycle to create a national recycling program to fill the gaps in the current system.

We’ve partnered on a free recycling program for all Paula’s Choice Skincare packaging. Image via TerraCycle.

Those familiar with TerraCycle know we believe everything is technically recyclable, having proven items such as cigarettes, chewing gum, and even dirty diapers can be repurposed into material for new products. The technology is there. But by sponsoring a national solution, beauty brands working with us also support an end-market for the material, ensuring the beauty and cosmetics empties are cycled around and turned into something new.

Not all plastics are considered recyclable, but personal care and cosmetics products are updating their offerings to address our desires to recycle more and reduce our impacts. By choosing brands committed to this ethos, you support companies and manufacturers stepping up to change, drive a shift away from the “business as usual” of non-recyclability, and create a more beautiful beauty industry overall.

Winter weather is coming. Make sure you give your skin the best skincare to replenish itself at night from the day’s damage and look renewed and refreshed in the morning.  

Beauty is getting more eco-friendly each day and we love to see it our favorite brands take the initiative to make their products greener. Paula’s Choice Skincare, a global personal care brand with a cult following, is the latest to join the sustainable movement with their new partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. The two are joining forces to launch a specialized recycling program. Fans of the brand can now send in their Paula’s Choice product packaging to be recycled for free, so they can feel good about their environmental footprint while feeling great about their skin, too.   By signing up at the TerraCycle-Paula’s Choice program page, skincare lovers can quickly register for the green initiative and get access to a prepaid shipping label to send back the containers, tubes, and bottles that once housed a beloved skincare essential. When collected, TerraCycle cleanses the packaging and it becomes melted down into hard plastic where it begins its lifecycle once again. But the good beauty karma doesn’t end there. For every shipment of Paula’s Choice Skincare that makes its way to TerraCycle, you’ll earn points that can be used for charity gifts or donated to a non-profit or organization of your choice. “Sustainability at Paula’s Choice is an ongoing commitment to take care of our staff, our community, and our planet. As part of that promise we’re excited to partner with TerraCycle to ensure we’re doing our part to reduce plastic waste,” said Tara Poseley, CEO of Paula’s Choice, in a statement about the eco-friendly initiative.   Going green has never looked so good. You can head to TerraCycle to get more details on the Paula’s Choice Skincare Recycling Program and of course, shop some of our favorite Paula’s Choice products to get started on the initiative.

Paula's Choice Skincare has announced its partnership with TerraCycle. According to Paula's Choice, customers can send in Paula's Choice product packaging waste to be recycled for free. The program is available to any interested individual, school, office or community organization.  

How it works

• Participants can sign up on the TerraCycle program page and mail the packaging using a prepaid shipping label.
• Once collected, the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded into new recycled products.
• Every shipment of the company's packaging waste sent to TerraCycle earns points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice.

  Tara Poseley, CEO of Paula's Choice Skincare, stated, "Sustain­ability at Paula’s Choice is an ongoing commitment to take care of our staff, our community and our planet. As part of that promise we’re excited to partner with TerraCycle to ensure we’re doing our part to reduce plastic waste."   TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky, added, "Paula’s Choice Skincare is giving their customers the unique opportunity to divert waste from landfills. By participating in this recycling program consumers are able to demonstrate their respect for the environment, not only through the products they choose to include in their beauty regimen but also by taking an active role in how the packaging is disposed of."

Gillette, in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle Canada, has announced for the first-time, that all brands of disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and razor plastic packaging are recyclable on a national scale.   Through the innovative disposable razor recycling partnership with Gillette in Canada, consumers are invited to recycle their razors in two ways:   • Gillette Razor Recycling Program - Participants wishing to recycle their razors from home are invited to sign up on the program page https://www.terracycle.com/en-.... When ready to ship their waste, they can simply download a free TerraCycle shipping label, package the razors in a secure, puncture proof package and send it to TerraCycle for recycling.   • Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions - Businesses, gyms, colleges, cities and community organizations are invited to become public drop-off points for the Gillette Razor Recycling Program. Participants interested in becoming a drop-off point are invited to sign up on the program page. After acceptance to the program, they will be sent an exclusive razor recycling bin developed by TerraCycle and Gillette. Once full, they can simply seal and return the bin to TerraCycle via UPS and a new one will be sent back to them. The address listed in the account will be posted on the publicly available map of local recycling solutions on the Gillette Razor Recycling Program page. "Through this innovative, first of its kind program, disposable razors, replaceable-blade cartridge units and their associated packaging are now nationally recyclable through the Gillette Recycling Program," said TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky. "We are proud to partner with this forward-thinking company to offer consumers a way to divert razor waste from landfills." "We are very excited about our partnership with TerraCycle to offer recycling for Gillette, Venus or any razor brand across Canada. This is an important first step towards sustainable solutions for shaving products and the start of an exciting journey with Gillette and TerraCycle." said Gillette Canada Leader, Jennifer Seiler. For every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through the Gillette Razor Recycling Program or the Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solution, collectors earn points that can be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and donated to the non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. The collected packaging will be recycled into a variety of new consumer products such as park benches, bike racks, pet food bowls and recycling bins.   Other recently established packaging and consumer product recycling partnerships by TerraCycle's US-based operation, out of Trenton, New Jersey, include: pouches produced by MARTINI & ROSSI, the Italian sparkling wine and vermouth brand; Paula's Choice skincare product packaging waste; L.O.L. Surprise! toy products; and P&G Herbal Essences hair care products.  

Consumers can feel better about their late summertime frosé sips now that Martini and Rossi has teamed up with TerraCycle to recycle its frosé pouches.   Global skincare brand Paula’s Choice has also partnered with TerraCycle to recycle its packaging. Both brands announced partnerships with Trenton-based TerraCycle Monday.   To recycle, send empty frosé pouches and Paula’s Choice packaging to TerraCycle free of charge with prepaid shipping labels printed off TerraCycle’s website. For every shipment of packaging waste, TerraCycle gives collectors points that can be converted to cash and donated to an organization of their choice.   Also announced Monday is a partnership between TerraCycle and Gillette that allows consumers in Canada to recycle their old razors. Gillette announced its U.S. partnership back in March.   Once received, shipments are cleaned and melted into hard plastics to then be remolded into new recyclable products.