Your old blocks and bricks could become park benches.   Mattel today launched the Blocks and Bricks Recycling Program and entered a partnership with TerraCycle for consumers to recycle Mega Bloks, Mega Construx, and other non-electronic Mega toys to create new products in Canada.   At no charge, you can send in your Mega toys to be recycled using prepaid shipping label. Interested schools, offices, and community organizations are also welcome to participate. When received, TerraCycle will clean the blocks and bricks, melt them into hard plastic, and remold them to make new products from the recycled materials. New items include playgrounds, picnic tables, and park benches.   Earlier this year, Mega released a new line of building products made from plant-based materials. As part of the line, all products come in Forest Stewardship Council-certified packaging that is fully recyclable.   “Our plant-based blocks were the first step towards creating a more sustainable future and we are excited to continue the momentum as we believe that with every step, together we can make an impact,” said Bisma Ansari, senior vice president of Mega. “By teaming up with TerraCycle, we are providing builders a more sustainable option to dispose of their well-loved toys and the ability to recycle our toys for free. We are very proud to continue our commitment towards a greener planet, one block at a time, as we build a brighter tomorrow together.”   Visit terracycle.ca for more information on this initiative and TerraCycle’s recycling programs.

It’s not exactly a secret that we waste a ton of food. As more and more studies have shown that up to 40 percent of edible food gets tossed each year, in the U.S., consumers, nonprofits and businesses have turned their attention to reducing food waste. New York City caterer, Purslane, has made the issue central to its business. In 2018, the Brooklyn-based company began shifting its business model to focus on becoming both a zero-waste and carbon-neutral caterer and in the process, they’re showing how consumers and businesses can revolutionize how we eat at events and home.   The Oberon Group, the Brooklyn-based hospitality collective that operates Rhodora, Rucola and June started its catering division in 2012, restructuring its business in 2018, to combat the enormous amount of waste generated by events. In 2019, Purslane was able to divert nearly 85,000 pounds of trash from the landfill and prevent 125 metric tons of CO2 from being released (an estimation based on large events like weddings and smaller food drop-offs).     “The restaurants became such a staple that people wanted to source more food them,” said Michelle Gabriel, the Managing Director of Purslane, on the initial inspiration for the catering business. According to Gabriel, when the company began thinking about moving and restructuring its commissary kitchen in 2017, it presented the opportunity to figure out how they could make reducing food waste a central part of the business’s mission.   “There were a lot of challenges—logistical, financial, educational,” Gabriel said. “By zero waste, we mean nothing goes to landfill, so we have to maintain control of our waste.” Purslane’s zero waste mission means they only generate compost and recycling. The company does this by maintaining control of all their waste at events it produces, bringing in its own waste containers and then bringing everything back to its headquarters for either composting or recycling. Items that can’t be easily composted or recycled, such as rubber gloves and soft plastics they work with waste management company TerraCycle to recycle.   Reducing their waste, though, begins long before an event takes place. They’ve made changes across their supply chain, starting with buying less food and adapting menus to be as food and cost-efficient as possible.   “We’re buying less food from the beginning, and make very close to what we need, so we’re not just not sending it to compost,” Gabriel said. “We really find ways to cross-utilize ingredients.” Financially they had to adjust almost all the costs of operating their business from the cost of food to the price of recycling haulers. And for them to be successful, there’s also a bit of education that comes with talking to clients, especially with clients who are drawn to their company for their food and may be unaware of the zero-waste component of the business.   They measure the carbon footprint of each event they hold, so they can invest in carbon negative initiatives to be carbon neutral and they’re continually evolving, looking at more ways to reduce waste and their carbon emissions. With almost all events currently on hold, Purslane is beginning to help feed New Yorkers at home while still working to reduce food waste. They recently launched Purslane Provisions offering weekly prepared meals, a vegetable CSA and add-on wines from Rhodora and pantry staples available to customers in Brooklyn and Queens with plans to expand citywide.   “We’re trying to supplement what might be challenging to get at this time,” Gabriel said.

The average American produces approximately three pounds of non-compostable, non-recyclable waste every day. Lauren Singer, on the other hand, has generated fewer than two pounds of trash in the past eight years.   The 28 year old committed to a zero-waste lifestyle (which she defines as not contributing anything to the landfill) in college. A classmate in one of her environmental studies courses at New York University was bringing plastic takeout containers and utensils for her lunch every day. "I asked the question, ‘How could you care about sustainability and make so much waste?’" she says. "That’s when I realized that I was doing the same thing: purchasing groceries with plastic packaging, buying clothing made out of synthetic material. I was doing these unsustainable things even though all I talked about every day was sustainability."   To document the process of shifting to a trash-free lifestyle, she created the site Trash is for Tossers in 2012. She shares tips for composting, recipes for DIY beauty products, and explains how she limited nearly a decade’s worth of waste to a single 16-ounce Mason jar. She also founded Package Free, a set of shops in New York City selling zero-waste essentials, such as biodegradable bandaids, cotton produce bags, and reusable bamboo utensils.   In honor of Earth Day, Furthermore spoke with Singer about starting a sustainable business and maintaining her values in the pandemic.   Q: How did you shift your environmental passion into a full-time career?   A: After I started Trash is for Tossers, people were asking me about the products that I was making and featuring on the site. They wanted the sustainable laundry detergent or toothpaste, but thought that it would take too much time to make, so they would abandon the idea. The thought that time could be the limiting factor felt so unfair to me. (That's how my first company, The Simply Co., which sells 3-ingredient laundry detergent started). I began meeting all of these awesome consumer product companies that had the desire to make a product to solve an environmental problem, like ocean pollution or animal cruelty, but were having a hard time acquiring new customers. So I started Package Free as a way to bring all of these brands together in one place.   Q: What goes in your Mason jar?   A: Things that I haven’t been able to divert from landfill [that aren’t recyclable or compostable]. For example, hair ties and bandaids. Although now at Package Free we have sustainable alternatives to most of these.   Q: Can you explain the concept of "circumstantial trash?"   A: It's trash that we ourselves don’t necessarily create but is a function of circumstance. You order something and you stipulate that you want it to be plastic-free but it comes to you in plastic. You can feel guilty about that, sure, but if you did everything in your power to ask for things the way that you wanted it then that’s OK. You could take initiative from there and email the company to say that you’d like to continue supporting them but you prefer your packages without plastics. You also need to be understanding that, for the most part, the world isn’t there yet. At Package Free we have these Terracycle boxes where people can drop types of materials that aren’t recyclable through New York City’s program. [The company then turns these items, like electronics, certain personal care products, and cleaning supplies, into new products].   Q: What makes recycling so confusing?   A: The regulations around what is recyclable and the processes around what gets recycled are different in basically every single city in the world. That’s why I try to prevent any packaging from entering my home to begin with. One of the most important things to do is to check on your city's government website to see what is recycled and what isn’t.   Q: What’s an easy way to approach the zero-waste lifestyle?    A: I always suggest that people look into their trash can and see what they’re throwing away. Say you have a ton of single-use plastic water bottles, a good option is to get a sustainable water filter. Or if you’re super attached to the type of dental floss you use, but not your toothbrush, swap that for the bamboo kind. Little things that aren’t super hard can have a positive environmental impact.   Q: What about athletes specifically?   A: Make sure you have your own reusable water bottle. It’s great when gyms and facilities have stations where you can refill. Also choosing synthetic-free gym clothing is a big one. Most athletic clothing is made using plastic and synthetic fibers. So I try to support brands that have organic cotton leggings, sports bras, and workout t-shirts.   Q: What does your own workout routine look like?   A: Walking is one of my favorite things to do. It is so meditative and while I’m doing it I can talk to someone on the phone or just listen to music. I went on a five-mile walk today, which was great to help clear my mind and reset my body. I also love yoga.   Q: And what about diet?   A: One really cool thing about a zero-waste lifestyle is that you’re not buying packaged, processed foods. I go to the farmer's market every week and buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I also eat plenty of whole grains and beans, like rice, chickpeas, and black beans. The food I make is super simple. I make fresh pasta so I’ll do that with vegetables. The other night we had vegetable tacos and made the tortillas from scratch. It takes 15 minutes to make and you can do a huge batch and freeze the rest. They taste so much better than the store-bought version and you know exactly what’s in them.   Q: Are you finding it harder to maintain this lifestyle while self-isolating?    A: Yes. I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of my environmental sustainability values when it comes to food. When Sandy hit in 2016, I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have water stocked or food. This time I made the decision that I wouldn’t let myself be in that situation again. I bought a lot of canned beans and frozen produce, which is healthy and in alignment with how I normally eat, but the packaging is misaligned. I’m still recycling and separating out these materials [into a Mason jar] that I do consider to be trash. So I’m not contributing anything to the landfill, but at the same time I’m creating a demand for these materials that I know are not sustainable. It makes me feel a little shitty, sure, but I need to take care of myself. I also have a team of 50 people that depend on me as a leader and if I get sick that threatens their livelihood. I realized that I had to give up some of my own sustainable values for the safety and security of others. No matter what, it was a sacrifice well worth making.    

For most of us, using a product once before throwing it away is a daily habit. Beverage bottles, food containers, and other packaging are sanitary and convenient, but our disposable world brings consequences that must be addressed: Trash is ending up in our rivers and oceans, threatening wildlife and food supplies.   To allow for the benefits of safe packaging without creating a flood of waste into the environment, we need to create a circular economy, where products are designed to last longer and eventually come back into use as new materials rather than going to landfills. National Geographic recently convened a group that included CEOs, city officials, and recycling experts to talk about how we can bring the circular economy from concept to reality. Here are five notable concepts that emerged during the discussion February 26 at National Geographic's headquarters in Washington, D.C.    

1. The circular economy is bigger than you think

When we talk about reducing waste, the temptation is to think recycling is the answer. But recycling alone will not save us from a surfeit of stuff, noted Andrew Morlet, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: "The circular economy is a bigger idea that takes the entire system into mind." That means rethinking how products are conceived at the start, minimizing unnecessary use of resources, designing items to be used as long as possible, and planning to funnel material back into the economy afterward. Achieving this will require massive investment in collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure, but especially in developing economies, governments won't be willing or able to invest at the pace needed."It's not a $1 billion problem—it's a $150 billion problem," Morlet said. "We need to have industry stepping up and actually contributing to the creation of that infrastructure so that these systems can work."  

2. For businesses, green is good

While the mantra "greed is good" from the movie Wall Street ruled the 1980s, companies today are turning away from a solely profit-driven definition of success. Smart business leaders recognize both the obligation and the opportunity in pursuing growth while safeguarding resources. Managing future risks associated with climate change are an important driver of focusing on environmental impacts, but not the whole story. Halsey Cook, CEO of Milliken & Company, pointed to a recent Ethisphere ranking of most ethical companies, which included Milliken. "The data is very clear that companies that focus on doing the right things over time have higher returns,” he said, when compared to the Large Cap Index. Among other initiatives, Milliken has invested in PureCycle Technologies, a technology that transforms post-consumer polypropylene into a like-new version of the resin that, Cook added, could potentially be valued more highly by industry.    

3. Cities can lead the way

In cities around the world, municipal governments are becoming incubators for ideas that can inform broader policies and can inspire action in both public and private sectors. Toronto, for example, collects organic waste from the city's households and turns it into biogas that can fuel truck fleets or be used for heating. In New York, the city is looking at ways to boost its already strong recycling initiatives by extending the life of products before they go into the bin. At least 4,500 New York City businesses focus on repair, reuse, and the sharing economy. "It's there, it's under the radar," noted Bridget Anderson, deputy commissioner for recycling and sustainability for the city's Department of Sanitation. "So the question is, how do we scale those things up for the products that can have a second life before they become recycled."    

4. Carbon needs to be factored in

"We have to decide what we're solving for," said Milliken CEO Halsey Cook. "It's easy to [say you want to] eliminate plastics, but you might replace that with other materials that might have a big disadvantage" from a carbon footprint perspective. Some argue that strong policy targeting carbon emissions is key to making progress. A policy that holds companies responsible for waste from the products they make, for example, "needs to be first rooted in how we track our carbon," said Nina Butler, CEO of the consulting firm More Recycling. The better producers do at shrinking the lifecycle carbon emissions of their product, she argued, the less they should have to pay.    

5. What you buy—and recycle—matters

Consumers have voiced their concerns about waste in the environment, and companies are responding. To build on the momentum, people need to ask businesses for products made from recycled content and demand better local recycling programs from local authorities. "Part of the answer here has to be an increase in the use of recycled materials on the back end,” said Jim Fish, CEO of Waste Management. “Both big and small businesses play a very critical role in this.” The more people value the reuse of materials, the easier it becomes for businesses to accelerate the circular economy: "Let the people you buy from know that recycled material is important in their container," advised Scott Saunders, general manager of the recycler KW Plastics. "Companies follow what their customer wants."  

We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and become better stewards of the earth. But for something that seems as simple and straightforward as recycling, there can be a lot of complications. And when you make a guess at something being recyclable, and it isn't, that can actually be worse for recycling programs than if you had just thrown it out with the garbage. So, in honor of Earth Day, we sat down and straightened out just what can be recycled — and how! — so we can all avoid future mistakes and better support our local recycling efforts.   You can find everything we could think of in the glass, metal, and miscellaneous categories below, and how to dispose of it properly. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter!        

Glass

Glass is one of the easiest things to recycle and, with the exception of lightbulbs, household glass and broken glass, almost everything can be recycled at curbside.  

Recyclable

• The glass used in most bottles and food storage containers is easily recyclable at curbside. Don’t forget to rinse it and remove the lid.

 

Throw Away

• Broken glass is unfortunately not recyclable, as it can clog recycling machinery and even result in injury to sanitation workers. Before throwing it away, make sure to wrap it up in a thick plastic bag so you don’t hurt your garbage person.

 

Hmm…

• While mirrors, drinking glasses, window glass, or baking dishes seem like they could be recycled with regular glass, household glass is often treated with chemicals to make it sturdier. We recommend you donate items, or, if they’re too worn, throw them away.
• CFL bulbs and other fluorescent bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury. While it’s a small enough amount that they can be used safely in your home, they shouldn’t go to a landfill, where they can contaminate ground water. To recycle safely, take them to a Home Depot or Lowes.
• Incandescent lights, LED’s and halogens do not contain any hazardous materials, so it’s safe to throw them in the trash. But they are also recyclable in some cases, so check your local center first. If they don't accept them, EcoLights or Lampmaster Recycling offers recycling for a fee.

     

Metal and Foil

Like glass, the metals and foils you use the most are also the easiest to recycle. Food tins, disposable baking items, aluminum foil, paint cans, and even aerosol cans are recyclable if prepared properly.

Recyclable

• Your typical tin and aluminum cans (think soup, tuna, and veggies) can by thrown in your curbside recycling after you rinse them out.
• Disposable bakeware like muffin tins, lasagna trays, and bread pans can also be put in curbside recycling.
• Aluminum foil and foil lids (like you find on yogurt or cream cheese) can be recycled as long as they are free of grease, food, and chemical coatings.
• Clean — and we mean clean — paint cans and lids can also be recycled.
• Empty aerosol cans, like those used for hairspray and cleaning products, are tricky to recycle. As of April 2020, there don’t appear to be any mail-in initiatives, but Clean Harbors Environmental Services in Braintree, MA accepts them for a fee. These can also be disposed of if your town has a household hazardous waste collection day.

 

Throw Away

• Any pieces of metal under three inches — like nails, screws, washers, and soda can tabs — can be hazardous to recycling machines, and should be thrown away to avoid damage.
• Candy and cookie wrappers that look metallic often aren’t, because the foil has been fused with plastic. A good test? If you ball up the wrapping and it doesn’t keep the crumpled shape, you should throw it out.
• Capri Sun packs and smoothie squeeze pouches are also fused with plastic, and must be thrown away. There is one exception that we found: Serenity Kids has partnered with Terracycle to offer a recycling initiative, here.

 

Hmmmm…

• Syringes, epi-pens and razor blades can’t truly be recycled or thrown away, because of the danger they pose to the general public. They should be disposed of in a medical sharps container, which can be found at your local pharmacy, hospital, or police station.
• Potato chip bags are recyclable through a mail-in initiative from Hain & Terracycle. You can find it here.
• Unfortunately, most foil coffee bags are fused with plastic, and cannot be recycled. That said, some coffee brands feature packaging that's partially recyclable; read the label first, and make sure to peel out the internal plastic liner if there is one.
• Safety razors are a little tricky. Locally-based Gillette offers the opportunity for communities to set up a recycling station for any brand of safety razor, but not an individual mail-in option. Try to jump start an initiative in your town.
• Pots and pans, bike frames, metal tools, metal furniture, metal kitchen tools, metal utensils and metal shelves are similarly complicated. If any of these are lightly used, think first of taking them to a Goodwill or Salvation Army for someone else to benefit. But if your cookware or bike is not fit for donation, it’s time to find a scrap metal recycler. A few things are key: are they sealed with Teflon or plastic? Are they ferrous or non-ferrous (hint: ferrous pots are magnetic)? Find this out first, and then start calling scrap metal recyclers near you.
• Do you ascribe to the “no wire hangers” rule? If so, you have some options for recycling here, too. Wire hangers can be reused at your local dry-cleaner or recycled at a scrap yard.
• Soda Stream canisters help us save on more than just seltzer. Bring them into a nearby Bed Bath & Beyond so they can get refilled, and get a dollar off your next canister.

     

Everything Else

What's left after paper, plastic, glass and metal? Everything else! This section contains every single thing that we looked at around our homes and thought, "how do I recycle that?"

Recyclable

• Liquid food cartons — also known as what your soup, milk, juice, and sometimes wine come in — are not always recyclable. So far, the only ones that have joined the Carton Council recycling initiative are Tetra Pak, Elopak, SIG, Combibloc and Evergreen Packaging, so be sure to look for those logos when shopping. But even if you buy these brands, recycling gets tricky. While some cities and towns pick up curbside, most don’t. You can find out if your town recycles them, or what your alternatives are at Earth 911.
• Both Brita and PUR have free recycling programs with Terracycle; you can find Brita here, and PUR here.

 

Compostable

Food is, for the most part, compostable. Here are a few options for composting in Mass., most of which take all kinds of food scraps and come right to your door:  

• In Greater Boston and Providence, we’re lucky enough to have access to Bootstrap Compost.
• Offbeet Compost does the same for Merrimack Valley (and is women owned!).
• City Compost serves all of New England.
• The cities of Acton, Worcester and Cambridge all offer municipal composting programs as well.

Throw Away

• We've already talked about recycling plastic tape dispensers. But what about the tape? While plastic tape (Duct, Scotch) goes right in the trash, Amazon’s brown paper tape is recyclable (yay!).
• Particle board is often used in inexpensive furniture — but, unfortunately, in order to create this cheap material, the process heavily treats the wood and as such, it cannot be recycled.
• Terracotta pots are not recycled and have to be thrown away. But this is your chance to get creative — try mosaics, using broken pieces in place of drainage stones, or creating garden sculptures.

 

Hmm...

• Good-condition clothing can be donated to second-hand shops, or even sold through consignment shops. Not sure if something is in good enough shape for second hand stores? Look for Bay State Textiles bins (map here) — they'll donate quality clothing to second-hand stores, and recycle stained or torn materials into new products.
• Electronics and appliances can all be recycled at Best Buy or Staples. Free to the general public (though not businesses or organizations), they both offer programs that recycle your goods for free. Check out the Staples list here. Check out the Best Buy list here.
• Furniture and exercise equipment can be sold online, or donated if it's in decent shape. But if your old bookcase is rickety, it might be time to recycle it. Some towns offer special pickup days for bigger items like these, but if yours isn’t one of them, look around for a scrap yard.
• Building materials that are in good condition — windows, lumber, cabinets, bricks or flooring — can be donated to Habitat for Humanity. If something isn’t reusable, to the scrap yard it goes.
• Bicycle tires and tubes are prime items for reuse. The recycling process for these is not great for the environment, so if you can come up with a creative way to reuse them (or you want to try one of the ideas here) go for it! But if you absolutely must recycle, try your local bike shop or REI.
• There are quite a few parts in your car that can be recycled. Many autobody shops will recycle oil and oil filters, batteries, tires and windshields for you, just be sure to ask in advance so you're not sent packing. Water pumps can be returned to auto parts stores to reduce the charge for new products. Engines, starters, and alternators can all be rebuilt by mechanics, and you can ask the shop that you’ve taken your car to if they’d be able to help you with that. Plastics and metals should go to the scrap yard.

  If you live in one of Massachusetts' major cities, you can find a handy printout for additional trash and recycling guidelines, as well as pickup times in your neighborhood, below:   Boston | Worcester | Springfield

Here's a list of things you can do that will lighten your environmental footprint and green up your life! 1. Stop using plastic coffee pods! Use compostable coffee pods or a reusable single cup coffee system, including cotton coffee filters.   2. Minimize household chemicals and waste. Make your own eco-friendly cleaning products: Watch how to make eco-friendly dryer sheets and how to make reusable sweeper pads and how to make a all-natural cleaner with grapefruit and salt. See our guide to green cleaning products.   3. Compost kitchen waste to save landfill space. Create your own compost pile or use one of these local compost services.   4. Replace your lawn with native plants. They don’t need as much water and they support native wildlife. Plant a pollinator garden to provide food for bees and monarch butterflies! Read about North Texans stepping up aid for monarchs.   5. Grow your own organic food. Plant an organic garden even if it’s just a few herbs on your patio.   6. Consume less meat! A plant-based diet is recommended by the UN as the most environmentally friendly, climate-friendly diet.) Not only are you saving animals but a plant-based diet is healthier for you.  Local author Carol Adams has tips for going vegan in middle age but it applies to all ages.   7. Stop drinking bottled water. Use water filters instead.  Read about our favorite water filters.   8. Fix leaky faucets and toilets. Save precious water.   9. Green up your home. Install a programmable thermostat, LED light bulbs and better insulation.   10. Cook your own organic food. It's more sustainable and better for you than eating pre-packaged food.   11. Think before you shop. Choose products made from natural, biodegradable or recyclable materials. Avoid products that will likely just fill up landfill space when their end life is over.       12. Choose quality over convenience. When you need conventional products, choose items that are built to last, made from sustainable materials, have minimal packaging and are energy smart. Here's our list of eco-friendly products for the new year!   13. Minimize trash. Recycle everything that you can.   14. Ramp up your recycling efforts. Look for specialty recycling outlets for items not accepted in recycle bins. For example, plastic bags can be recycled at most grocery stores. Home Depot and Lowes will take batteries and light bulbs. Terracycle accepts items like toothpaste tubes. Help your school or place of business start a recycling program. Read about how the Fort Worth Botanic Garden set a zero waste goal.   15. Give away rather than throw away. Donate that old couch, stacks of nifty paper, nice clothes, tools.       16. Buy less stuff! Before you buy something, ask yourself - do I really need this?   17. Shop local. Visit the farmer’s market, support small organic farms and food producers.   18. Bring your own shopping bags. Reusable bags are not just for the grocery store. Take them wherever you shop. Keep them by the front door, in your purse or backpack and in your car.   19. Harvest your rainwater. Build your own rain barrel or buy one and use it to water your garden.   20. Drive less. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Make each trip count when you do take your car. Carpool! When shopping for a new car, consider an all-electric or a hybrid.

We all want to reduce our carbon footprint and become better stewards of the earth. But for something that seems as simple and straightforward as recycling, there can be a lot of complications. And when you make a guess at something being recyclable, and it isn't, that can actually be worse for recycling programs than if you had just thrown it out with the garbage. So, in honor of Earth Day, we sat down and straightened out just what can be recycled — and how! — so we can all avoid future mistakes and better support our local recycling efforts.   You can find everything we could think of in the paper and plastic categories below, and how to dispose of it properly. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask us on Facebook or Twitter!     Paper Paper is a recycler’s best friend; after all, it's made out of trees, right? Alas, that is not the case. Many types of paper are not recyclable — and some aren’t even compostable. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can and can’t do with this sneaky substance:   Recyclable

• Almost anything that comes in the mail — catalogs, phone books, magazines, newspapers and packages — can be recycled, but make sure to remove all tape or adhesives first.
• Sticky notes are fine to recycle, but consider compost for the smaller sizes.
• Plain paper bags should go right in the bin, but remember to reuse them as long as you can first!

  Compostable

• Shredded paper, regardless what it is made of, should be composted; anything smaller than three inches can get in the works of recycling machines and cause a shutdown.
• Paper plates should be composted, not recycled, regardless of cleanliness level. However, if you’ve used them for an art project that involved glitter, trash ‘em.
• Paper towels and napkins are compostable as long as you didn’t use them to clean anything with chemicals.

  Throw Away

• Receipts are nature’s enemy; many are coated with BPA, which can’t be recycled, and could taint your compost.
• Bubble lined paper mailers should be thrown away, but do try to reuse them first.

  Hmm…

• Parchment paper is only compostable if lined with wax, not plastic. Check the box to be sure of your next steps.
• Wrapping paper, greeting cards or gift bags can be recycled so long as they don't have foil or glitter on them. Be sure to remove tape, ribbons, and bows.
• Pizza boxes have long been contested. We say, if the top is not soiled or at all greasy, you can recycle it. But the part that is greasy should be composted or thrown out.

   

Plastic

Plastic is in everything. Everything! Unfortunately, when it’s mixed with paper (see above) or made into Styrofoam, the process can render both items completely non-recyclable. And even when it’s on its own, some plastic items aren’t recyclable in curbside bins. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t easy — and creative — ways of recycling many of your plastic goods.

Recyclable

• Plastic bags aren’t recyclable in your curbside bins, but most Lowes and Target locations have bins right by the front door for recycling them.
• Plastic envelopes, unlined or lined with bubble wrap, and air pillows can be recycled in the same bins as plastic bags at Lowes or Target.
• The same goes for Saran wrap, plastic wrap for food, Ziploc bags and plastic wrap for products like paper towels; Target or Lowes has you covered.
• Soda stream bottles help us protect the environment — twice! They can be recycled at curbside.
• Plastic bottles are recyclable at curbside, but rinse them out and remove plastic film labels first.
• Packing peanuts might be Styrofoam, but often UPS or Fed-Ex stores will take them back to reuse.
• Yogurt cups, cream cheese containers, hummus tubs and the like aren’t always recyclable at curbside, so check your town’s recycling guidelines first. Whole Foods locations have special bins for #5 plastic, or you can find other options at Earth 911.
• Rigid Plastic, like milk crates, children’s toys, reusable plastic cups, buckets, laundry baskets, etc. can be recycled by drop-off at some local locations. Find them at Find-a-Recycler. Make sure there’s no metal attached first!

Throw Away

• Foil insulation bags might look like silver plastic envelopes, but they actually contain elements that are not recyclable.
• Plastic utensils are unfortunately not recyclable, for a myriad of reasons. Though some are made out of recyclable plastic, others are made out of compressed Styrofoam — and user beware: rarely do they say on their body which type of plastic they are.
• We all know straws aren’t great to throw away, but they are also not recyclable; they can get stuck in machinery, clogging the whole works up. Stick to your reusable straws.
• Salad mix bags, frozen food bags, candy bar wrappers and chip wrappers all have to go in the trash.

Hmmmm…

• Foam polystyrene, or Styrofoam, in any form is generally not recyclable. While some shipping stores take packing peanuts for reuse, for all other types you’ll have to search for specific drop off locations. You can find a map on the Industry Alliance page here.
• Tupperware containers are usually recyclable, but be sure to check the bottom for the recycling icon.
• Small plastic pieces under three inches can get caught in the machines, so most recycling locations won’t accept them. Check your local recycling guidelines to make sure.
• Clamshell packaging, like the kind used for takeaway salads or batteries, aren’t always recyclable at curbside, so check your local recycling guidelines.
• Deodorant tubes are… complicated. They’re often made from multiple types of plastic, which makes it hard for them to get properly recycled. However, Terracycle and Tom’s of Maine offer drop-off locations or shipping options.
• Like your deodorant tubes, Scotch tape dispensers are tricky to recycle. Luckily, they also work with Terracycle to recycle tape dispensers and cores.
• If you live in one of Massachusetts' major cities, you can find a handy printout for additional trash and recycling guidelines, as well as pickup times in your neighborhood, below:

 

When my beauty products run out, I often find myself looming over the trash and recycling bins, debating which receptacle deserves my empties. If I throw them in the trash, will I turn on the TV and see a helpless sea turtle being impaled with the product I tossed? Will I be tagged in a viral video of a penguin with the subtitles “Thanks a lot Dana, now my lungs are full of glitter!”? If I opt for the recycling bin, will it even be recycled? SO MANY IFS. Even after working in the beauty industry for two decades, I don’t have all of the answers. I remember the moment my curiosity was heightened. I had just purchased a handful of new products and as I was unwrapping their plastic-on-plastic-on-plastic packaging, I became increasingly anxious about the ugly truth.   This industry is built on making people feel beautiful, but are we simultaneously devastating our planet? There’s an undeniable feeling of guilt when you throw something out that could have been recycled or repurposed, but once it’s out the door or down the chute, it’s “not your problem” anymore. The truth is, it’s still your problem; it’s our collective problem. Trash is like karma—it comes back to haunt you.   All of this waste is compromising our ecosystem and it’s making me nervous, so I asked Terracycle—a company that’s paving the way in recycling—to put my IFs to bed and give me the hard facts to share with you. Because garbage is scary and knowledge is power. I hope you learn as much as I did and take an extra moment to consider your options before your next purge.   What happens to a product once it hits the recycling bin?   Once a product is placed in a recycling bin, it begins a long process of sortation, separation, cleaning (if applicable), and processing before it can ultimately be recycled into a new product. For instance, plastics (a major component of much beauty and cosmetic packaging) may change hands through sales several times before it even begins processing. The Atlantic published a very comprehensive article a few years back that detailed a plastic bottle’s recycling journey.   What can we do at home to reduce waste from our personal beauty routines?   One tip that individuals can easily implement into their beauty routines is to replace disposable items like makeup wipes and sponges with durable, multi-use alternatives that can be washed and used again and again. Likewise, planning ahead of time for the end-of-life phase of the plastics that you can’t cut out is also advantageous. Consumers are invited to mail in or drop off various types of beauty care waste via TerraCycle’s free brand-sponsored recycling programs. However, it is important to remember that simply buying less is the single-most effective way to reduce beauty care routine waste.   When and how should we get rid of old or unwanted beauty products?   Great question. A lot of people have the best intentions when attempting to recycle their beauty or cosmetic products but forget to empty out any residual material. The presence of leftover material not only contaminates the original product (relegating it to landfill) but also risks contaminating more otherwise recyclable material that also encounters the residuals. Likewise, when emptying out products, it is important to remember to seal the residuals in a non-recyclable container and dispose of it in the normal garbage since some modern beauty products contain microbeads that risk exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis if flushed down the drain. Consumers can check their town’s recycling guidelines via the easy-to-use database maintained by Call2Recycle to avoid wish-cycling, a counterproductive practice that can cause recycling machinery to break down and that contaminates otherwise recyclable material. They are also invited to see if their waste can be recycled through any of TerraCycle’s free recycling programs.   Where do the majority of beauty products end up?   Unfortunately, much of the beauty product waste generated worldwide is destined for landfills and, in the worst possible scenarios, it contributes to litter or the plastic pollution of natural marine habitats. The Ocean Conservancy reports that “every year, 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments.” While it is unclear how much of that ocean plastic is a result of people’s beauty routines, a 2014 study by Care to Recycle reports that while an impressive 95% of consumers claim to recycle waste produced in their kitchens (aluminum cans, glass bottles, etc.) only about half do so in other rooms, including the bathroom where a large volume of beauty/cosmetic waste is generated. So, it can be extrapolated that much of the beauty/cosmetics waste that can actually be recycled municipally (like glass bottles and some plastic shampoo or lotion bottles) is not finding its way to a recycling center.   How much waste does the beauty industry account for?   According to a study by Zero Waste Week and an article published by Stylist, the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year, which translates to the yearly loss of 18 million acres of forest. To put this statistic into perspective, after just six decades of producing plastic en masse (a staple material in most beauty product packaging), 8.3 billion metric tons have been produced and 91%, the overwhelming majority, has not been recycled.   Can you name a few beauty brands that are taking necessary steps to make a positive change in the waste department?   Over the years, many notable beauty and cosmetic brands have sponsored free recycling programs through TerraCycle to solve for their product’s end-of-life cycle. To name a few, Garnier, Burt’s Bees, eos, Herbal Essences, L’Occitane, Josie Maran, Limelife by Alcone, and Paula’s Choice all currently have TerraCycle programs, and Head & Shoulders partnered with TerraCycle to create the world’s first recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic in 2017.   How can brands better educate their consumers about recycling?   Brands can help their consumers recycle their products by prominently displaying the product’s recycling symbol and number on their packaging along with the advisory that they should first check what type of plastics are recycled in their town. Likewise, many brands (such as Febreze) have TerraCycle’s symbol on their packaging to denote that their product is recyclable via a TerraCycle program.   Would you agree that manufacturers should be leading innovation, since they’re typically the first point of contact when it comes to packaging?   Manufacturers have responded to the plastic pollution crisis with several alternatives, namely compostable plastic containers. While these products are certainly innovative since they are produced from renewable resources as opposed to petrochemicals, it is important to note that, according to Greenbiz, “If these materials are not correctly disposed of at their end of life, they will cause just as much damage to our land and marine environments as traditional petrochemical-based plastic litter.” Simply put, there has yet to emerge a “silver bullet” that is poised to solve our plastic pollution crisis. As TerraCycle’s founder and CEO Tom Szaky says, one of the best ways to elicit change is by voting with your dollar since, while we may cast a vote for a political candidate every so often, we decide what brands to support every day through the purchases we make. If brands are willing to innovate by making their product packaging more environmentally friendly, the conscious consumer will respond to their efforts. A lot of brands have already reacted to increased consumer demand for more eco-friendly packaging by either cutting-down on existing packaging or by reinventing their packaging from the ground up through TerraCycle’s Loop, a platform designed to take us from disposability to reusability through cutting-edge technology and packaging design.   What are the most conscious options for packaging that exist today?   Since much of the packaging currently utilized by beauty brands is comprised of different materials like plastics, glass, and metals, it can be too costly (in terms of time and money) to separate and process. As a result, much of the beauty packaging waste thrown in the blue bin is sorted out by municipal recycling centers and relegated to landfills because even if the consumer does their best to recycle the conventionally recyclable parts of beauty/cosmetic packaging (i.e. cardboard, #1 and #2 plastics, and glass bottles), the remaining pumps, trigger heads, and product tubes are still not accepted by many municipal recycling programs. A good example of this phenomenon are deodorant tubes, described in an article by National Geographic. While the consumer can easily recycle the cardboard box the deodorant might be packaged in, they would need to dismantle the entire deodorant tube (including its tiny plastic pieces) in the hopes of getting it recycled. Even then, the separated plastic components will not be recycled if the municipal recycling facility does not process that specific type of plastic. Even with the best intentions, the act of throwing waste in the blue bin without first consulting your town’s recycling guidelines is known as wish-cycling and is a major stressor for recycling experts. To avoid this, it is recommended that consumers check their town’s specific guidelines via the resource offered by Call2Recycle. Reusable packaging, like that employed by TerraCycle’s Loop, is resoundingly the most eco-conscious option, but since glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled continuously without any loss in the resulting quality, it is the next best thing compared to reusable models.   What advice would you give a founder who’s in the research & development phase of a future brand?   As aforementioned, eco-friendly packaging design, in the form of reuse models such as Loop, or containers that utilize recycled or less overall material, seem to be the trajectory of packaging design. As consumers become hyper-aware of environmental stories like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for instance, they will begin to expect more environmentally friendly alternatives.   How is TerraCycle helping brands make a smaller environmental footprint?   The following is an excerpt from TerraCycle’s website on the environmental benefits of recycling through TerraCycle: “By sending waste to TerraCycle you will avoid it ending up as litter, in a landfill or incineration facility. Instead, new materials and products will be made with your collected waste, reducing the need to extract new materials from the planet. This avoided impact is not small; for an average product over 90% of the environmental impact comes from extracting and refining the raw materials from which it is made.”   Well, there you have it. As members of the beauty industry, we need to wake up and start making some serious changes. As TerraCycle said above, there are a handful of simple things we can all do to help…  

1. Send our used products to TerraCycle, which is free and takes two seconds to sign up for.
2. Discard residue from packaging in a non-recyclable container (aka any type of multi-layered plastic bag or pouch) and throw it in the trash instead of flushing it into the water system.
3. Buy less single-use products like wipes and sponges and switch to reusable options instead.
4. Contact your local government officials to find out best recycling practices.
5. Shop less.
6. Spread the word and share this article with your community.

  Here’s to making smarter choices for our planet! Photo: Angela Compagnone via Unsplash DANA RAE Dana Rae is a published makeup artist with two decades of experience in the beauty industry. She is also a founder, product innovator, brand consultant, contributing writer, and creative.

Climate change is hard to deny when we see how much change has happened in the time we’ve been practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the carbon dioxide levels in New York City were 50% lower than they were in March 2019. Environmentalists are also tracking the air pollution above Wuhan province in China; it went down significantly for two months while everyone was in isolation and is now creeping back up.   While we wrestle with these challenging times, many are starting to see what the human impact on our planet really looks like.   You’ve likely heard the statistic that less than 11% of plastic is actually recycled properly in Canada. But did you also know that every year in the U.S.A., according to the Environmental Protection Agency, over two billion razors and refill blades are sent to landfill? Even worse, that stat is actually from a 1988 report, and that number has likely gone up exponentially since then. If you do math and consider that we have similar spending habits to our neighbours to the south, Canada has about 10% the amount of people as the U.S., so it would track that we throw away about 200 million disposable razors each year, at minimum.   The above data notwithstanding, Canadian stats on how much plastic waste actually comes from the beauty and self-care sector are very elusive. Unless brands release their numbers on products sold, it’s hard to estimate the actual amount of plastic that ends up in landfills. Nonetheless, it’s safe to assume a lot of plastic gets thrown out because of our Sephora sprees.   So what does all the doom and gloom have to do with you and your beauty and personal care habits? Well, there are a few ways to make sure that you’re doing the most you can when it comes to not adding to our already massive recycling problem. “One of the best ways to make sure that change happens is to make the companies understand that you really care about this issue,” says Vito Buonsante, plastics program manager at Environmental Defence Canada. “People can only do so much. It’s not really their responsibility to control the waste; it’s more on the company.”   Buonsante recommends that we take a look at what we’re purchasing and start giving our money to brands that offer recycling programs or that use more easily recycled materials, like glass and tin, as opposed to plastic. If it’s absolutely necessary to buy plastic, check that the container has a 1 or 2 plastic rating, which can be found on bottles inside the recycle symbol. Those numbers are the most desirable for recycling programs (the system ranks up to a 7). “The problem with packaging in the beauty industry is that it is often made of mixed materials, therefore it becomes pretty difficult to recycle,” says Buonsante. In short, try not to buy cosmetic products with a plastic rating of 3 or higher.   Strongly expressing your environmental concerns to your member of parliament and local city councillor is also helpful, says Buonsante, as is signing plastics-focused petitions and supporting environmental charities (like the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ecotrust Canada or any local conservancy groups) so they can continue to help push things forward.   And now, while we’re taking social distancing measures very seriously, perhaps we can also help curb our plastic waste anxiety (because really, we don’t need another thing to fret about) by looking into the following ways to make our beauty routine a little more environmentally friendly.   Here are four of the best ways to reduce your beauty waste.  

1. Recycle empties in-house, get free products

  First off, as Buonsante mentioned, think about the brands you invest your hard-earned money in. One way to do that is by choosing brands that already have an in-house recycling program.   The Back to M.A.C program has been around since the early 1990s, making them a true recycling pioneer. The Canadian-founded brand will take back six primary packaging containers (they have a system where you can bring in any containers during your next purchase, and they’ll track how many you have instead of you having to collect them!) in exchange for a lipstick, lipgloss or single eyeshadow.   If you’re a big Creme de Corps fan, you will receive one stamp for each full-sized empty bottle of the body cream that you bring back to a Kiehl’s location to be recycled. Once you have collected ten stamps, you’ll get any travel-sized product that your beauty-loving heart desires.   Over at Lush, when you bring back five of the classic black containers, you can receive one of 16 fresh face masks from the brand.  

2. Then take your recycling game to the next level with TerraCycle

  Look to recycling programs like TerraCycle to help reduce your environmental impact; when you purchase a waste box from the company, simply fill it up with items that your local municipality will not take, and TerraCycle will refurbish, recycle or upcycle each item. The team at TerraCycle will take almost anything that is difficult to recycle—they have even found a way to recycle cigarette butts! Plastic containers become park benches, picnic tables, playgrounds, and so much more. Most municipalities have different rules on recycling (please note yours before you throw away your plastics), so for anything that won’t be picked up curb-side, this program is a great solution.   If the TerraCycle boxes are too pricey (they start at $54, including shipping) some brands and stores are partnering with the program to help clients be mindful of their waste without incurring the cost. These include The Detox Market (all three Toronto locations will take any type of beauty waste) and Pure + Simple (the Ontario-based shop will take back all their empties to be recycled).   Big brands like Burt’s Bees, L’Oréal, Weleda, Gillette and L’Occitane have a partnership with TerraCycle where you can send back your empties for recycling (check their website for how to ship back bottles). And, perhaps it’s time to make more use out of these recycling options—Buonsante notes that most people are not aware that they exist—especially considering that most shops are still closed for the foreseeable future.  

3. Try refillable beauty products

  A big trend in the beauty and personal care space is brands offering products in refillable packaging. “When it comes to reusable containers that can be sent back, the products are likely a bit more expensive,” notes Buonsante. But with time, hopefully the prices will even out. “That is where we hope the market will continue to go.”   Back in early 2019, TerraCycle’s founder announced a pilot project called Loop. Major brand’s signed onto the program, which launched in NYC and Paris. Now, Loblaws is looking to launch a Loop pilot project in Canada this summer. So what exactly is Loop? Essentially, brands have started putting their products into reusable and recyclable tin containers. This has allowed brands to be a touch more design-focused in their new labeling (most brands have pared down their logos for this project), while consumers can use the product and send the tins back, where they will either be cleaned and reused, or, if they’re too weathered, they will be recycled.   In the meantime, for the makeup and skincare obsessives, look to companies like Kjaer Weis (the luxe Scandinavian eco-brand’s packaging is quite gorgeous), Elate cosmetics (this Canadian brand uses beautiful bamboo as their outer packaging, offering refillables for everything in their lineup!), Clove and Hallow (the west coast cosmetics brand offers refillable compacts!) and Cocoon Apothecary (a Toronto brand who will take back bottles, sanitize them and reuse them in their supply chain) for refillable options. Some bigger brands, like Paul and Joe, Make Up For Ever and Guerlain, also offer refills, mostly for powder products like highlighters, eye shadows, blushes and pressed powders.   Going local, look to eco-friendly shops that offer bulk product (new ones are popping up all the time!), like Nada in Vancouver, Eco + Amour in Toronto and The Tare Shop in Halifax. At bulk shops, you can bring your own containers or purchase some from the store, and they will weigh each of the products to determine what you owe.  

4. Choose product packaging wisely

  Making sweeping changes to our beauty routine may seem difficult, but one simple change is to choose packaging materials wisely. A lot of indie brands include glass or other recyclable materials in their packaging, making them with very little plastic or entirely plastic-free.   A few local Canadian brands that are ahead of the curve here include Boosh (a lipstick line from a young female entrepreneur with tubes made out of tin), Unwrapped Life (a brand of shampoo and conditioner bars that are wrapped only in recyclable paper and cardboard), deodorant brand Routine. (a Calgary line that sells beautifully scented, natural cream formulations in glass jars with a tin lid, and will have stick deodorants housed in cardboard and post consumer recycled plastic packaging), WellKept (a line of brass safety razors that eliminates the need for disposables and are oh-so-chic!), and Toronto-based Sahajan (this ayurvedic line comes in beautiful brown glass bottles).   Other international faves include Biologique Recherche (a beauty editor favourite with serums in glass dropper bottles that is now available at Miraj Hammam Spa in Toronto and Vancouver), and Tata Harper (her gorgeous green glass containers set the standard for clean beauty packaging when they launched in 2010).

Climate change is hard to deny when we see how much change has happened in the time we’ve been practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the carbon dioxide levels in New York City were 50% lower than they were in March 2019. Environmentalists are also tracking the air pollution above Wuhan province in China; it went down significantly for two months while everyone was in isolation and is now creeping back up.   While we wrestle with these challenging times, many are starting to see what the human impact on our planet really looks like.   You’ve likely heard the statistic that less than 11% of plastic is actually recycled properly in Canada. But did you also know that every year in the U.S.A., according to the Environmental Protection Agency, over two billion razors and refill blades are sent to landfill? Even worse, that stat is actually from a 1988 report, and that number has likely gone up exponentially since then. If you do math and consider that we have similar spending habits to our neighbours to the south, Canada has about 10% the amount of people as the U.S., so it would track that we throw away about 200 million disposable razors each year, at minimum.   The above data notwithstanding, Canadian stats on how much plastic waste actually comes from the beauty and self-care sector are very elusive. Unless brands release their numbers on products sold, it’s hard to estimate the actual amount of plastic that ends up in landfills. Nonetheless, it’s safe to assume a lot of plastic gets thrown out because of our Sephora sprees.   So what does all the doom and gloom have to do with you and your beauty and personal care habits? Well, there are a few ways to make sure that you’re doing the most you can when it comes to not adding to our already massive recycling problem. “One of the best ways to make sure that change happens is to make the companies understand that you really care about this issue,” says Vito Buonsante, plastics program manager at Environmental Defence Canada. “People can only do so much. It’s not really their responsibility to control the waste; it’s more on the company.”   Buonsante recommends that we take a look at what we’re purchasing and start giving our money to brands that offer recycling programs or that use more easily recycled materials, like glass and tin, as opposed to plastic. If it’s absolutely necessary to buy plastic, check that the container has a 1 or 2 plastic rating, which can be found on bottles inside the recycle symbol. Those numbers are the most desirable for recycling programs (the system ranks up to a 7). “The problem with packaging in the beauty industry is that it is often made of mixed materials, therefore it becomes pretty difficult to recycle,” says Buonsante. In short, try not to buy cosmetic products with a plastic rating of 3 or higher.   Strongly expressing your environmental concerns to your member of parliament and local city councillor is also helpful, says Buonsante, as is signing plastics-focused petitions and supporting environmental charities (like the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ecotrust Canada or any local conservancy groups) so they can continue to help push things forward.   And now, while we’re taking social distancing measures very seriously, perhaps we can also help curb our plastic waste anxiety (because really, we don’t need another thing to fret about) by looking into the following ways to make our beauty routine a little more environmentally friendly.   Here are four of the best ways to reduce your beauty waste.  

1. Recycle empties in-house, get free products

  First off, as Buonsante mentioned, think about the brands you invest your hard-earned money in. One way to do that is by choosing brands that already have an in-house recycling program.   The Back to M.A.C program has been around since the early 1990s, making them a true recycling pioneer. The Canadian-founded brand will take back six primary packaging containers (they have a system where you can bring in any containers during your next purchase, and they’ll track how many you have instead of you having to collect them!) in exchange for a lipstick, lipgloss or single eyeshadow.   If you’re a big Creme de Corps fan, you will receive one stamp for each full-sized empty bottle of the body cream that you bring back to a Kiehl’s location to be recycled. Once you have collected ten stamps, you’ll get any travel-sized product that your beauty-loving heart desires.   Over at Lush, when you bring back five of the classic black containers, you can receive one of 16 fresh face masks from the brand.  

2. Then take your recycling game to the next level with TerraCycle

  Look to recycling programs like TerraCycle to help reduce your environmental impact; when you purchase a waste box from the company, simply fill it up with items that your local municipality will not take, and TerraCycle will refurbish, recycle or upcycle each item. The team at TerraCycle will take almost anything that is difficult to recycle—they have even found a way to recycle cigarette butts! Plastic containers become park benches, picnic tables, playgrounds, and so much more. Most municipalities have different rules on recycling (please note yours before you throw away your plastics), so for anything that won’t be picked up curb-side, this program is a great solution.   If the TerraCycle boxes are too pricey (they start at $54, including shipping) some brands and stores are partnering with the program to help clients be mindful of their waste without incurring the cost. These include The Detox Market (all three Toronto locations will take any type of beauty waste) and Pure + Simple (the Ontario-based shop will take back all their empties to be recycled).   Big brands like Burt’s Bees, L’Oréal, Weleda, Gillette and L’Occitane have a partnership with TerraCycle where you can send back your empties for recycling (check their website for how to ship back bottles). And, perhaps it’s time to make more use out of these recycling options—Buonsante notes that most people are not aware that they exist—especially considering that most shops are still closed for the foreseeable future.  

3. Try refillable beauty products

  A big trend in the beauty and personal care space is brands offering products in refillable packaging. “When it comes to reusable containers that can be sent back, the products are likely a bit more expensive,” notes Buonsante. But with time, hopefully the prices will even out. “That is where we hope the market will continue to go.”   Back in early 2019, TerraCycle’s founder announced a pilot project called Loop. Major brand’s signed onto the program, which launched in NYC and Paris. Now, Loblaws is looking to launch a Loop pilot project in Canada this summer. So what exactly is Loop? Essentially, brands have started putting their products into reusable and recyclable tin containers. This has allowed brands to be a touch more design-focused in their new labeling (most brands have pared down their logos for this project), while consumers can use the product and send the tins back, where they will either be cleaned and reused, or, if they’re too weathered, they will be recycled.   In the meantime, for the makeup and skincare obsessives, look to companies like Kjaer Weis (the luxe Scandinavian eco-brand’s packaging is quite gorgeous), Elate cosmetics (this Canadian brand uses beautiful bamboo as their outer packaging, offering refillables for everything in their lineup!), Clove and Hallow (the west coast cosmetics brand offers refillable compacts!) and Cocoon Apothecary (a Toronto brand who will take back bottles, sanitize them and reuse them in their supply chain) for refillable options. Some bigger brands, like Paul and Joe, Make Up For Ever and Guerlain, also offer refills, mostly for powder products like highlighters, eye shadows, blushes and pressed powders.   Going local, look to eco-friendly shops that offer bulk product (new ones are popping up all the time!), like Nada in Vancouver, Eco + Amour in Toronto and The Tare Shop in Halifax. At bulk shops, you can bring your own containers or purchase some from the store, and they will weigh each of the products to determine what you owe.  

4. Choose product packaging wisely

  Making sweeping changes to our beauty routine may seem difficult, but one simple change is to choose packaging materials wisely. A lot of indie brands include glass or other recyclable materials in their packaging, making them with very little plastic or entirely plastic-free.   A few local Canadian brands that are ahead of the curve here include Boosh (a lipstick line from a young female entrepreneur with tubes made out of tin), Unwrapped Life (a brand of shampoo and conditioner bars that are wrapped only in recyclable paper and cardboard), deodorant brand Routine. (a Calgary line that sells beautifully scented, natural cream formulations in glass jars with a tin lid, and will have stick deodorants housed in cardboard and post consumer recycled plastic packaging), WellKept (a line of brass safety razors that eliminates the need for disposables and are oh-so-chic!), and Toronto-based Sahajan (this ayurvedic line comes in beautiful brown glass bottles).   Other international faves include Biologique Recherche (a beauty editor favourite with serums in glass dropper bottles that is now available at Miraj Hammam Spa in Toronto and Vancouver), and Tata Harper (her gorgeous green glass containers set the standard for clean beauty packaging when they launched in 2010).