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Are Sheet Masks Nearing the End? Sustainability Experts Weigh In on This "Imperative" Shift

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The beauty industry as a whole is incredibly wasteful. In fact, only nine percent of the 120 billion units of plastic packaging produced by the industry is actually recycled each year. That means most of the plastic jars, cellophane wrappings, pumps, tubes, and coated boxes end up in landfills, or worse, our oceans. Some products certainly cause more harm than others in terms of their environmental impact, and at the top of the list is anything single use. This includes makeup wipes, cotton rounds, cotton swabs, and those indulgent sheet masks that we all love to use so much, which are possibly the worst offenders of all. Sheet masks are often wrapped in a plastic-foil pouch and surrounded by a paper or plastic material on either side of a cotton mask - none of which is usually recyclable in most curbside programs. "This is because [the packaging is] made out of complex material in the form of multiple plastic types or a combination of aluminum and plastic, rendering it too difficult to separate and process," Alex Payne, a publicist at TerraCycle, told POPSUGAR. "As for the sheet mask itself, if yours is nylon or synthetic (which you can find by reading the ingredients label on most masks), it is not cost effective for conventional recyclers to clean and process."
With the recent overall shift toward sustainability and eco-consciousness, it makes you wonder if single-use sheet masks are on their way out given their wasteful nature. The retailer Credo Beauty has already made moves in that direction, announcing earlier this month that it will be eliminating single-use products at its stores by June 1, in the hopes of preventing 3,000 pounds of sheet masks from ending up in the trash.
"As garbage, they're bound for the landfill or incinerator, and too often, garbage ends up as pollution in the environment," said Mia Davis, Credo's vice president of sustainability and impact. "Even though this type of product is super convenient, the undesirable 'end-of-life' scenario led us to take action."
As garbage, they're bound for the landfill or incinerator, and too often, garbage ends up as pollution in the environment."
Rosalina Tan, a sustainability expert and founder of skin-care brand Pili Ani, has a less-is-more philosophy when it comes to skin care and also doesn't encourage the use of sheet masks from an "organic advocate point of view," as well as an efficacy standpoint. "We don't necessarily need the sheet for an effective moisturizer or firming or brightening mask," she said. "We just need to be more informed on how to properly apply the products - we can incorporate jade rollers for faster absorption or massage techniques." That said, Ani doesn't think sheet masks will go extinct anytime soon; rather, the industry needs to "get more creative in our formulations." This includes making sustainable options, which a handful of brands have already done - Honest Beauty has the Reusable Magic Silicon Sheet Mask ($15), and Nurse Jamie has the FaceWrap ($30). There are biodegradable or compostable sheet masks on the market, but those products pose some issues of their own. For starters, Davis said most people don't compost, and while opting for these "planet-friendly" alternatives is a step in the right direction, "it's still not a great thing for the environment."
Payne added: "Some sheet masks are 100-percent cotton or made from bamboo or bio-cellulose, so they theoretically can be composted, however, it's important to check if they have a synthetic beauty product coating or filler." If they do, the mask won't compost properly. This puts an added burden on the consumer to research the materials and ingredients in their masks, which is less likely to happen, but that's not all. "It's also worth mentioning that 'biodegradable' and 'compostable' aren't interchangeable terms," he said. "Everything technically biodegrades eventually - even plastic - so look for sheet masks that are compostable, since that means it will break down over a clear time frame in the proper circumstances." With its decision to eliminate all single masks, even those that are deemed "biodegradable," Credo Beauty hopes to inspire other key industry players to follow suit. "Sustainability is not a trend nor a 'nice to have' marketing initiative," Davis said. "It's imperative."

Programa de reciclagem coleta 2 milhões de esponjas

O Programa Nacional de Reciclagem de Esponjas desenvolvido pela 3M e TerraCycle atingiu a marca de 2 milhões de esponjas coletadas para a reciclagem. Lançada há seis anos, a iniciativa foi a primeira no mundo a oferecer um destino correto para esponjas usadas, transformando este resíduo em matéria-prima utilizada para fabricar novos produtos como baldes, vasos, lixeiras, pás de lixo, entre outros.

Ulta Beauty Packaging Just Got More Sustainable

Ulta Beauty Packaging Just Got More Sustainable Ulta Beauty teamed up with Loop to create a one-stop online shop for sustainable, cruelty-free, and vegan products. BY CHARLOTTE POINTING | MARCH 11TH, 2021   Ulta Beauty’s packaging just got more sustainable, thanks to a new partnership. The popular U.S. beauty chain has teamed up with Loop, a zero-waste venture owned by TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling. Together, the two companies have created Loop by Ulta, a one-stop online shop for all things sustainable beauty, stocking a range of cruelty-free and vegan-friendly brands, including Burt’s Bees, Soapply, Ecco Bella, and Meow Meow Tweet. Customers place their orders through the website and the products are delivered to their door, all very standard procedure. But here’s where things change: Instead of using the product and throwing it away when they’re finished, customers pop the empty bottles into a reusable “exclusively designed” Loop tote bag. They then make arrangements through the Ulta by Loop website to have their old empties picked up; these are subsequently cleaned, refilled, and placed back onto the virtual shelves for sale. Tom Szaky, the founder and CEO of Loop and TerraCycle, said in a statement sent to LIVEKINDLY: “Consumers are increasingly asking for more environmentally responsible options in this category and this collaboration provides them with a solution that is simple and convenient.” Ulta is trying to bring forward “innovative solutions” to the beauty industry’s waste problem. | @shoploopstore

Ulta Beauty is working with Loop, a zero-waste venture owned by TerraCycle.

A Sustainable Beauty Loop

Loop by Ulta’s approach creates a circular economy instead of the standard linear one (where products are bought, used, and then thrown away). A circular economy keeps resources in a loop (get it?), which reduces waste in a big way. Across industries, waste is an urgent problem, and the beauty industry is no exception. Globally, more than 120 billion units of cosmetic packaging are produced annually, and much of this ends up in landfills and the ocean. Dave Kimbell, the president of Ulta Beauty, says that “as the nation’s leading beauty retailer,” the company has a responsibility to bring forward “innovative solutions.” He said: “As we work to deliver more informed, conscious product choices to our guests, this first-of-its-kind partnership with the pioneers at Loop is an exciting step on our journey.” “We look forward to seeing our guests embrace Loop by Ulta Beauty as we all work together to create a lasting legacy for our world.” Shop Loop by Ulta’s sustainable product range here.

Tesco begins roll out of 'soft plastic' recycling points for bread bags, pet food pouches and crisp packets which are ignored by council collections

The cost of collecting, separating and recycling certain types of soft plastic is also more expensive than the value of the material itself. Referring to some soft plastic, Stephen Clarke, head of communications at waste management company TerraCycle, previously told The Guardian: 'The difficulty is that they are hard to collect in large volumes, tend to get stuck in machinery at the household recycling centres.'

Comissão de Coleta Seletiva Solidária completa três anos no campus GV

O impacto positivo das ações desenvolvidas no campus Governador Valadares da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF-GV) chega à comunidade por diferentes vias: a promoção da qualidade de vida e a educação para o direcionamento de resíduos sólidos são algumas delas. Em três anos de atuação, a Comissão de Coleta Seletiva Solidária (CCSS) do campus GV tem desenvolvido campanhas de recolhimento de materiais, logística reversa e conscientização para o descarte correto de resíduos.

Atitudes para salvá-lo

Organize recipientes coletores em casa para separar o lixo reciclável dos rejeitos. Dispense o uso de sacos ou sacolas plásticas para acondicionar o lixo, eles atrapalham a decomposição do que estiver dentro, pois demoram séculos para se desfazer. Faça o descarte diretamente nos cestos de lixo e somente acondicione no saco de lixo ao levá-lo para a rua, evitando a sobreposição de sacos plásticos.

Logística reversa permite que Faber-Castell recicle 2 milhões de itens

Um programa de logística reversa criado em parceria com o TerraCycle permitiu que a Faber-Castell conseguisse coletar 2 milhões de instrumentos de escrita para reciclagem. A empresa alcançou a marca nesta semana, mesmo em meio à pandemia, em uma ação que reúne mais de 5 mil pontos de coleta, reduzindo de maneira significativa o impacto do setor de papelaria, que produz milhares de produtos todos os anos, principalmente na volta às aulas.

How are independent schools staying green?

There is nothing like a global emergency to prompt a re-examining of priorities, but has caring for the environment dropped down the list as schools rise to the challenge of the pandemic? “Students really took responsibility for eco activities in their year group bubble bases during the autumn term and devised a rota to organise recycling after breaktimes and lunches, including the empty crisp packets that we recycle for Walkers/Terracycle and the food waste that goes to a local biogas digester.”