Our editors share what’s captured their attention this month. Fodor’s Faves is a new monthly column where our editors, writers, and staff share their current obsessions. From hotels and restaurants to books and products, these are the places and things we can’t stop thinking about.     1 OF 10

A Design-y Desert Retreat

  I love New York City, but lately, I find myself yearning for desert. Maybe it’s pre-Spring angst or just my current lack of heat and starry skies, but I’m craving—very specifically—a terracotta-and-beehive-fireplace-filled desert retreat and the company of spiny succulents who pose their alien, organic shapes against endless starry skies and low-hung moons. Meanwhile, I am acting like a middle-finger-shaped cactus, needling New Yorkers who dare bump against me on the subway.   Yes, I need some desert in my life and I’m swooning over Posada, the Tucson, Arizona rental from the design duo behind The Joshua Treehouse. I follow The Joshua Treehouse on Instagram and obsessively pin their bohemian, desert-chic Airbnb interiors to both my “Weekend House Inspiration” and “You Deserve This” collection boards (yes, I practice both manifestation and affirmation while Insta-scrolling.) Sara and Rich Combs became Insta-famous with their rustic-but-luxe Joshua Treehouse properties in the Mojave Desert but I’m really feeling their most recent oasis in the Sonoran Desert. Nestled into a canyon next to Saguaro National Park, Posada is a five-suite inn set on 38 acres of Saguaro cacti, native plants, and an abundance of wildlife. The vibes are warm and inviting, with carefully designed spaces decorated in neutral tones and natural textures to meld with the incredible surrounding landscape. This incredible retreat is designed to cater to larger groups, but I am daydreaming of escaping my overcrowded subway car to enjoy the canyon pool, large fire pit, and panoramic rooftop views of the desert all by myself.   —Jacinta O'Halloran     2 OF 10

A Next Level Cocktail Bar

  Accomplice Bar, located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Mar Vista, makes cocktails that are so delicious and so unlike anything else, you’ll forever struggle to justify ponying up $16 for a signature drink that’s basically a regular old fashioned with, like, a sprig of rosemary tossed on top. Order up a Honduran Hurricane (a fruity tiki-type drink with “the tropical notes in coffee”) or a Creme de Rand (made with Japanese whiskey, mango, creme de banane, and cardamom) while sharing some squid ink xiao long bao and braised pork belly from the Taiwanese comfort food restaurant, Little Fatty, which shares the space with Accomplice.   —Chantel Delulio   3 OF 10

These Koalas in Australia That Can Use Your Help

  From September of last year until just last month, Australia suffered through a series of devastating bushfires, all amounting to one of the worst wildfire seasons in their history. By the time the fires were finally extinguished, more than 44 million acres burned (a landmass more than twice the size of Austria), 34 lost their lives, and an estimated 1 billion animals perished. And, Australia needs our help to recover.   One of the easiest ways to help is to get on a plane and take a vacation to Australia—they really can use your tourism dollars. But you can help even without leaving your home, which brings us to my fave of the month: the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital koala adoption program. From the comfort of your couch, you can adopt one of the 18 koalas currently housed at the hospital—it only costs $40 AUD (about $26) and you’ll get an e-certificate that you can print out and frame (I’ve got mine on my desk).   I adopted a little fella named Paul (you can also e-adopt him if you like). Paul was found at the Lake Innes Nature Reserve, where a volunteer found him “curled up on the burnt ground.” He had burns on his hands and feet and 90% of his body was singed. But, there’s good news! He’s currently doing very well in the rehab yard. He’s expected to be able to climb again within the month and, if all goes well, he’ll be released into the wild in the winter.   In addition to the Koala Hospital, there are a number of other places you can donate to help the koalas, including the Koala Clancy Foundation and the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia. Zoos South Australia and Zoos Victoria have also both set up bushfire recovery donations efforts. And the Australian Koala Foundation and the World Wildlife Foundation both have adopt-a-koala programs.   —Jeremy Tarr   4 OF 10

A Different Kind of All-Inclusive Resort

  I just returned from a trip to Palmaia in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the capital of cheesy all-inclusives. But Palamia is different: It’s a brand-new resort with a truly unique concept that’s a mashup between a luxury all-inclusive hotel and a boutique wellness resort. There’s yoga, meditation, an in-house astrologer, sunset ceremonies on the beach, and a shaman that leads groups through a cleansing ritual in the temazcal. At night there’s cocktails and dancing to DJ sets so you can retox before the next day’s detox. It’s kind of like a giant bacchanalian festival at a chic rehab in the jungle. I can’t wait to go back.   —Teddy Minford     5 OF 10

The Perfect All-Natural Moisturizer for Dry Skin

  For years I have been looking for the perfect moisturizer for my dry skin–I tried thick expensive balms and many hyaluronic acids. While all of these worked fine, the results were not impressive enough to dignify the price tag, nor did they tend to hold up as well when dry winter-weather came around. After spending hours reading article after article and tons of reviews, the one name that kept coming up was Weleda. The company’s Skin Food was being celebrated by makeup artists, skin-care fanatics, and was even on Victoria Beckham’s top-shelf.   The reviews held up, and my skin went from dull and patchy to soft and glowing (you can toss your highlighters because you won’t need them anymore). The price is unbeatable (less than $15), and a little bit goes a long way. Where I had been slathering my skin in other products and running through the tubs quicker than I could afford, this cheap little tube lasts me about four months. It is perfect for morning or night, for tired travel skin (I keep this in my carry on and right at landing rinse my face to add a fresh new layer), and seasonably dry skin. Bonus: The company is working to reduce its carbon footprint by partnering with TerraCycle to make recycling the bottles even easier.   —Kaelin Dodge   6 OF 10

Dinner at the Versace Mansion

  My latest Netflix binge, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, recently inspired a memorable dinner on South Beach. The iconic Villa Casa Casuarina (aka Gianni Versace’s home from 1992 until his death on its steps in 1997) was star of the show—so I was excited to learn you can actually eat and sleep there. While normally I wouldn’t touch most of Ocean Drive with a ten-foot pole, I had to go for the experience of it all—to see the historic 1930s mansion, to walk where Versace walked, and to snap a photo at the show-stopping tiled pool. And it didn’t disappoint: The multi-color light display is mesmerizing. The setting is opulent. The Italian-Mediterranean food is good (not the best in Miami, but worth the price, considering Miami Beach basically invented overpriced food). And it’s not at all the tourist-shuffling nightmare it could be, probably because many people don’t know you can dine here without booking a room. You have to book in advance, but it’s simple to snag a lunch or dinner reservation on OpenTable. If you want to spend less than $100, split the charcuterie board with friends then order truffle gnocchi and a glass of wine, or if you want to splurge like you’re a fashion designer, order the caviar and Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Go early and look the part to snag the table front and center next to the pool. Wherever you’re seated, this is a great introduction to the ostentation of Miami.   —Kayla Becker   7 OF 10

A Rave in a Cave

  When most people think of Wales, they tend to think of it as an extension of England: quaint villages, rolling hills, charming seaside towns with fish-and-chip shops. But Welsh culture is actually quite distinctive in a million different ways and recently the country has been making an effort to stand out for its adventure tourism, an initiative that I am now declaring a raging success.   The key has been reimaging some of the region’s many former industrial sites, turning them into adventure parks, glamping sites, and even self-contained surf spots.  Ziplining, in particular, is having a moment, with Zip World now offering the world’s fastest and highest (and Europe’s longest) zipline along with several zipline paths within slate caverns and quarries. For many years, Wales was one of the world’s biggest slate producers and as the industry declined, the country was left with an abundance of hollowed-out caves that fell into disuse. The perfect solution? Add a trampoline and some ’80s and ’90s dance music, and you get Bounce Below, another Zip World invention, where guests can enjoy a few hours on a trampoline adventure course within a former slate cavern, accompanied by the perfect soundtrack. It’s where I want to spend every birthday party for the rest of my life.   —Amanda Sadlowski     8 OF 10

A Movie-Going Experience You Won't Soon Forget

  The Alamo Drafthouse, which arrived in Los Angeles just last year, is, frankly, awesome. From a movie-lover’s perspective (mine), it’s an oasis/es—there are 41 theaters across the country—complete with leather recliners, gourmet-style meals, and, at select locations, onsite DVD rental stores with thousands of titles. The theater(s) also regularly serves up retrospectives presented by respected filmmakers and special showings, like the consistently-sold out “Cats Rowdy Screening.” And, good news for you, the company just announced that it will be offering a subscription service called “Season Pass,” which allows customers access to one movie per day for the low price of up to $29 per month, depending upon the location. I say “low” because a standard ticket price is around $18.   —Jesse Tabit   9 OF 10

This Uber-Hydrating Face Serum

  The act of travel, in general, can be extremely dehydrating (planes!) and being in a new climate can make your skin freak out a little bit. This is why I will not travel–or live, generally–without the Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate by Kiehl’s. It’s described as “an efficacious hydrating serum that helps moisturize, plump and smooth skin,” and let me tell you what, that is exactly what it is, in addition to being Generally The Best Thing I’ve Ever Bought. The serum hydrates with intensity, and makes the skin on my face go from “looking like wood” to “looking like regular human skin again.” If you are feeling seriously dehydrated like I am 100% of the time while traveling, first of all, drink some water, and second of all, put this serum on your dry little face and enjoy your vacation time. Is it pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. And frankly, NOTHING–not one thing–is worth $60 to me, regularly, so you legally have to believe me.   —Audrey Farnsworth   10 OF 10

This Summer Camp-Themed Music Festival

  I’m semi-obsessed with a music collective based in Brooklyn called The Wild Honey Pie. Once a month they host very dreamy three-course dinner parties in cozy restaurants throughout New York, LA, and Austin, each with live music ($50 covers dinner and unlimited drinks). And not just any live music: some of the best and coolest indie musicians in the scene. This Memorial Day Weekend they are bringing their music festival/adult summer camp Welcome Campers back to Camp Lenox in Otis, Massachusetts, in the quintessentially quaint and scenic Berkshires (where I happen to be from). It lasts for two days and three nights, accommodating around 400 attendees. Guests stay in shared bunks (just like real summer camp!), listen to live music in the woods, do yoga, dine, and play games. Tickets start at $300 and cover food, drinks, and lodging, and the chance to revisit your youth if only for a weekend. Performing this year will be Vagabon, Sasami, Haley Heynderickx, Salt Cathedral, Jennah Bell, and many more. Check out one of last year’s performances at Welcome Campers here to get a sense of what you can expect. Transportation will be available by bus to and from McCarren Park in Brooklyn for $75 round trip.   —Rachael Roth

The beauty industry is embracing innovative solutions for tackling waste–and winning more customer loyalty in the process.   There’s no doubt that the beauty industry does a lot of good, from enhancing personal hygiene and contributing to self-esteem, to giving back through charitable causes. There is also no way to ignore the environmental impact packaging from such a massive business has on the Earth. With plastic taking some 400 years to degrade and filling what’s believed to be more than 70 percent of landfills, the prediction that there’ll be more plastic in the ocean than fish by the year 2050 seems devastatingly plausible.   According to TerraCycle, a company that helps brands and individuals recycle and upcycle to reduce the level of unnecessary landfill waste, the global cosmetics industry produces 120 billion units of packaging annually, contributing to the loss of 18 million acres of forest each year.   Motivating consumers to recycle personal care items has challenges. For one, it takes extra effort since these products are often housed in bathrooms, away from the standard kitchen recycle bin. TerraCycle reports that 50 percent of people don’t recycle bathroom waste including shampoo and shower gel bottles because they feel it is inconvenient. That said, the industry has taken responsibility in the past and made an impact. “While statistics are dire, the beauty industry has had success stories with the banning of plastic microbeads in the U.S., U.K. and Canada but has plenty of room for improvement to become environmentally friendly,” says Alex Payne, a spokesperson for TerraCycle.   While swapping plastic for eco-friendly packaging may increase manufacturing costs initially, the increase can likely be offset with potential government subsidies and more customers who prefer sustainable packaging. In fact, the decision to "go green" in formulation, manufacturing practices and packaging could pay off big. Fifty-five percent of people polled in a recent report by J. Walter Thompson Intelligence titled The New Sustainability: Regeneration stated they are more likely to buy beauty products if the company claims to be sustainable. Interestingly, the same report found that 77 percent of people think products with a negative environmental impact should cost more.   Recycling and Reusing   A handful of beauty brands including Burt’s Bees, Eos Products, LimeLife by Alcone and L’Occitane have teamed up with TerraCycle to offer consum- ers easy and free options for recycling. Customers can access a prepaid shipping label from TerraCycle’s website, fill any box with the brand’s cleaned waste and ship it out to be remolded into new products. Herbal Essences, Josie Maran, Garnier, Tom’s of Maine and Weleda are also part of TerraCycle’s free recycling solution. For a fee, TerraCycle offers an option for other cosmetic brands in the form of their zero-waste box. Empty eye shadow palettes, lipstick tubes, makeup brushes and deodorant sticks can be shipped to the company, and thus saved from the landfill.   Just this year, TerraCycle launched an intiative called Loop to introduce a new circular shopping system in Paris and select states within the U.S. designed to eliminate plastic packaging. “The world is in a waste crisis and we can’t recycle our way out of it. We must attack the issue at the root cause, which is single-use packaging,” explains Eric Rosen, spokesperson for Loop. The concept of Loop is like a modern-day milkman delivery system, rebooted with loads of items from personal care to household. Consumers go online and choose the products they’d like to order, which arrive in durable, reusable containers inside Loop’s exclusively designed reusable tote. “Consumers will no longer own the packaging, only the product,” Rosen explains. Beauty brands with products available from Loop include Soapply, Herbal Essences, The Body Shop, Love Beauty and Planet, Ren Clean Skincare and Pantene.   After use, consumers schedule a pickup time and send Loop’s containers to be cleaned, sanitized and reused again and again, removing plastic and shipping cardboard from the equation completely. Loop is currently available in select states and planning on expanding to new cities in 2020. Loop is made possible with the help of partner retailers like Walgreens and Kroger in each market launched. There is no membership or subscription fee; the only cost a consumer incurs is for the product and a refundable deposit for containers, tote and shipping. Brands big and small are stepping up and making commitments to change. Both Unilever and L’Oreìal have promised by the year 2025 to convert plastic packaging to reusable, recyclable or compostable. Esteìe Lauder Companies are on board too, aiming to have 75 to 100 percent of packaging recyclable, reusable or refillable by 2025 and increasing postconsumer recycled material in packaging by up to 50 percent.   Procter & Gamble (P&G) plans to offer 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2030 and has partnered with Loop to offer refillable options. Just this year, P&G’s brand Pantene launched an aluminum bottle for shampoo and conditioner through the service.   Green Materials and Rethinking Plastic   Alternative material options are gaining popularity in the beauty packaging world as brands shift into a “greener” mindset. Bamboo, for example, is biodegradable, compostable and one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Cosmetic companies like Antonym are using bamboo for eyeshadow and blush palettes and as the base for makeup brushes. Reusable and refillable, glass is an ideal alternative for companies looking to stay clean and minimal, such as RMS Beauty. Like glass, metal is another smart option. Kjaer Weis uses quality metal in makeup palettes meant to be kept and reused as part of the company’s refill system. Already recycled solutions such as paperboard made from recycled paper pulp and recycled plastic are widely used alternatives. Garnier Fructis has adapted this practice for its shampoo and conditioner bottles, with 50 percent of the material coming from postconsumer recycled plastic.   Since plastic isn’t going away overnight, savvy solutions for repurposing are key. The Body Shop recently launched Community Trade recycled plastic from Bengaluru, India, an initiative in partnership with Plastics for Change: “We don’t think plastic–as a material–is bad. In fact, it’s one of the most versatile materials ever made and, if used responsibly, can be sustainable. The problem is when we don’t value plastic and see it as trash, rather than something we can recycle and reuse,” says Lee Mann, global community trade manager for The Body Shop.   With this initiative, The Body Shop also recognizes the human side of the plastic story. The program helps to empower the marginalized waste pickers in Bengaluru, who can receive a fair price for their work, predictable income and access to better working conditions. By the end of the year, The Body Shop will have purchased 250 tons of Community Trade recycled plastic to use in the brand’s 250 milliliter haircare bottles, with plans to scale up purchasing to 900 tons within three years. The bottles created contain 100 percent recycled plastic (excluding the bottle caps) with 15 percent derived from Community Trade recycled plastic. “Brands are starting to be more sustainable and aware of their plastic use. We absolutely want to encourage other brands to start using recycled plastic picked by waste pickers,” Mann says.   It appears that all generations, not just millennials and Generation Z, are taking a stand on sustainability. According to J. Walter Thompson Intelligence’s recent sustainability study, 90 percent of adult consumers think companies and brands have a responsibility to take care of the planet and its people. The same report concluded 91 percent of adults think companies and brands that pollute the environment should be fined.   We have officially entered the age of “less is more.” Retailers must factor sustainability into the brands they work with–and they may even want to go a step further and green their own business. Manufacturers and retailers alike will win by delivering big on product, but light on packaging.

There's winter and then there's Canadian winter. It can be a bone chilling, slipping and sliding, nose hair freezing, winter not-so wonderland. And there's no hiding from the fact that winter brings a particular set of beauty woes: dull and dry, scale-like skin, lips that crack with every smile and hair on the brink of breakage.   If you're looking to do your best to skip that winter mess, here are some products that just may help — tried and tested products from Canadian beauty experts.   Truc Nguyen, writer and fashion stylist     One of my favourite creams is Weleda's Skin Food Original, which feels great on the skin and smells lovely thanks to a blend of lavender, rosemary and sweet orange essential oils. It comes in two sizes, and the smaller tube (which can be recycled through a partnership with TerraCycle), and even fits into the pocket of my parka, for days when I am purse-free.   Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra Rich Cream,$17.29, Well.ca

We were just as surprised as you are when we noticed the luxury beauty brand being sold at everyone’s favorite down-home store. So immediately after adding to cart, we went on the hunt to see what other cool brands were lurking on the dot com. Behold, that very Gucci perfume, plus 12 other beauty favorites we can’t wait to get our hands on (for less, no doubt).

Considering how normal it is to temporarily excommunicate your BFF from the group chat for admitting she still uses cotton rounds to remove her mascara at night, it's safe to say that almost everyone is looking to be more eco-friendly in 2020. Unfortunately, quitting our worst beauty habits is hard — single-use cotton rounds, makeup removing wipes, non-recyclable plastic. . . we are criminals to doing it all. Of course, going waste-free or completely vegan overnight is, well, nearly impossible. Luckily, you can start small, like for example, with a sustainable holiday gift.   Reality checks come in all shapes and sizes, but finding out that your beauty routine is environmentally irresponsible is one a lot of people are facing lately. But taking the first step towards a more sustainable lifestyle can start with one cool product that can slowly, but surely, change your MO. Whether you're looking to encourage yourself to be a more mindful recycler or convince your roommate that refillable shampoo bottles are, in fact, chic as hell, there's a gift worth giving. Find our favourite sustainable beauty gifts ahead.    

Lush Santa’s Workshop

  Lush has always been at the forefront of sustainable innovation. So, when it comes to naked and vegan products, Lush does 'em best. What it does even better? Holiday gift sets. Lush's Santa's Workshop ($50) is a six-piece present filled with holiday magic, joy, and most importantly, festive bath essentials that are sure to convince anyone to cancel their weekend plans to, instead, soak in the tub with a bath bomb shaped like Rudolph. Even better, you can skip the wrapping paper thanks to the reusable — and cute! — tin holding it all together.  

Beauty by POPSUGAR All You Need! Gift Set

  Face it: it's time to be strict about the kind of beauty formulas you're investing in. Is your lip gloss tested on animals? Does your mascara use animal-derived ingredients? Does it come packaged with the kind of pomp and circumstance that will, ultimately, end up in a landfill? Hopefully, your answer is a resounding no; guarantee that it is with Beauty by POPSUGAR's All You Need! Gift Set ($36.60). This gift set doesn't just help you look good, but it can make everyone on your list go guilt-free this holiday season thanks to its non-toxic, cruelty-free formulas. Plus, this makeup essential trio — including the Be The Boss Lip Gloss, Thick + Thin Mascara, and Be Relentless Stay Put Eye Line — comes inside a reusable pouch you'll kind of want to keep for yourself.  

Aveda Rosemary Mint Travel Trio

  It's not really the holidays until travelling plans officially ensue. If you know a jet-setting friend who will be moving across the country for about two weeks straight to appease every side of their extended family, offer up the Aveda Rosemary Mint Travel Trio ($21). Not only does the minty formula utilise organic ingredients, but each one is packaged inside 80-100 percent post-consumer HDPE, so you can feel good about using these to the last drop (as long as you recycle, of course). Just think about all of the hotel shampoo bottles you'll help them save. . .    

Follain Seasons of Suds Set

  For the friend who doesn't go anywhere without their Hydro Flask and a minimum of three canvas tote bags, there's the Follain's Seasons of Suds Set ($30) to satisfy their sustainable needs. If cutting down on plastic waste is 2020 #goals, why not offer up the Everything Soap, which is packaged inside a pretty glass bottle? Better yet, it comes alongside a 38 oz. refill sure to last your pal months.    

Floral Street Discovery Set

  When you think sustainably-sourced materials, biodegradable packageing, and an animal-derived ingredient-free formula, perfume doesn't immediately come to mind. Now, thanks to Floral Street, it can. It's modern, accessible, affordable, and addicting (seriously, you'll probably consider picking up a bottle for yourself). Of course, buying perfume is a personal practice, so gift your S.O., mother, or BFF the Floral Street Discovery Set ($19) so they can find their perfect signature scent.  

True Botanicals Bodywash & Lotion Duo

  While you're in good company by making this brand your new go-to — Olivia Wilde and Laura Dern are fans — that's not the only reason why the True Botanicals Bodywash & Lotion Duo ($66) is so special. In fact, the appeal comes directly from the luxe formula packaged inside aluminium bottles. Better still, this set of two is housed inside a fully-recyclable box that's too good to hide underneath a bow. (Sure, it looks pretty, but it'll end up in the rubbish.)

Weleda Let It Glow Kit

  Some people's holiday wish is for it to snow; others just want their skin to stay quenched and bouncy even while engulfed in dry radiator heat. Consider the Weleda Let It Glow Kit ($7.99) hydrating duo for the coworker who sits by their desk with a mini humidifier and ceramide hand lotion on deck. While they'll feel safe knowing the unique blend of sunflower seed oil, chamomile, and calendula extracts are protecting their skin and lips, they can also feel good about the fact that the packageing is entirely recyclable; in fact, TerraCycle will do it for them.  

Best of E.l.f.

  Going vegan doesn't stop at your diet; it also extends to your beauty routine. Pick up the Best of E.l.f. Set ($15), a certified vegan and cruelty-free gift for yourself or that college roommate who still makes you feel guilty when you eat the occasional chicken nugget at 2 a.m. You know how it goes. . .  

Ren Atlantic Kelp Recycled Hand Wash & Lotion Set

  While Ren has yet to make all of its product packageing 100% recyclable, we stan a brand that is doing the hard work to get there the right way. Its latest innovation comes by way of a metal-free pump housed inside the brand's Atlantic Kelp line, including a body wash and lotion. Each bottle is also made with 20 percent reclaimed ocean plastic, while the other 80 percent is made from recycled plastic bottles. Bonus: every Atlantic Kelp Recycled Hand Wash & Lotion Set ($35) comes inside a 100 percent recyclable FSC-approved gift box that uses biodegradable lamination and is printed with vegetable-based ink. We consider that one a win-win-win.

Weleda (Arlesheim, Switzerland) has partnered with TerraCycle (Trenton, N.J.) to offer a collection and recycling program for its line of Skin Food products.   Using a prepaid shipping label TerraCycle provides, customers can mail their empty packaging—including flexible plastic tubes and caps, aluminum tubes and caps, and rigid plastic tubs and lids—for TerraCycle to recycle. Program participants can earn $1 per pound of packaging they send in for recycling, which they can donate to a nonprofit, school, or charitable organization of their choice. Visit terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/weleda

Next, I survey the survivors. I’m able to pardon a few of my favourites that have recently become fully recyclable thanks to deals with TerraCycle, a U.S. company that specializes in dealing with hard-to-recycle waste. The plastic packaging for both Eos lip balms and Weleda Skin Food products can now be mailed to TerraCycle for free (you just have to sign up online for a postage-paid envelope). I can return my tube of L’Occitane en Provence hand cream and Province Apothecary toner, including the spray pumps, to their respective stores to be taken care of. And, mercifully, a few of the natural skincare brands I love come in recyclable glass bottles, so my serums are safe.

And Swiss skin-care brand Weleda (weleda.com) has partnered with recycling company TerraCycle to offer an easy way to recycle packaging waste from its Skin Food line. Packaging, once collected via free prepaid shipping, is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled plastics.

A few weeks ago, I stood in my bathroom, casually contemplating what mascara to wear that day. I have several options in rotation; there’s the eye-opening full volume mascara (which I’m convinced makes me look less tired), the waterproof one (I think it was drizzling outside, so I was tabling that option), my classic brown-black for when I go au natural-ish… But as I surveyed my stash—and the surrounding mountains of makeup and skincare on the counter—a wave of eco-anxiety washed over me. Perhaps all of this was a little much? Suddenly, all those great products looked more like a massive pile of would-be beauty trash. At first, I felt a bit sick. Then, I was inspired to do something about it. As an experiment, I decided to go zero-waste for an entire month. And yes, it was about as difficult as it sounds.

It’s time to #breakupwithplastic

  If you’ve ever seen the image of a seahorse clutching a used cotton swab by wildlife photographer Justin Hofman, you know where I’m going with this. Our oceans are living—or more to the point, dying—proof: Disposable beauty consumption is out of control. “By 2050 we’re going to see more plastic in the ocean than fish [by weight],” says Kelsey Scarfone, water programs manager at Environmental Defence Canada, a national non-profit eco advocacy agency. Need a frightening factoid that hits a little closer to home? “Even in the Great Lakes we’re seeing the same level of plastics,” she says. And we’re not exaggerating when we say that the consequences are dire. According to Scarfone, “when plastics break down the problem becomes even more insidious—we’re now seeing microplastics in our food supply.” Sure, plastics from personal care products account for just part of the problem, but all of those bottles, tubs and tubes do add up.

Recycling isn’t as effective as you think

If you think all that plastic is getting recycled just because you toss it in your blue bin, you’re fooling yourself. All told, only 11% of our plastic waste in Canada is successfully making its way through the recycling system. This is due to recycling program inefficiencies, poor consumer compliance—meaning people aren’t rinsing out their containers first, or throwing them in the recycling bin at all—and plastics that simply aren’t recyclable in the first place. That last one is a huge problem. Yes, the technology may exist to recycle these plastics somewhere, but there’s no guarantee that your municipality’s curbside recycling program can accept them. For example, the City of Toronto can’t accept black takeout containers because they’re the same colour as the conveyer belt at the sorting plant, which makes it difficult for the plant’s technology to “see” them. And here’s where it gets even more confusing. There are two types of recycling symbols: Resin identification codes have three flat arrows and a number in the middle, while Mobius loops have three twisted arrows and no number. It’s very easy to mistake a resin identification code for the recycling symbol, but these codes only indicate the type of plastic—they don’t necessarily mean it’s recyclable. Environmental Defense is currently lobbying for a national strategy to make the system easier to understand and stop so much plastic from ending up in landfill or the environment. (You can help by signing their petition.)

My new approach: Reduce, refill, and yes, recycle

I begin my mission by Marie Kondo-ing the heck out of my beauty counter. Everything that’s in a plastic or no-good landfill-destined container is shelved for the month. (For the record, I will use them up later. It would be pretty silly to toss a perfectly good, albeit plastic-clad, hair mask in the name of waste reduction.) Next, I survey the survivors. I’m able to pardon a few of my favourites that have recently become fully recyclable thanks to deals with TerraCycle, a U.S. company that specializes in dealing with hard-to-recycle waste. The plastic packaging for both Eos lip balms and Weleda Skin Food products can now be mailed to TerraCycle for free (you just have to sign up online for a postage-paid envelope). I can return my tube of L’Occitane en Provence hand cream and Province Apothecary toner, including the spray pumps, to their respective stores to be taken care of. And, mercifully, a few of the natural skincare brands I love come in recyclable glass bottles, so my serums are safe. But recycling is only part of the solution. The next frontier in the sustainable packaging story is bulk beauty. I buy a box of glass bottles with stainless steel pumps on Amazon and take them into eco+amour, a sustainable living boutique in Toronto’s east end. “I’d say that half of our customers come in carrying a kit with Mason jars and a definite plan,” says co-owner Sarah Marcus, who is also co-founder of local natural beauty brand, Lines of Elan. Though the shop sells beautiful glass bottles you can fill with bulk shampoo, conditioner, body wash and more, they also keep a stash of sterilized jars behind the counter, which customers can borrow. “A lot of customers leave with a refill even though they didn’t come in with anything,” says Marcus. And as it turns out, buying in bulk isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also cheaper. You save between $2 and $5 on most of the refill products they carry.

Living that sustainable life is not without challenges

There’s definitely some beauty behaviour modification required to make this zero-waste ethos work, and it doesn’t end at refillable jars. It’s going to take some extra effort to mail back my empty face creams and lip balms to TerraCycle, for example. And I miss single-use makeup wipes. But face, body and hair care were relatively easy changes to make, and this new focus on packaging has lead me to some incredible discoveries: For one, I’ve swapped my old Sunday self-care sheet masking routine for a powder mask (Odacité Synergie Masque) and am loving my new glow. When the bottle is empty I can toss it in the blue bin—or upcycle it into a flower vase, suggests Laura Townsend, marketing director for The Detox Market, which sells this and many more sustainably packaged beauty products. “The Miron glass is so stunning, we use these as flower pots at home,” she says. The *real* challenge turned out to be makeup. The options aren’t exactly abundant when it comes to even near zero-waste cosmetics, and that’s especially true for people with darker skin or complexion challenges. Elate Cosmetics, for example, has one of the largest sustainably-packaged lines—its products come in compostable bamboo compacts and refills are wrapped in seed paper—and they still only have eight shades of foundation (which claim to cover up to 16 skin tones). I can probably do with fewer makeup options, to be honest. (Four weeks ago I counted 18 tubes of lipstick and gloss in my makeup mountain… and I almost always wear some variation of nude, anyway.) But that is certainly not the case for women of colour, as Fenty Beauty has proven.

My favourite zero-waste beauty discoveries

Over the course of the past month I’ve slowly curated what you might call a cosmetics capsule collection. It’s everything I need, and nothing more. My new makeup tray generates less waste, leaves more space on my bathroom counter and probably saves me time every morning—I no longer debate which mascara to wear, because there’s only one. (It’s Kjaer Weis lengthening mascara, BTW. It comes in the sleekest refillable stainless steel tube and wears as well as my old favourites.) And yes MK, this new routine is sparking major joy.