A simple Google search will lead you to dozens of articles on when you should throw away your makeup, but how to properly dispose of old cosmetics products is a subject that rarely get touched on in the beauty-sphere. While they may promise to enhance your appearance, beauty products that contain ecologically toxic chemicals — such as parabens, notorious for being used as preservatives in cosmetics, and triclosan, often found in makeup and skincare — can cause damage to the environment when they’re carelessly tossed in the trash or washed down the drain.
”Endocrine disruptors are among the most concerning for human health and for the environment, and this is particularly true when it comes to the marine environment,” says Hillary Peterson, founder of True Botanicals.
“Sunscreen ingredients [such as] oxybenzone and octinoxate bleach coral reefs, [while] synthetic fragrance molecules accumulate in the water supply, poisoning aquatic life. And it all comes back around — the chemicals persisting in the water supply end up in our bodies.”
Peterson also calls out surfactants, including SLS, SLES and TEA typically found in body washes, shampoos and face washes, as “they are very directly going down the drain [and] are toxic to aquatic organisms.”
ALEXIS ROSENFELD/GETTY IMAGES
But the content of beauty products isn’t the only source of environmental pollution. According to Philippa Duchastel de Montrouge, spokesperson for the Oceans & Plastics campaign at Greenpeace Canada, the sheer amount of plastic packaging produced by the beauty industry is just as threatening to our planet.
“Think of all the plastic bottles of shampoo, face wash, toner and other beauty products that are used and thrown away every month. We know that over 90-percent of all the plastic produced since the 1950s has not been recycled, and that currently in Canada only 10 to 12-percent of plastic waste is being recycled. So where is all this plastic waste ending up? It’s ending up in our environment, choking our oceans, in landfills or even at times being incinerated, causing air pollution and producing climate impacting greenhouse gases.”
As much as cosmetics brands and conglomerates are responsible for rethinking their products and packaging, beauty consumers are also able to help save the Earth by making more sustainable choices. There are more eco-friendly ways to declutter your beauty cabinet, for instance, than simply tossing the products away. So before you Marie Kondo your top shelf for spring cleaning, here are a few questions you should ask yourself.
Can the Packaging Be Recycled or Upcycled?
HANNA LA SALVIA/HYPEBAE
An easy first step towards enjoying beauty products responsibly is to diligently recycle emptied products. “When you have empty packaging that can be recycled, work to really be sure you are recycling all of the pieces properly or reuse the empty packaging for a new purpose,” says David de Rothschild, environmentalist and founder of The Lost Explorer Wellness.
For packaging that cannot be recycled in your curbside collection program, consider returning the items to the brand, or look to TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling conventionally hard-to-recycle waste.
“Follain uses TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box that allows customers to recycle all empty product packaging. Once each box has been filled, we send it back to TerraCycle to be repurposed. These boxes can be found in each of our stores as well as our office,” says Tara Foley, founder and CEO of cult-loved green beauty retailer, Follain. She adds that the ultimate goal is to ”shift people to purchase products with more eco-friendly packaging.”
“[Recycle] all of the pieces properly or reuse the empty packaging for a new purpose.”
Another attainable solution to beauty waste is upcycling. Foley encourages makeup and skincare enthusiasts to get creative with repurposing empty packaging. For example, using jars as planters, spray and glass bottles as vases, and smaller containers as holders for jewelry and other knickknacks.
Are There Ways to Donate Beauty Products?
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Pre-loved clothes and old household items are commonly accepted at thrift stores, but is it possible to find new homes for beauty products? ”There are many organizations that accept [donations] like Beauty Bus, [which] supports terminally ill patients and caregivers with new products,” Foley suggests, “and Share Your Beauty, which provides products to women and teens in crisis.”
Project Beauty Share, which supports women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness and poverty, also accepts brand new and lightly used cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
Wands for Wildlife, an Appalachian Wildlife Refuge program that went viral on the Internet earlier this year, receives cleaned, used mascara wands from around the world and upcycles the fine bristle brushes to remove fly eggs and larva from wild animals in its shelter.
In the U.K., a non-profit called Beauty Banks – co-founded by journalist Sali Hughes and brand and communications consultant Jo Jones – is committed to reduce beauty waste by collecting and distributing unused personal care and beauty items to local charities.
“[Sali and I] both work in the beauty industry and love it, but we’re also appalled by the waste of product. We independently became aware of a term called ‘hygiene poverty’ where individuals and families can’t afford to be clean and we’re obviously horrified by it. The idea of children going to school without being able to have a shower or wash their hair, wear deodorant or families having to choose between food and hygiene products because they couldn’t afford both was truly dehumanizing” Jones tells us. “So we started Beauty Banks with the simple purpose of marrying the haves with the have-nots.”
“Of course we are grateful for any brands that we receive, but to send a women’s refuge or care leavers’ charity parcels of luxury [beauty] products is priceless.”
The Beauty Banks has made donating beauty products relatively straight-forward and easy with a number of convenient ways to contribute. Its partnership with Easho allows you to purchase specific wish list items that people living in serious poverty would like to be donated. For those who prefer to donate unused products that have been sitting in their cupboard, the organization has also set up donation drop off points at a network of Superdrug branches and other businesses such as hair salons, nail bars and large offices across the country.
“One thing we do know is that you have to make it easy for people to help — you have to take away any friction to donate because people are busy and there are so many worthy causes they could be supporting.
But what’s been so inspiring is how many people want to do more than sending us products — they want to take action — get their workplace or community involved and do something more, or volunteer to help us pack boxes or drive and deliver donations across the country,” says Jones.
DARREN LUK/HYPEBAE
As insiders of the beauty industry themselves, Jones and Hughes also work closely with publications such as VogueandThe Timesas well as YouTube influencers like Nadine Baggott to collate never-been-used product samples.
“[Unused press samples are] a real treasure for us, because supplying charities with premium brands and lovely beauty items like fragrances and luxury makeup can have a hugely empowering and self-esteem boosting impact,” Jones explains.
“Who doesn’t love getting a Chanel fragrance or an Estée Lauder lipstick? I know I do. Of course we are grateful for any brands that we receive, but to send a women’s refuge or care leavers’ charity parcels of luxury products is priceless. We would love and encourage any influencer who has an abundance of products they don’t need to consider donating them to us — or to a charity close to their hearts.”
Have You Given Beauty Brands the Feedback That They Needed?
HANNA LA SALVIA/HYPEBAE
On the topic of influencer marketing, beauty brands should also be mindful of the huge amount of waste they could potentially generate through excessive gifting.
“Brands can ask influencers what exactly they want to receive. I guess it wouldn’t work with everyone, some people want everything… but it would help me a lot,” says Yana Sheptovetskaya, better known by her Instagram moniker @gelcream. ”I moved two years ago but a big PR [company] still sends packages there.”
Digital content creator Karen Yeung, who boasts 1.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, shares a similar sentiment: ”It feels overwhelming every week. I love testing out new products and I’m grateful I get sent products for free, but there’s only so much one girl can use. I usually give my family or friends any extras I don’t plan on using. I actually have a large bin in my garage of freebies for whenever friends come over. It feels good being able to find these products a new home.”
“Businesses respond to consumer behaviour all the time so don’t be shy to speak up and voice your concerns.”
But you don’t have to be a key opinion leader in order to promote change within the industry. As Duchastel de Montrouge of Greenpeace Canada suggests, businesses tend to respond to consumer behaviour so it is important to voice your concerns and give beauty brands the feedback that they needed.
“From face cream to conditioner, mascara to hair spray, zero waste and health food stores are starting to offer the option of refilling your own jars and containers for your products. If you’re stuck on a favourite brand, ask them if they would oblige and you may be surprised by the answer. Smaller, local producers may be more willing to oblige.”
How Can You Shop Sustainably in the Future?
MAXIME CARDOL/HYPEBAE
Not only is there a growing demand for sustainably formulated beauty products, but there is also a dire need for Earth-friendly ways that these products are being brought to consumers. “There are plastic alternatives that are becoming more prevalent around the world, but to bring about change at the scale needed, corporations are going to have to innovate as only they can afford to do [so],” Duchastel de Montrouge tells us.
With that in mind, consider supporting a beauty brand that employs sustainable packaging the next time you need to replace something in your beauty regimen.
“[We] chose easily recyclable materials, glass and aluminum,” says Peterson of True Botanicals. “Everything we make is certified nontoxic for people and the planet by MADE SAFE. Our ingredients are sustainably sourced, and our packaging is recyclable. Even with these constraints, we’re able to make products that truly perform. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice results for health – for the planet or for yourself.”
For those who’re looking to lead a zero waste lifestyle, you’ll be able to find a large selection of products designed with refillable, recyclable and biodegradable packaging at Follain. “A few examples are Follain’s refillable hand and body soap, Kjaer Weis‘ refillable makeup and Meow Meow Tweets‘ deodorant creams,” Foley suggests, “they come in only glass or biodegradable paper sticks.”
“Don’t buy with a disposable mindset. Buy with the mindset that you will use every drop in the bottle and then do that.”
Besides avoiding over-packaged products, doing your research about cosmetics companies on how they treat their employees, their community and nature is also crucial in helping you become a more sustainable shopper.
“We live in a time now where there is so many options for really great natural and sustainable products, you just have to be sure they are coming from a good source and have good intentions behind the company,” says de Rothschild of The Lost Explorer, a brand that prides itself on its facial and body care line formulated without parabens, phthalates, sulphates and synthetic fragrances or colors.
Above all else, beauty consumers need to be thoughtful about the way they shop. If possible, simplify your daily makeup and skincare routine to cut down on the amount of waste you produce. And as Jones of Beauty Banks says, “don’t buy with a disposable mindset,” but purchase an item only when you’re able to commit to using every last drop in the bottle.
Impossible Foods was founded with an ambitious mission: to restore biodiversity and reduce the impact of climate change by replacing the use of animals as a food production technology. This commitment is at the core of everything we do. It’s the driving force that motivates us. And we know we aren’t the only ones.
In honor of Earth Day this year, we took a look at other companies who share our mission to save the planet by empowering consumers to make good choices in everyday life. There are many more, but here are a few we know and love:
ACTIVATE: Patagonia
“We’re in business to save our home planet.”
Like many other planet-forward companies, Patagonia uses all resources at their disposal to make an impact. Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, was key to the establishment of “benefit corporations” — expanding the boundaries of traditional corporate models to include creation of environmental and social good. Famously known as “The Activist Company,” Patagonia doesn’t limit their work to the products they make: they use their corporate platform to champion important environmental issues, including the preservation of Bears Ears National Park, the Green New Deal, and more. Learn more about Patagonia’s mission on their website.
DRIVE: Tesla
“Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Founded on the belief that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of quality, Tesla has helped universalize the concept of electric personal transit. With their vehicles alone, they have prevented over 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere — not to mention the tangential impact of other car companies following their lead. In the spirit of moving toward a zero-emission future, Tesla has now expanded their efforts to create a sustainable energy ecosystem — releasing products like Powerwall, Powerpack and Solar Roof. Learn more about Tesla’s mission on their website.
SHOP: thredUP
“thredUP is on a mission to inspire a new generation of shoppers to think secondhand, first.”
The fashion industry is notoriously harmful to the environment. Every year, new clothing production contributes billions of pounds of waste to our landfills — in addition to using precious natural resources and polluting our atmosphere. thredUP encourages more people to give clothes a second life before buying something new. Their ultimate goal is to change the way new generations think about used clothing and in doing so, inspire a movement around sustainable fashion. They’ve crunched the numbers and again, the small actions add up: if everyone chose used over new just once a year, almost 6 billion pounds of emissions, 25 billion gallons of water, and 449 million pounds of waste would be saved. Learn more about thredUP’s mission on their website.
EAT: Beyond Meat
“At Beyond Meat, we believe there is a better way to feed the planet.”
Beyond Meat is one of our many allies in the fight for a more sustainable global food system. Like us, they believe that plant-based protein is the future — one that will improve human health, alleviate climate change, reduce global resource constraints and improve animal welfare. They focus on using familiar vegetable proteins, such as pea-protein and beet juice, to recreate the experience of eating meat. Beyond Meat first launched in Whole Foods, and now has multiple products across retail and foodservice that all have a significantly lower impact on the environment than animal-based protein. Learn more about Beyond Meat’s mission on their website.
DRINK: S’well
“S’well’s ongoing mission is to create products that are both beautiful and eco-friendly, that infuse innovation with inspiration, and that continue to give back to communities in need.”
Sometimes, something as simple as purchasing a reusable water bottle can have a monumental impact. Disposable water bottles are one of the biggest contributors to single-use plastic consumption. Globally, 1,000,000 plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and most of these plastics end up in landfills or waterways. S’well is dedicated to reducing that consumption by providing an alternative that people are excited to use: fashionable, functional, and better for the planet. Learn more about S’well’s mission on their website.
CLEAN: The Seventh Generation
“We’re inspiring a consumer revolution that nurtures the health of the next seven generations.”
For the past thirty years, Seventh Generation has been looking out for the planet and the people on it. Founded on the belief that a company’s values are as important as the products they put out into the world, Seventh Generation has set a gold standard for corporate social responsibility. Their products do more than clean your home — by using plant-based ingredients and recycled packaging, they also safeguard the environment. And they haven’t stopped there: their Social Mission Board continues to raise the bar for sustainable practices to ensure a continued dedication to people and planet. Learn more about Seventh Generation’s mission on their website.
RECYCLE: TerraCycle
“TerraCycle is Eliminating the Idea of Waste® by recycling the ‘non-recyclable.’”
Though the definition of what is “recyclable” has become increasingly limited, TerraCycle is out to prove that anything can have a second life. Through partnerships with companies, manufacturers, municipalities and more, they’ve implemented a number of solutions to make recycling more feasible for both businesses and consumers. These solutions include free recycling programs, Zero-Waste Boxes (allowing people to send in everything from action figures to flip flops), and a host of educational resources. So far, they’ve successfully diverted millions of pounds of waste from landfills and incinerators — preventing them from polluting our oceans, terra forms, and atmosphere. Learn more about TerraCycle’s mission on their website.
In order to protect the best-known planet in the universe, we’ll need to work together.
We applaud companies with this mindset, and encourage our friends and fans to explore the different ways they can make a positive impact.
Earth Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the issue at hand and remember why we’re fighting for this great planet. This is why we’re supporting our friends at The North Face (Read about their environmental efforts on their website) to petition to make Earth Day a national holiday — so we can all take time to appreciate this place we call home.
Our environmental crises might conjure the seventh circle of hell, but a group of trailblazers may just help lead us (and, yes, our beauty routines) to eco-redemption.
The Visionary
Rhandi Goodman, TerraCycleBecause everything can be recycled.
You can’t commit to loving the climate without three crucial words: mixed-material objects. We’re talking about things like lotion pumps made of both plastic and metal coils. Collecting and sorting these materials costs more than the items themselves. So TerraCycle takes objects that cannot be categorized into a standard sorting bin (toothbrushes) or even things normally tossed in the garbage (cigarette butts, candy wrappers) and makes it happen. “When we think about recycling,” says Rhandi Goodman, the global vice president of Zero Waste at TerraCycle in Trenton, New Jersey, “most people just think of what they collect curbside. In reality, everything can be recycled; it’s just a matter of being able to sort and separate. At TerraCycle, we have a team of scientists to develop the recycling process for these items.”
Step one: providing packaging recycling for companies (some of them beauty brands) that use mixed materials. Two: showing them how to use sustainable materials in their products. Three: achieving zero waste through a new program called Loop that refills existing durable packaging. For instance, TerraCycle worked with Bausch + Lomb to implement a recycling program for its contact lenses and blister packs. Admittedly, this process is expensive. But companies who have joined TerraCycle (40,000 and growing) have worked not just to make their own products recyclable but also to fund their categories. “Our national free recycling program is funded by major brands and allows consumers to collect and send their waste to TerraCycle for recycling at no cost to the consumer,” says Goodman.
Karen Neder, of Moline, is passionate about recycling, going so far as to find places to send toothpaste tubes, coffee bags and blue jeans.
Tara Witherow, of Davenport, plants native coreopsis and purple coneflowers in her front yard, saying a green lawn is "just a waste" because it provides nothing for birds or insects.
Rod Saelens, of Fyre Lake, Illinois, gives money to Planned Parenthood because he considers overpopulation as the globe's biggest challenge.
Sandy Stanely, of Muscatine, is board president of Clean Air Muscatine, a nonprofit group organized in 2011 to prod Grain Processing Co. to stop polluting the city's air with particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.
These are the stories of four of the 20-25 Quad-City area residents who showed up March 25 at a gathering of environmentally minded people at a Davenport restaurant.
The event was organized by members of Progressive Action for the Common Good, a nonprofit that aims to educate, engage and empower for the common good. But the goal was to launch a different, informal group called Green Drinks.
The aim of Green Drinks is to bring together like-minded people to share interests and socialize. It is targeted at people who work in environmental fields, but anyone interested is welcome. The first group was organized in London in 1989.
Climate change was high on the minds of everyone at the Davenport meeting, but participants also had personal stories — things they're worried about, things they're doing in their own lives.
In celebration of the 49th observance of Earth Day, here are their stories.
Karen Neder, passionate recycler
Neder got started on her recycling path in 2007 when she joined an Earth Keepers group at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moline. The group was to figure out ways the congregation could be more environmentally responsible.
Going online, Neder located TerraCycle, a private U.S. recycling business headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey. According to its website, it collects what is essentially non-recyclable waste and partners with corporate donors to turn it into raw material to be used in new products.
There's even a rebate program in which recycling can be a fundraiser.
One of the items Neder recycles is chip bags, the foil-lined containers in which Fritos or similar snacks are packaged. Forty pounds is the minimum amount accepted for credit; the last time Neder sent in a shipment, she had 54 pounds.
"That is a lot of snack bags," she said. "And you have to have a gigantic box. I went to Menards and got a refrigerator box." For her efforts, she received two cents per bag, or $84.
Neder has her pastor's enthusiastic blessing, and he has given her a room in the church complex in which to collect, sort and box her recyclables. (She previously did everything at home.) The church has sorting parties once a month.
By now Neder has expanded her reach beyond TerraCycle, thanks to ferreting out programs on the internet for glue sticks, crayons, blue jeans, floppy discs, old sports trophies ... all sorts of things.
She speaks to various groups to spread the word and is heartened by the support she is getting.
"Over the last year, this program has taken off like you wouldn't believe," she said.
Ultimately, though, society's goal should be to slash its dependence on plastic, which is infecting every place on earth, including the human body.
"Plastic never ever goes away," Neder said. "Every single bit that has ever been made is still on the planet. You can't recycle it, you can only downcycle... I think of our oceans, the garbage in our oceans, whales filled with garbage."
To reduce her own use of plastic, she has adopted a habit that she recommends to others of always carrying with her a reusable straw, at least two reusable bags and a reusable drinking container.
That way, one can turn down single-use plastic straws and bags and when buying a beverage, can ask to have it poured into your own reusable container rather than a single-use cup.
Neder also keeps a container in her car trunk to take with her into restaurants in case she has leftover food.
That is a common feeling. Another is the dread of cleaning out the items, and for those with an environmentally-conscious mindset, figuring out where those items are going can be just as stressful.
Aubrei Krummert, owner of the Athens business Real World Organizing, has made her job one where she can be as environmentally conscious and "green" as possible. Krummert is a professional organizer, in the same vein as pop-culture icon Marie Kondo, but Krummert's philosophy is less focused on minimalism and more geared toward functionality. One of the defining parts of her business is how concerned she remains about the future of the items she removes from clients' homes.
Because of that, Krummert has become an expert on local ways to recycle or donate almost anything a home would have, and has found numerous ways to divert even the smallest items from landfills. A stray screw? She'll hold onto that for ReUse Industries. Fraying T-shirts? She'll drop a bunch off at Goodwill, which recycles fabrics. Even old beauty products are gathered in a big box and shipped off to TerraCycle, a company that offers recycling solutions for almost anything.
In Krummert's world, everything has a meaningful purpose that allows it to be changed into something new and useful.
Krummert first was introduced to professional organizing seven years ago, and immediately took an interest. Sometimes, she said, her work is just about the material items. Usually, though, the removal of items and organizing of clients' homes resonates with something deeper than that. Krummert says she starts her consultations by asking about the mindset and emotional status of her clients.
"Because if someone is totally preoccupied with something else in their head, be it major or minor, then I'd rather know that so I know how to deal with their stuff and them, because it's very personal," she explained. "It has everything to do with peoples' lifestyle habits and routines."
Once she knows what items are leaving and what are staying, that's when her work as a "master recycler" begins. She works with the Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers, ReStore, Athens MakerSpace and many other organizations (on a local and national level) to ensure that she is discarding items as responsibly as possible. She says the educational component of recycling is one of the reasons why it can seem so prohibitive to begin.
"People want to be green — they do. But the education component of being green is highly misleading. The education component nationwide is something the recycling industries has not done well at," she said. "As a business owner, I feel the responsibility to take advantage of it, and I see the opportunity and feel the need for it."
Krummert's house, where she bases Real World Organizing, reflects that undertaking. In her garage, one wall is dedicated to the sorting of various items that will later be transported for recycling, reuse and more. Of course, she's not perfect and some items do go to the landfill, but as Krummert said, "once you know, you can't un-know."
At Province Apothecary, we are committed to providing organic and ethically sourced products, and continually finding ways to reduce our environmental footprint. For the last few years, we have offered a recycling incentive program to local customers: if you bring in 5 used PA bottles, you receive a free lip balm. We recycle all returned product bottles with the City of Toronto.
In an effort to further reduce the environmental impact of cosmetic waste, we have partnered with a program called Terracycle for repurposing + recycling packaging that isn't currently accepted in the municipal program and might otherwise end up in landfills or waterways.
What is Terracycle and what do they do?
TerraCycle is a highly-awarded and globally recognized recycling company that develops zero waste solutions for difficult-to-recycle waste streams. The waste is collected through their Zero Waste System and is then sorted and repurposed into affordable, innovative products instead of being sent to a landfill.
How is this different than our last recycling program?
We have always recycled our bottles with the City of Toronto but until this point, we have not been able to recycle droppers, sprayers, or pumps. With Terracycle, we are able to continue to recycle glass and plastic packaging as well as materials like our pumps and droppers, mist sprayers, tins, lip balm tubes, and other hard-to-recycle packaging.
What are some ways that Terracycle diverts waste from landfills?
METALS | Metals are separated by specific type and smelted into ingots for re-use.
PLASTICS | Plastics are separated by number and melted down. From there, most plastics are turned into small pellets that can be molded and extruded into unique shapes and products.
GLASS | Glass is cleaned and sorted by color for processing. It is then crushed and melted to be used in new glass products or other applications.
What will you accept in your new recycling program?
We will continue to honour our “bring back 5 empty Province Apothecary containers to receive 1 free lip balm.” We will accept + recycle packaging from our entire product line, including:
Wellness + Perfume Roll-on vials
Lip balm containers
Sample containers and vials
Please ensure minimal residual product on your returns. Please note that sample packaging will not count towards receiving a free lip balm.
We're so excited to be broadening our in-store recycling program and we hope you'll continue to bring us your empty PA containers!
Every city has different recycling policies, and many cities have stopped recycling, so your best bet is to start by refusing, reducing, and reusing, but you can also make a point to buy products in packaging that can be more easily recycled.
For example, we switched to dish detergent and laundry pods in cardboard, and we try to seek out plastic-free packaging as much as possible.
If you produce products, consider switching your packaging to something that’s easier to recycle.
If your business does a lot of shipping, consider swapping plastic shipping containers for paper, and even plastic tape for paper tape.
If your business has a storefront, you might also consider setting up TerraCycle bins to help your community recycle otherwise difficult to recycle items. This is a great way to bring more locals into your store while doing something good for your community.
As a photographer, I purchased a TerraCycle zero waste bin to recycle any materials associated with my photo products that would otherwise go in the trash.
Don't be so quick to throw that worn-out equipment in the landfill
Photo: Jetboil
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According to the EPA, recyclable materials likerubber, leather, and textiles comprised about 11 percent (or 19.3 million tons) of the waste thrown in American landfills in 2015. Yeah, it’s easy to toss a worn-out piece of gear in the trash and forget about it, but its usefulness doesn’t have to end there. Consider these options instead.
Turn Tent Scraps into Backpacks
(Courtesy Pitroviz/iStock)The nylon or polyester material of tent bodies can easily be sewn onto other tents or camping gear to patch holes or tears. If you want to get more creative, turn it into gym bags, grocery bags, or wallets for yourself or friends and family. If you’d rather ship the tent off to someone else to repurpose, programs like Green Guru accept donations and reinvent them as backpacks or even beer-can holders for bikes.
Punch Holes in Fuel Canisters
(Sage Friedman/Unsplash)When it comes time to recycle a fuel canister, use the the Jetboil CrunchIt tool to release all remaining fumes from the top nozzle. Once there’s no propane left, use the same tool to puncture a small hole in the canister using the integrated wrench. This allows it to be recycled properly, as machines can’t process pressurized containers. After making the hole, write “Empty” on the canister in bold black marker to give the workers at the recycling facilities a clear indication that it’s safe. If they question that it’s empty, its safer for them to throw it away than investigate. And check your local recycling regulations, since most canisters are made of stainless steel, which many curbside pickup services don’t accept. You may need to drive spent canisters to a special drop-off location.
Craft with Bike Tubes
(Courtesy REI Co-op)Here in New Mexico, we have tons of goatheads—spiny demon seeds of an invasive weed that puncture bike tires and stab the bottoms of unshod feet—on our roads and trails, leading to endless flats. Thankfully, there are many options for recycling old bike tubes: both REI and Green Guru will take them via mail-in or drop-off. (Though with REI, call ahead to make sure your local shop participates in the program.) There are also many tutorials on crafts you can do with old bike tubes, like create earrings or wallets.
Host a Clothing Swap
(Nick De Partee/Unsplash)Keeping apparel in use just nine extra months can reduce the related carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20 or 30 percent. But most people throw clothing in a garbage bag and bring it to their closest thrift store, many of which receive more donations than they can realistically sell. (So much, in fact, that only about 20 percent is actually resold.) Instead, organize a clothing swap with your friends. Or if you’re holding on to old Patagonia clothing specifically, the brand offers trade-ins at its stores and resells the used clothing in the Worn Wear online marketplace. Also, San Francisco–based Marine Layer is launching a program called Re-Spun at the end of April, and it will pay you $5 per old T-shirt from any brand (up to $25) and then make new ones out of them.
Collect Energy-Bar Wrappers
(Courtesy TerraCycle)OK, these don’t really count as gear, but I’m sure you go through a few energy bars now and then. And each one comes in an aluminum-coated, single-use wrapper. TerraCycle will take them off your hands if you rinse the wrappers off and mail them in. The company cleans and melts them into hard plastic that can be remolded into shower curtains, bags, and even shoes. Plus, Clif Bar will donate one cent per wrapper to the American Forests American ReLeaf Program for all qualifying shipments over five pounds to the TerraCycle program
These innovative brands are making it easy for you to become more environmentally responsible
We’re going to assume that you’re already aware of the impact of plastics on marine life: That every day, eight million pieces of plastic find their way into the oceans and ever year, 100,000 marine mammals and one million sea birds are killed by marine plastic pollution. Like us, you may even have seen the footage of the pregnant whale that was found with almost 50 pounds of plastic in its stomach.
You’re probably doing your very best to reduce your environmental impact by consuming thoughtfully, and recycling what you can, but when it comes to beauty, that can be challenging. You need to wash yourself and brush your teeth, so there’s only so much you can reduce your consumption, and often, beauty packaging is tough to recycle.
“The first issue is that it tends to be small. Small items of packaging, less than 2.5 inches in diameter will generally not be captured in recycling facilities,” explains Eva Cook, brand PR specialist at LUSH. “The other challenge is that cosmetics packaging can be made up of multiple kinds of materials that can’t be easily separated; for example, a metal component with glass and paper. Consider a lipstick or eyeshadow—the external plastic case may be recyclable but there may be another material that the product actually sits in and that can’t be separated in order for it to be recycled.”
On top of that, beauty products are mostly packaged in virgin plastic, made straight from petrochemicals, so recycling them is not really getting to the root of the sustainability problem.
“Being recyclable is a good start but no longer the endgame,” says Australian haircare brand founder Kevin Murphy. “Because of that, we are seeing a really positive shift to a more preventative mindset. Rather than simply producing packaging that can be popped into a recycle bin, companies are being challenged to get resourceful with the materials they use and consumer demand is what is driving this change.”
Here, five tips to help you be a more responsible beauty fan...
1. Lose your virginity
... when it comes to plastics, that is. It’s possible to make plastic from renewable materials, such as sugarcane, like British men’s skincare brand Bulldog Skincare does. “For every 100 tonnes of sugarcane plastic used in Bulldog tubes, 309 tonnes of CO2 is taken out of the environment,” says brand founder Simon Duffey.
There are also plenty of brands using non-virgin, post-consumer recycled plastic for their packaging, including massive producers like Unilever, which recently announced a commitment to 50 percent recycled content in its North American packaging.
Taking things to the next level are L’Oreal’s new Source Essentielle vegan haircare line, which is in 100 per cent recycled packaging, and Kevin Murphy’s entire range, which now comes in 100 per cent recycled packaging from ocean waste.
“This initiative is a reflection of the company’s unwavering values, and represents an urgent call to action to help protect our vast oceans and marine life,” says Murphy.
Both brands also package their products in square, not round bottles, which uses less plastic and packing materials, and takes up less shipping space so the overall carbon footprint is reduced.
2. Have your fill
Buy pretty refillable bottles (Homesense always has good options) and then fill, refill and refill once more. Some brands make this easy—L’Oreal Source Essentielle bottles can be refilled directly at salons, while brands like Kjaer Weis and Elate Cosmetics allow you to purchase refills of their makeup. Elate’s packaging is also made from sustainable bamboo, and refills come in biodegradable seed paper.
3. Get naked
Brands like LUSH are cutting the waste by reducing overall packaging, or in some cases, cutting it completely. Around 40 percent of its range is packaging-free (the brand calls it ‘naked’ (all packaging is made from materials that are recycled, recyclable, reusable or compostable) and each new range over the past year has been offered in a naked version. LUSH even has zero-waste Naked shops in Milan, Berlin and Manchester, and is touring a bath-bomb pop-up in North America soon. Another great low-waste brand is Calgary’s Unwrapped Life, which also offers home products like laundry soap and dryer balls.
4. Go a little further
Now that you’ve considered the more obvious beauty products, it’s time to examine things a little harder. Simon Duffey says that in 1990 (the most recent data available), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)estimated that two billion razors were thrown away each year in the US alone.
“Stats like this are why we wanted to ensure our new Original Bamboo Razor was as environmentally friendly as possible,” he says. It has a handle made from sustainable bamboo, and the packaging is recycled and printed with environmentally friendly ink. The brand is also vegan and cruelty-free international certified.
Victoria-based BamBrush is taking a similar approach with toothbrushes—it makes the handles from 100 percent biodegradable moso bamboo. The nylon bristles can be removed when you’re done with your toothbrush so the handle can be composted.
Then there are plastic bottles: Sure, water is a big part of your beauty regimen, but stats from Earthday.org suggest that by using a reusable bottle, you can save 156 plastic bottles a year. Brita’s dishwasher-safe Premium Filtering Water Bottle contains a filter, fits into most cup holders, and best of all, is completely leak-free.
5. Go all the way
For products that can’t be recycled through your domestic program, there’s TerraCycle. You can buy a zero-waste box from them and fill it with toothbrushes, lipsticks and pump bottles, or you can also check out their brand partnerships.
Brita customers can return filters and old water bottles or jugs to them for free. TerraCycle also facilitates a program for L’Occitane, where you can return packaging from any brand, of virtually any type, in store and receive 10 per cent off products. The Body Shop is about to launch a similar program, Return, Recycle, Repeat where those who bring five of the brand’s products receive a $10 voucher, and any other brand’s packaging can also be returned.
Meanwhile, LUSH runs its own recycling scheme: when you return five of the brand’s little black pots, you get a face mask in return. And with M.A.C’s Back to M.A.C program, you get a free lippie when you give back six pieces of packaging.
6. Tell them what you want
These days, virtually every brand is accessible on social media and via their websites, so and ask them about their sustainability and recycling efforts. The good ones are responsive, transparent, and will explain their policies to you. After that, decide which brands align with your own values—whatever they are—and spend your money there.
The Toledo Zoo will host its annual Party for the Planet recycling drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 27 in its main parking lot off the Anthony Wayne Trail.
Items to be collected include up to 10 car tires, clothing, small appliances, electronics, toner and ink printer cartridges, cell phones, and materials like aluminum cans, cardboard, and newspaper. TerraCycle items, like food pouches, cereal and chip bags, and beauty and oral care packaging will also be accepted.
An off-site location at Woodsdale Park adjacent to the zoo will collect paint, which will cost $1 per can to recycle. Secure document shredding and recycling will also be available.
Televisions, CRT monitors, large appliances, air conditioners, light bulbs, and batteries will not be accepted. A full list of recyclable items is available at toledozoo.org/planet.
No parking or admission fee will be charged to those dropping off items for the event.
ALEXIS ROSENFELD/GETTY IMAGES
But the content of beauty products isn’t the only source of environmental pollution. According to Philippa Duchastel de Montrouge, spokesperson for the Oceans & Plastics campaign at Greenpeace Canada, the sheer amount of plastic packaging produced by the beauty industry is just as threatening to our planet.
“Think of all the plastic bottles of shampoo, face wash, toner and other beauty products that are used and thrown away every month. We know that over 90-percent of all the plastic produced since the 1950s has not been recycled, and that currently in Canada only 10 to 12-percent of plastic waste is being recycled. So where is all this plastic waste ending up? It’s ending up in our environment, choking our oceans, in landfills or even at times being incinerated, causing air pollution and producing climate impacting greenhouse gases.”
As much as cosmetics brands and conglomerates are responsible for rethinking their products and packaging, beauty consumers are also able to help save the Earth by making more sustainable choices. There are more eco-friendly ways to declutter your beauty cabinet, for instance, than simply tossing the products away. So before you Marie Kondo your top shelf for spring cleaning, here are a few questions you should ask yourself.
HANNA LA SALVIA/HYPEBAE
An easy first step towards enjoying beauty products responsibly is to diligently recycle emptied products. “When you have empty packaging that can be recycled, work to really be sure you are recycling all of the pieces properly or reuse the empty packaging for a new purpose,” says David de Rothschild, environmentalist and founder of The Lost Explorer Wellness.
For packaging that cannot be recycled in your curbside collection program, consider returning the items to the brand, or look to TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling conventionally hard-to-recycle waste.
“Follain uses TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box that allows customers to recycle all empty product packaging. Once each box has been filled, we send it back to TerraCycle to be repurposed. These boxes can be found in each of our stores as well as our office,” says Tara Foley, founder and CEO of cult-loved green beauty retailer, Follain. She adds that the ultimate goal is to ”shift people to purchase products with more eco-friendly packaging.”
DARREN LUK/HYPEBAE
Pre-loved clothes and old household items are commonly accepted at thrift stores, but is it possible to find new homes for beauty products? ”There are many organizations that accept [donations] like Beauty Bus, [which] supports terminally ill patients and caregivers with new products,” Foley suggests, “and Share Your Beauty, which provides products to women and teens in crisis.”
Project Beauty Share, which supports women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness and poverty, also accepts brand new and lightly used cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
Wands for Wildlife, an Appalachian Wildlife Refuge program that went viral on the Internet earlier this year, receives cleaned, used mascara wands from around the world and upcycles the fine bristle brushes to remove fly eggs and larva from wild animals in its shelter.
In the U.K., a non-profit called Beauty Banks – co-founded by journalist Sali Hughes and brand and communications consultant Jo Jones – is committed to reduce beauty waste by collecting and distributing unused personal care and beauty items to local charities.
“[Sali and I] both work in the beauty industry and love it, but we’re also appalled by the waste of product. We independently became aware of a term called ‘hygiene poverty’ where individuals and families can’t afford to be clean and we’re obviously horrified by it. The idea of children going to school without being able to have a shower or wash their hair, wear deodorant or families having to choose between food and hygiene products because they couldn’t afford both was truly dehumanizing” Jones tells us. “So we started Beauty Banks with the simple purpose of marrying the haves with the have-nots.”
DARREN LUK/HYPEBAE
As insiders of the beauty industry themselves, Jones and Hughes also work closely with publications such as Vogue and The Times as well as YouTube influencers like Nadine Baggott to collate never-been-used product samples.
“[Unused press samples are] a real treasure for us, because supplying charities with premium brands and lovely beauty items like fragrances and luxury makeup can have a hugely empowering and self-esteem boosting impact,” Jones explains.
“Who doesn’t love getting a Chanel fragrance or an Estée Lauder lipstick? I know I do. Of course we are grateful for any brands that we receive, but to send a women’s refuge or care leavers’ charity parcels of luxury products is priceless. We would love and encourage any influencer who has an abundance of products they don’t need to consider donating them to us — or to a charity close to their hearts.”
HANNA LA SALVIA/HYPEBAE
On the topic of influencer marketing, beauty brands should also be mindful of the huge amount of waste they could potentially generate through excessive gifting.
“Brands can ask influencers what exactly they want to receive. I guess it wouldn’t work with everyone, some people want everything… but it would help me a lot,” says Yana Sheptovetskaya, better known by her Instagram moniker @gelcream. ”I moved two years ago but a big PR [company] still sends packages there.”
Digital content creator Karen Yeung, who boasts 1.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, shares a similar sentiment: ”It feels overwhelming every week. I love testing out new products and I’m grateful I get sent products for free, but there’s only so much one girl can use. I usually give my family or friends any extras I don’t plan on using. I actually have a large bin in my garage of freebies for whenever friends come over. It feels good being able to find these products a new home.”
MAXIME CARDOL/HYPEBAE
Not only is there a growing demand for sustainably formulated beauty products, but there is also a dire need for Earth-friendly ways that these products are being brought to consumers. “There are plastic alternatives that are becoming more prevalent around the world, but to bring about change at the scale needed, corporations are going to have to innovate as only they can afford to do [so],” Duchastel de Montrouge tells us.
With that in mind, consider supporting a beauty brand that employs sustainable packaging the next time you need to replace something in your beauty regimen.
“[We] chose easily recyclable materials, glass and aluminum,” says Peterson of True Botanicals. “Everything we make is certified nontoxic for people and the planet by MADE SAFE. Our ingredients are sustainably sourced, and our packaging is recyclable. Even with these constraints, we’re able to make products that truly perform. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice results for health – for the planet or for yourself.”
For those who’re looking to lead a zero waste lifestyle, you’ll be able to find a large selection of products designed with refillable, recyclable and biodegradable packaging at Follain. “A few examples are Follain’s refillable hand and body soap, Kjaer Weis‘ refillable makeup and Meow Meow Tweets‘ deodorant creams,” Foley suggests, “they come in only glass or biodegradable paper sticks.”
At Province Apothecary, we are committed to providing organic and ethically sourced products, and continually finding ways to reduce our environmental footprint. For the last few years, we have offered a recycling incentive program to local customers: if you bring in 5 used PA bottles, you receive a free lip balm. We recycle all returned product bottles with the City of Toronto.
In an effort to further reduce the environmental impact of cosmetic waste, we have partnered with a program called 
... when it comes to plastics, that is. It’s possible to make plastic from renewable materials, such as sugarcane, like British men’s skincare brand Bulldog Skincare does. “For every 100 tonnes of sugarcane plastic used in Bulldog tubes, 309 tonnes of CO2 is taken out of the environment,” says brand founder Simon Duffey.
“This initiative is a reflection of the company’s unwavering values, and represents an urgent call to action to help protect our vast oceans and marine life,” says Murphy.
Both brands also package their products in square, not round bottles, which uses less plastic and packing materials, and takes up less shipping space so the overall carbon footprint is reduced.
Buy pretty refillable bottles (
Brands like LUSH are cutting the waste by reducing overall packaging, or in some cases, cutting it completely. Around 40 percent of its range is packaging-free (the brand calls it ‘naked’ (all packaging is made from materials that are recycled, recyclable, reusable or compostable) and each new range over the past year has been offered in a naked version. LUSH even has zero-waste Naked shops in Milan, Berlin and Manchester, and is touring a bath-bomb pop-up in North America soon. Another great low-waste brand is Calgary’s 
Now that you’ve considered the more obvious beauty products, it’s time to examine things a little harder. Simon Duffey says that in 1990 (the most recent data available), the 
These days, virtually every brand is accessible on social media and via their websites, so and ask them about their sustainability and recycling efforts. The good ones are responsive, transparent, and will explain their policies to you. After that, decide which brands align with your own values—whatever they are—and spend your money there.
The Toledo Zoo will host its annual Party for the Planet recycling drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 27 in its main parking lot off the Anthony Wayne Trail.
Items to be collected include up to 10 car tires, clothing, small appliances, electronics, toner and ink printer cartridges, cell phones, and materials like aluminum cans, cardboard, and newspaper. TerraCycle items, like food pouches, cereal and chip bags, and beauty and oral care packaging will also be accepted.
An off-site location at Woodsdale Park adjacent to the zoo will collect paint, which will cost $1 per can to recycle. Secure document shredding and recycling will also be available.
Televisions, CRT monitors, large appliances, air conditioners, light bulbs, and batteries will not be accepted. A full list of recyclable items is available at