Let’s be real, most of us tend to toss out our beauty jars and bottles once we’ve completely emptied them or if it’s expired. However, there is one other way that you can dispose of them instead of throwing them in the trash. We’re talking about recycling your beauty empties.
Now, more beauty brands are coming up with their own recycling programmes that will not only accept your beauty empties but will also reward you in return. From store credits to free products, you name it! To check out the list of recycling programmes these beauty brands have to offer, keep on scrolling.
P.S. If you are going to recycle your beauty empties, be it for makeup or skincare, we do recommend that the empties are properly washed and dried to speed up the recycling process.
Leading Korean beauty brand, Innisfree started its Empty Bottle Recycling Campaign in 2003 and is still ongoing. As part of its campaign, you will also be rewarded with store credits whenever you bring an empty Innisfree bottle to recycle in store. However, the brand will only be accepting essence, hair and body bottles from the brand itself, and members will only be allowed to donate a maximum of three bottles a month.
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Want to do your part for the environment? French luxury beauty retailer L’Occitane, is accepting your beauty empties as part of its Big Little Things Recycling Programme (the initiative is in fact one of the earliest of its kind by a beauty brand).
When you drop off your empties at its boutiques in Ion Orchard, Vivocity, Paragon or Plaza Singapore, you will also receive a stamp on your digital recycling stamp card for every full-sized empty accepted, of which you can exchange for a reward – such as a hand cream, shower oil, shampoo – with every 10 stamps collected.
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The Body Shop is known for its wide range of skin-loving beauty products, it’s cruelty-free and moreover, it also has its own refill and recycling scheme. In 2019, the brand brought back its in-store recycling programme to make it easier for customers to recycle their empty tubs and tubes.
All you need to do is to bring your empties to the nearest store, and place it into designated recycling bins. Once that is filled, the bins will be sent to Sembcorp where they will get sorted before being repurposed and recycled into raw materials for new products.
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If you didn’t already know, M.A.C Cosmetics’ recycling programme has been around for a few years now. The brand accepts products from blush compacts, eyeshadow pots, foundation tubes, bottles, lash cases, skincare bottles and lipstick tubes that come in its original packaging for this green initiative. For every six containers that have been recycled at M.A.C Cosmetics counters, you will also be rewarded with a free lipstick in return.
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Another beauty brand that’s known for its long-standing recycling programme is Kiehl’s. Having started the initiative back in 2009, the American brand is accepting beauty empties and will be rewarding you with a stamp with every Kiehl’s bottle that you drop at its stores, of which you can then exchange the stamps for a travel-sized product or a tote bag.
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Lush has always been known for its wide range of package-free products. However, certain products like their creams, gels and lotions would still require some form of packaging, which also includes the classic black pots.
Now, as part of its recycling programme, Lush will be accepting these used packaging or pots which will be turned as new containers for new products. Additionally, the brand will also be accepting online delivery boxes that are in reusable condition for recycling. Plus, drop five boxes to any of the stores for recycling and you will also be rewarded with a full-sized Fresh Face Mask of your choice.
A version of this article first appeared in Her World