Whether you’ve recently finished a beauty product or noticed that it’s been expired, there are far better methods of disposing of them than throwing them in the trash. Instead, take them to these beauty brands that will gladly take your beauty empties and in return, you can easily earn rewards along the way.
Most recycling programs call for empties that have been washed and dried, and though it may be troublesome, if recycled materials aren’t properly washed and dried they could get everything else in the container wet and ultimately ruin its ability to be recycled properly. While it’s easy to demand that there should be a way to streamline this process and take the hassle out of the equation, consider these rewards as an equal exchange for your effort.
Here are the beauty brands that have their own recycling programs and sustainable efforts.
The Body Shop launched its new concept store at ION Orchard with efforts and designs aligned with their commitment to sustainability. Their newly renovated store is fitted with green materials like reclaimed wood and recycled plastics that help minimise its environmental impact. There’s also a Gifting Station where you can personalise your purchases with stamps, ribbons, and recyclable paper for your loved ones, and an Activism Corner where you can discover more of their efforts. As a bonus, their new store also boasts a Water Station where you can fill up your water bottle during your visit.
The Body Shop’s Return, Recycle, Repeat program allows The Body Shop’s Love Your Body Club (LYBC) members to be rewarded one stamp with every empty they drop off, and once five stamps are collected, they will be able to redeem a trial-sized product or small items like their bestselling hand creams. To join as an LYBC member, all you need to do is spend $40 in a single transaction, or keep an eye out for certain windows where it’ll be free-to-join with any purchase.
Kean Hye Yang, the General Manager, APAC Brand & Singapore Market of The Body Shop, shares that “By 2030 we will have a completely closed-loop system for all our packaging. This means we will recycle or re-purpose 100% of our packaging – mostly back into packaging or shop fixtures. And we are working hard towards bringing refill stations into our stores because having a refill station for our favourite products will greatly reduce waste and impact on the environment.”
Visit their newly renovated store at 2 Orchard Turn #B2-07 ION Orchard.
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Known for their conscious beauty ethos and commitment to sustainability, homegrown skincare label RE:ERTH has recently unveiled a brand-new retail concept at TANGS at Tang Plaza. Their flagship retail boutique showcases a design concept that encapsulates its minimal and mindful approach to beauty.
Their Sustainability Corner encourages people to bring in their empty skincare (and even haircare) packaging, regardless of the brand. Partnered with Environmental Solutions (Asia), the empty packaging will be fully recycled and converted to non-fossil derived fuels. To keep it as simple as possible, Environmental Solutions is able to take in your recyclables as they are. Meaning, you don’t need to sort or rinse them out. As an added incentive, for every skincare empty recycled, Rewards Garden Petals will be credited to customers registered with the RE:ERTH Rewards Garden programme. Where you will receive 200 Petals for full-sized bottles and 50 Petals for mini-size bottles – all of which can be used to redeem RE:ERTH products online.
Visit their flagship retail boutique at Level 1 Tangs Beauty Hall.
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As a brand that uses naturally-derived ingredients, it’s no surprise that innisfree started its recycling campaign in Korea back in 2003. Their Bottle Recycling Program has collected and recycled 12,524,850 bottles across 15 years. All you have to do is bring your empty innisfree glass or plastic bottles to the store and you’ll receive $1 store credit for every empty bottle recycled. It’s worth noting that there are restrictions tied to it: they will only accept bottles from their skincare and haircare line, and you can only recycle up to three empty bottles per month.
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Sustainability has long been built into Kiehl’s DNA, beginning with its products and ingredients. Their long-standing recycling program encourages customers to return their empty Kiehl’s bottles for recycling, and even rewards shoppers for bringing in their own shopping bag. You will need to wash, clean, and dry your empty bottles before bringing them into the store for recycling as they cannot accept them otherwise. One empty bottle will get you one stamp and the same measures apply for using your own reusable bag. For every fourth and seventh stamp accumulated, you will receive one travel-sized product, and for every tenth stamp, you’ll receive a Kiehl’s tote bag. The only rules here are that you must be a member of their Friends of Kiehl’s loyalty club to redeem the rewards, simply spend $120 in a single receipt to be eligible.
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A pioneer in its own right, L’Occitane’s Recycling Program was the first in Singapore to accept beauty empties from any and all beauty brands. Their commitment to reduce waste and commit to sustainability has carved a path for many more to follow. Their recycling program is as straightforward as it gets. Before dropping off your beauty empties, wash and dry them thoroughly. You can even cut open plastic tubes (like hand creams) to ensure you use as much of the product as possible. Then just create a profile with L’Occitane to keep track of your rewards from here on out and you can redeem beauty treats from the brand with every 10th stamp collected.
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With the launch of their package-free products, LUSH has slowly been making a shift towards this minimal wastage commitment. While it’s not entirely possible to do that across their entire range, their notable black pots that house LUSH creams, gels, and lotions can be recycled. Simply bring it in-store and receive a fresh face mask in return for your efforts.
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It may not be widely known, but M.A.C’s recycling program has been around for a couple of years now. Through the Back To M.A.C program, the brand accepts any returns of its primary packaging. By primary packaging, what they mean is the material that encases the products. So anything from blush compacts, eyeshadow pots, foundation tubes, bottles, lash cases, skincare bottles, and lipstick tubes. Every time you return six of its containers that have been clean and dried to a M.A.C counter, you can receive a free lipstick in return.
Just like its counterparts at L’Occitane and RE:ERTH, Origins allows you to drop off empty bottles from any brand. Simply take it to their store counter and drop off your clean and dry empty bottles to be rewarded with free sample sachets of their bestselling skincare products.
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