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Organising

A Handy Guide To The Beauty Products You Can & Cannot Recycle

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Organising

A Handy Guide To The Beauty Products You Can & Cannot Recycle

Decluttering your beauty stash? An expert breaks down which cosmetic and skincare products are suitable for the recycling bin

April 29, 2020
Can-You-Recycle-Beauty-Products-Featured

Photo: 123RF

As sustainability becomes more of a necessity with the increasing urgency of climate change, it’s time we implement more mindful practices to leave the world in better hands for the generations after us.

In 2019, Business Insider revealed that the global beauty and personal care industry is worth about $532 billion and counting and the global packaging industry for those products makes nearly $25 billion in sales. For all that says in numbers, what this simply translates to is that we’re regularly contributing to the growing waste in our landfills. 

An easy and effortless step to minimising this statistic is to recycle our beauty products. The little things add up, and according to Recycle Now, less waste will bring a reduction in our global energy consumption. Simply recycling one shampoo bottle would save the equivalent of the energy needed to toast three rounds of broad. 

So, how can you recycle beauty products? We spoke to Cecile Gauthier, the co-founder of Lime Agency; a marketing and design agency that’s well versed in helping clients promote their green initiatives, to put together this helpful guide and answer which beauty products you can and cannot recycle.

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https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/style/organising/recycle-beauty-products/
A Handy Guide To The Beauty Products You Can & Cannot Recycle
NOT RECYCLABLE: Palettes/compacts
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Anything that’s multi-material – containing metal, plastic, a mirror and so on in a single item – has to go into the bin, unless the packaging clearly specifies that it can be recycled. This is because the materials have layers or coatings on them that make them impossible to recycle. 

Mirrors in compacts, for example, have a reflective coating painted on the back of the glass – and the mixed-glass material can’t be combined with “virgin” glass for recycling. Magnets, too, can’t be recycled.

Pexels
NOT RECYCLABLE: Pumps and droppers
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These are also multi-material items, with metal springs and different plastics. Unless you actually painstakingly take the pump apart section by section, it’s going into the bin. The bottle, however, can be recycled if it’s made from a single piece, and if that piece is made from the same plastic/glass base throughout.

Unsplash
NOT RECYCLABLE: Makeup wipes
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Unless the packaging states they’re biodegradable, they’re virtually indestructible. Bin them.

123RF
RECYCLABLE: Plastic tubes and containers
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By tubes, Gauthier means those that return to their original shape after squeezing. Separate tube from cap, then recycle both. With plastic containers such as those for shampoo and facial cleansers, remove and discard any pumps first.

123RF
RECYCLABLE: Glass containers
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Recycle only clear, brown or green glass. Bin any multi-material components first.

Pexels
RECYCLABLE: Lipstick cases
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Leave the caps on bullet casings so they don’t fall through the cracks when sorted by the recycling machines. For liquid lipsticks (and concealers), only the tube can be recycled – bin the multi-material applicator.

Unsplash
RECYCLABLE: Dry shampoo and hairspray canisters
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Most canisters are made of steel and aluminium, which are recyclable. Press the nozzle to ensure they are totally empty before recycling.

Read Next

Clever Ways To Recycle Food Scraps At Home And Save Money

Remember These 5 Things Before You Recycle Your Clothes

10 Home Items You Throw Out All The Time That Can Actually Be Reused

Text: Chelsea Tang, Her World / Additional reporting: Farisia Thang

123RF
  • TAGS:
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  • declutter
  • earth day
  • Guide
  • recycle
  • sustainable
  • zero waste
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