Can I Recycle That?

Recycling makeup and beauty products is probably the last thing on our radar when it comes to protecting the environment. Fortunately, we are here to bring it to your attention. Throwing broken or empty products in the trash should be a thing of the past. These products contain ingredients and chemicals that are harmful to the environment and majority of them are not biodegradable. They end up in landfills and waterways ultimately harming us all.

We are all constantly buying new products and discarding the ones we hate, so we aren’t here to point fingers, we simply need to be better all together. There are so many rules and faux pas when it comes to what can actually be recycled. It’s a bit overwhelming and can leave us feeling defeated by our trash. I am certainly guilty of not knowing how to disregard something properly so I end up just throwing it in the trash. So where do we go from here?

We cultivated some tips and tricks so that we don’t have to worry about recycling. Heres the 411:

1. Buy products that can be refilled

Some beauty products simply can’t be recycled. So brands are making this much easier by creating refillable options. You can keep the original package and the refills are either biodegradable or can be tossed in the recycle with no worries. Items like razors, deodorant perfume body wash and skin care all come in refillable packaging. Here are some of our favorites

2. Reusable cotton rounds and makeup cloths

Makeup wipes are the third most wasteful product in the world. I know, it seems unrealistic, but think about all those times you were doing your makeup and realized that you look utterly ridiculous and you used four wipes to clean only half of your face. Is it starting to make sense now? Here are some alternatives

3. Use bar soaps to eliminate use of plastic

Okay this may actually be the hardest one but its totally worth it. Switching from body wash to bar soap seemed as if I was doing my body a disservice, but once I stopped being dramatic it actually worked out. Bar soap is actually more affordable than body wash and the scent seems to have a longer lasting effect. They also have bar shampoos conditioners and moisturizers. Here are some we think you should check out

4. Recycle your products by using companies like TerraCycle.

TerraCycle empties, cleans and separates products before they are recycled or repurposed into something new. Some of your favorite companies of products that you use everyday have partnered with TerraCycle to help eliminate waste. It’s free and you can earn points as you recycle to be rewarded.