How To Recycle Your Beauty Products Correctly

Okay, so you’re trying to be sustainable and staying away from plastic toothbrushes and straws, and have given up on one-time use cutlery; but what’s next? Take a good long look at the things you use on a daily basis, say your skincare routine. Most of us can agree that even though we know that some product containers and jars can be reused at home, we don’t have the faintest idea of how to recycle them correctly. Does the pump of a shampoo bottle need to be disposed of separately? Are all glass bottles recyclable? Do you need to clean the bottles before sending them to recycling stations? If you’ve often wondered about how you can do your bit to cut down on the amount of beauty waste you generate and don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Below, find a complete guide to understanding how to dispose of beauty products in the right way.

Find out what can be recycled

The easy ways include either shopping from a brand that accepts its own empties or finding a recycling company that segregates containers for you. For example, Vital Waste in Kolkata helps reduce the waste generated in the city by recycling all kinds of waste–from PET plastic jars to e-waste and paper. All you need to do is book a prior appointment to schedule your pickup.

Another great initiative is the one by Sublime Life where the e-commerce platform collects empties from all brands. All you have to do is courier clean, dry empties to them at their Mumbai office or schedule an appointment for pickup.

Wash the containers, always

Before sending your products for recycling, make sure you wash and dry them carefully. If they’re sticky or wet, companies can’t recycle them efficiently as the residue may attract pests. Dirty containers can also contaminate the other (similar types of plastic) plastic they’re being recycled with, ultimately reducing the value of the finished recycled material.

Recycling cheatsheet: Beauty products edition

Recyclable products: Hairdryers, plastic bottles (if they have recycling signs on them), aluminium cans (with separable caps and parts), and glass bottles.

Partially recyclable: Mascara tubes are recyclable but the wands are not. Similarly, pumps in bottles aren’t recyclable as they’re made of lots of smaller pieces. Makeup palettes can be recycled once the mirrors and magnets that they contain are removed.

Not recyclable as of now: Makeup wipes unless they’re labelled as biodegradable or compostable, nail polish bottles, most lipstick containers, and make-up brushes aren’t recyclable.