In 2018, consumers are more concerned than ever by the amount of waste they are producing. While supermarkets often get called out for their overuse of packaging, the beauty industry is also at fault. According to Zero Waste Week, more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry.

While most beauty products can’t do away with packaging altogether, eco-friendly beauty brands are coming up with clever solutions to tackle the issue by using sustainable packaging that is either recycled, recyclable or even compostable.

Discover the different materials used by the brands we stock, and find how to recycle, reuse or even compost your packaging so your beauty products don’t end up harming the environment.

Glass

Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled over and over without any loss in quality or purity. Once cleaned, boiled and dried, glass jars and bottles can easily be reused to store your homemade beauty products, food or any other items. Once emptied and cleaned, Corinne Taylor’s glass jars can be popped in the recycling or reused to store anything from spices to jewellery or paper clips. You could also use them to store your homemade nut butters, hummus or other delicacies. 

Evolve Beauty’s elegant glass bottles can also be recycled; just remember to separate the glass from the plastic pump. You can also reuse them to store other beauty products and carriers oils, or as a minimalist single-stem vase. 

Aluminium

Just like glass, aluminium is highly recyclable. Most glass jars come with an aluminium lid that can easily be cleaned and sterilised with a bit of alcohol before being repurposed.

Axiology’s gorgeous range of vegan lipsticks and lip crayons are encased in recyclable aluminium, so you can just pop the packaging in the recycling when you’ve used up your product. 

If you’re unsure which product to chose, did you know you could order samples to try products before you commit? All our samples now come in small aluminium pots which make great travel companions, allowing you to take small doses of your favourite products with you while on the go. If you’re looking for ways to organise your home, you could also clean them before reusing them to store small items such as stud earrings, safety pins or random nails and screws.

Plastic

Because of its versatility, plastic is still a great material to package and protect cosmetic products. Nearly all types of plastic are recyclable, but different infrastructures are needed to recycle different types of plastic. This means that you’ll have to check with your local authority to see if specific types of plastic can be recycled where you live.

All of the brands we stock use either recycled and/or recyclable plastic.

Evolve Beauty’s plastic bottles, for instance, are made from 75% post consumer recycled bottles, while Nude & Noir’s plastic packaging is 100% BPA free and recyclable. 

If you want to learn more about plastic recycling, the British Plastic Federation offers great resources on its website to help you make sense of the different types of plastic.

Cardboard and Paper

Unless tarnished with food or grease, cardboard and paper are easily recyclable.

Axiology packages its lipsticks in recycled paper boxes sourced in Bali, and we absolutely love the story behind them. The paper used in the boxes is collected from all over the island before being taken to a small woman-owned factory where it will be boiled, dried, folded and decorated by hand. So whilst being recyclable, these pretty boxes also help reduce waste on the island of Bali. Not bad for a lipstick!

Couleur Caramel uses cardboard to package most of its products, while Nude & Noir boxes and information inserts are all made of recycled paper, making them very easy to recycle.

Compostable Sugar Cane

If you’re into recycling and composting, you are going to love BYBI Beauty’s packaging.

While some of their products are simply packaged in glass bottles with recyclable plastic lids, the tubes are made from a much more interesting material: compostable sugar cane. And this means you can simply pop them in your compost bin after use! Don’t forget to wash the tube first, and cut it into small parts to help it compost even faster.

Bamboo

Finally, most of ZAO Makeup’s products are encased in biodegradable bamboo and packaged in pretty little canvas pouches that can be reused over and over to store your favourite jewellery or beauty accessories. But that’s not all. The brand also sells refills of its lipsticks, concealers, foundations, primers and all pressed powder products. A great way to help reduce waste while offering our faithful customers a good deal.

For more information on how to recycle specific products, get in touch and we will be happy to advise.