How to Recycle Your Beauty Products —10 Things You Need to Know

Another symbol you might see is a dot that sort of looks like a yin-yang with arrows. That is an indication that the product is made of recycled materials. There also might be a Mobius loop with a circle around it, which also indicates that it’s made from some recycled materials. However, just because it’s made from recycled material doesn’t mean it can necessarily be recycled again, says Dorn. That’s why it’s important to know your numbers.

3. Often, small items can’t be recycled.

“A small-format container doesn’t flow well through curbside recycling program,” says Dorn. “Anything small like a lipstick case or under a 6-ounce package size will get screened out or caught in the disposal stream for that facility.” Most of the facilities that sort recycling are automated with optical and physical sorter machines. Little containers like lipstick tubes can get missed by sorting machines and thrown into the trash—and back into a landfill.

4. The color of the container matters.

“With respect to glass, clear, brown, and green are preferred for recycling programs,” says Dorn. “The odd-colored glass is more problematic to recycle, but it depends on what they are doing with that glass.” If it’s going to be crushed up for use in sandblasting machines (which use the glass to strip away rust on metal or to creative decorative finishes on glass), it doesn’t matter. But if it’s going to be sold back to a bottle manufacturer then only those three common colors are going to be in demand. Black plastic—think men’s body wash—is another tough material for material recovery facilities to handle because the optical sorters don’t recognize that color.

5. Pouches and squeezable tubes usually can’t be recycled.

Anything that is multilayer or multimaterial in format is challenging to recycle. That just means that there is a coating or film in the inside the package or the object is made up of different types of plastic. Certain flexible pouches (like resealable pouches with face masks) and toothpaste tubes are considered multilayer and should be thrown in the trash unless the package explicitly states that you can recycle it.

6. Pumps and droppers are also problematic.

Another recycling red flag is the pumps and droppers on top of bottles, which are often multimaterial. It’s good practice to remove the pumps from any bottle before recycling because they often have metal springs inside that you can’t see. Caps and screwtops, however, are usually fine—even if they aren’t the same material as the bottle or jar itself. (Just remember to put them back on before binning: A solo cap is too small to go through the sorting system and will end up in the trash.)

7. Don’t forget about the cans of dry shampoo and hairspray.

Most dry shampoo and hairspray cans are made of steel and aluminum, which are both recyclable. Of course, check with your local rules first to see if aerosol is accepted.

8. Yes, you do have to rinse out the bottles first.

I would be lying if I said that having to wash out a container before putting it in recycling wasn’t a significant deterrent. But it actually matters. Containers with product residue can attract bugs once they are at the facility, and dirty containers also lower the value of the finished recycled product (more on that later). You should also try to remove any labels on the bottle. “Labels can be a big deal in terms of what type of adhesive is used or whether a label is full wrap,” says Dorn. “If you can easily take the label off, do, but it’s not always an issue.”

9. Consider returning it to the brand.

As the beauty industry seeks to become more sustainable, many brands are starting internal recycling programs that offer rewards and discounts. For example, for every 10 full-sized Kiehl’s products you bring back, you get a free sample. MAC also accepts those lipstick tubes that are too small for the curbside program. Return six packages and get one lipstick free as a part of the Back to MAC program. Remember that thing about toothpaste tubes being a no-go? Well, both Colgate and Tom’s of Maine have recycling programs through TerraCyle, a company that specializes in hard-to-recycle waste. Garnier has also set up a program that allows you to return just about any packaging in your bathroom through TerraCycle. All you have to do is mail in your empties.