In case you didn’t know, today, April 22, is Earth Day. And in the spirit of keeping our lovely planet just that, I’m here to share an easy way to do more.
First, let me share something ultra-embarrassing: Until this year, I had never recycled a beauty product.
This is bad, because I consider myself environmentally-conscious: I’m a lifelong vegetarian, I bring reusable bags everywhere, and I even ditched my Keurig a few years back. But as the founder of a fashion and beauty blog, I didn’t know you could easily recycle most beauty products.
I wasn’t alone in my ignorance: Nearly half of Americans don’t regularly recycle their beauty and personal care products. That’s a major reason these items account for a significant amount of landfill waste.
However, thanks to DoSomething.org, I’m now a beauty product recycler, and I’m going to show you how to become one, too.
Read on for a quick guide. It’s embarrassingly easy, guys.
This year, DoSomething.org and Garnier teamed up to launch the Rinse, Recycle, Repeat campaign to encourage young people to promote recycling in a creative way. Here are some tips they shared with us:
Table of Contents
How do I know where to recycle my products?
Here’s an easy way to tell. If the item has a 1 or a 2 on the bottom, (most shampoo and conditioner bottles do) you can just rinse it out and recycle it the same place you would your usual recyclables. Easy!
Other beauty items, like makeup “empties” can be recycled too, but usually not in your normal recycling bin. To recycle these, sign up for Garnier and Terracycle’s free recycling program, send them your empties, and they’ll recycle them. You can even earn money for your school through them!
What else can I do right now?
One easy, impactful way to recycle empty beauty and personal care products (aka empties!) is to make fun and creative bins for bathrooms and encourage others to do the same.
Here’s a super cute example:
Right now, you can join 26,608 DoSomething.org members who have already created eye-catching recycling bins for their home and college dorm bathrooms. Send them a pic of you and your decorated recycling bin by April 30th, and you’ll be entered to win a $5,000 scholarship!
Any other questions? Be sure to check out DoSomething.org’s page for details.
What do you think?
Do you guys recycle your beauty products? Has this inspired you to start? Do you have any questions about the process? Let me know!
Want more college life-related content? Well, check out these great picks below —
- The Unexpected & Fun Side Hustle You Need to Try This Summer
- Exams Are Over: Here’s What to Do Now
- The Indecisive Girl’s Guide to Decision Making
- We Don’t Just Wear Clothes, We Wear Memories
- How to Deal with a Jealous Friend
Note: This post is not sponsored in any way; I was embarrassingly ignorant of this until DoSomething contacted me — I wanted to pass on the knowledge.