recycling efforts
Today, November 15th, is National Recycling Day, so we wanted to highlight some corporate efforts we have seen out there.
Do you wear disposable contacts? Did you know those plastic pods could be recycled? Bausch and Lomb has partnered with Terra Cycle to recycle their contact lens cases. They are small but a month or year’s worth really adds up to a lot of plastic! Ship them back to the company or drop them at a local Terra Cycle site near you. Get more info at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/
Similarly, for coffee drinkers, Nespresso has a program where you can return your used aluminum capsules by mail or in person at drop sites. https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/how-to-recycle-coffee-capsules
Saks 5th Avenue has started a recycling program where you can return your used jars, tube and containers. Find collection bins on the beauty floor at your local Saks store or mail in your empties using pre-paid shipping labels. Lots of brands accepted. https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/c/content/beauty-recycling
On the topic of reuse and refill, there is a company called The Refillery where, as the name suggests, you can bring your containers to be refilled with eco-friendly, package-free, locally-made soaps, detergents and cleaners. Check them out! https://refillery.co
There’s a lot of waste out there. According to Levi’s, 85% of textiles end up in landfills. They have designed their jeans for longevity and are on a mission to minimize their environmental impact and make it easy for us to do the same. Levi’s wants us to keep our jeans as long as possible, and so have started Levi’s Tailor Shops and added DIY content to their site so we can learn to patch up rips, mend hems and replace buttons. Jeans only get better with age! https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/features/tailor-shop
Beauty companies are also taking note. Victoria Beckhham Beauty is a cleanly formulated luxury performance line of makeup with sustainable packaging and one of the best eyeliners I have ever used! VB Beauty is shipped in post-consumer boxes with corn packaging that dissolves under running water. The company has also created a recycling program in collaboration with ‘Pact Collective’ - a non-profit organization that collects hard to recycle beauty products and diverts them from landfills to find the highest and best use for all materials.
Other ways to up your sustainability game by making swaps:
Rags for paper towels
Handkerchiefs for tissues
Reusable face wipes for cleansing
Digital newspapers and magazines
Beeswax wrap or bowl covers instead of plastic cling wrap
Silicone bags instead of single use ziplocs
Toothbrush bites in a small plastic jar instead of paste in a plastic tube
Reusable shopping bags
Reusable water bottle instead of using the plastic single-use ones
And last but not least, Rapt reusable gift wrap instead of wrapping paper! : )