Throughout the month of April, those who bring in empty cosmetic containers for recycling to an Origins retail store will receive a sample of A Perfect World body cream.
Spring finds us cleaning out our makeup drawer and tossing melted lipsticks, cracked blushes and other products past their prime. But the exhilaration of this cleansing ritual is marred by the guilt of throwing these items in the trash. Luckily, Origins has launched a cosmetic-container recycling program. Simply bring any brand of empty tube, jar or bottle to an Origins counter or retail store, and the company will send them off to be washed and ground up, then reincarnated as bottles, jars, closures, paint cans — and even park benches. Throughout the month of April, recyclers will receive a special gift: a sample of A Perfect World intensely hydrating body cream with white tea.
If you miss the April deadline, however, there’s no need for wrinkle-inducing frowns — Origins will continue to recycle discarded beauty containers. Just wash out leftover moisturizer and take out the eye-shadow/blush palettes for easier recycling. (Also, note that Origins locations in Nordstrom stores are not part of this program.) According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this type of packaging makes up one-third of landfill waste; most of these types of products are not accepted by community recycling programs, which take soft-drink bottles and beverage cans. Women have an average of 12 products in their vanities — and that’s a low estimate, at least in our case — so we’re sure you’ll find something you want to recycle!
We love that Origins, which has always been committed to the environment, is willing to take this step to keep cosmetic containers out of landfills — plus it’s that extra push we needed to embark on our makeup-drawer organization blitz. Will you be recycling some of your old cosmetics?
Tags: beverage cans, Design for X, ECycle, Environment, Landfill, Maintenance, Nordstrom Inc., Recyclable materials, Recycling, Sustainability, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Waste management
© 2012, VIV Publishing, LLC., All rights reserved. 
2 Reader Comments:
What a great idea to do something good for the planet and for yourself, The Origins products are terrific and good for you at the same time,
That’s the thing with using artificial enhancers that have to be refilled and re-supplied, the greatest hassle of course being with storage and disposal of the containers of such products, which create a nightmare for neat folks. Though this meaningful venture no doubt gives some reassurance one is helping the recycling movement, not everyone will have the time to bring down their containers so frequently. Unlikely teeth beautifying treatments like professional teeth whitening, which is convenient, the effect is lasting, and you don’t need accessories or containers to achieve the result.