Aveda goes Full Circle to recycle cosmetics packaging

Consumers have an intimate relationship with cosmetics, applying them to their lips, face and hair. But makeup and shampoo traditionally has been laden with chemicals and wrapped in packaging that could be sent only to a landfill.

Just as some green-minded companies have tried to use safe, nature-based ingredients, others are taking on the waste their goods leave behind by collecting packaging most recyclers can't handle.

Aveda, which prides itself on its high levels of organic and plant-derived ingredients, is the latest to make such a move with the debut of its Full Circle program this month. Running in Aveda's 107 Experience Center retail stores in the U.S., the program will accept any Aveda packaging that isn't commonly accepted by local recycling services, including bottle caps, makeup brushes, tubes, pumps and certain bottles and jars.

"Aveda has long committed to the idea of zero waste as part of our product stewardship," said Dave Rappaport, vice president of earth and community care for Aveda.

Many of Aveda's packages contain 100 percent recycled content, a few hold Cradle to Cradle certification and most of its plastic tubes are easily recycled.

First steps

Aveda dipped its toe into waste diversion with a bottle cap recycling program in 2008, which allowed anyone to bring in bottle caps from any brand's products -- and not just cosmetics -- to Aveda stores. To date, more than than 115 million caps have been collected since the program's inception. Bottle caps, made from No. 5 plastic (polypropylene), are not commonly recycled.

That program wasn't just a gesture of goodwill, but a means to attain raw material that can be recycled repeatedly without degradation. Aveda recycles the caps into new ones and sample tubes. The program in part let to the creation of Full Circle.

"We thought that it was time now to make a greater focus on our own packaging," Rappaport said.

In addition to collecting packaging, Aveda, part of Estee Lauder Companies, plans to work with its recycler, G2 Revolution, to funnel recycled materials back to suppliers to be used in new Aveda packaging.

Making waste a resource

The recycling programs that Aveda and other personal care companies operate focus on the primary packaging of their products, such as the tubes, compacts and other containers directly used for makeup and other items, not the plastic or cardboard packaging.

While plastics labeled No. 1 and No. 2 are taken in most curbside and drop-off recycling programs, most cosmetics packaging is made with other types of plastic or mixed plastics that aren't widely accepted. What's more, general recycling programs don't give people the means to recycle items such as makeup brushes.

G2 Revolution's main purpose is to provide a way for companies to recycle packaging, products and other wastes whose final destination is a landfill.

"We try to turn things back into usable products," said G2 CEO John Graham.

The company works one-on-one with clients to determine what items to collect and what can be done with them.

"We routinely achieve north of 92 percent recycling rates on the majority of our programs," he said. Some products reach the high 90s, and many even hit 100 percent.

Main bottle image by Deyan Georgiev via Shutterstock. Inline Aveda bottle image by Dan Machold via Flickr. Next page: Bringing it all together