Recycling Beauty Products Is Notoriously Difficult: Nordstrom & TerraCycle Are Making It Easier

Recycling beauty products is a challenge, no matter how diligent you try and be. Due to the often intricate nature of bottles (metal springs in pumps, for example), the complications with colored- or darkened-glass, the plethora of plastic, formulas (like nail polish) that simply can't be recycled after use, embedded mirrors, and so on, even if you try your best, what you toss in the recycling bin likely still will end up in the landfill. 

It's, by all accounts, not a great situation for green beauty lovers. In fact, it's downright disappointing. 

For years TerraCycle has been such a breath of fresh air for many brands and consumers looking to get smarter about recycling. Their most recent endeavor is perhaps their most exciting for beauty fans. Today, Vogue reports that the recycling giant is now working with retail giant Nordstrom, in a program called BeautyCycle. Now, consumers will be able to drop off any empties in store in a marked BeautyCycle bin, which will then be safely taken to an appropriate recycling brand via TerraCycle. (Find one of the 94 locations via their map, here.)

"Nordstrom leads with the fundamental belief that we have a responsibility to leave the world better than we found it," says Gemma Lionello, Nordstrom's general merchandise manager for accessories and beauty and an executive vice president. "Customers increasingly feel the same and look to us to be a responsible company that plays an active role in protecting the environment."

As for the details of their plan, it's pretty impressive: Nordstrom has pledged to gather and recycle 100 tons of beauty packaging by 2025. And feel free to bring in your non-Nordstrom purchases empties: BeautyCycle will accept beauty packaging purchased from any retailer and made by any brand. 

It comes following a long list of impressive deeds from TerraCycle. The company works in pretty innovative ways to encourage consumer and brand recycling programs. For example, they work with companies to properly recycle materials once destined for the trash can by offering (often free) mail-in collection programs, like deodorant sticks, razors, and makeup from some of your favorite companies like Burt's Bees, Decim (owners of The Ordinary), Venus, Herbal Essences, and so on. 

Accessibility and education seem to be big hurdles in getting people to properly dispose of their beauty products, so this is a huge step forward. Most people want to properly recycle, but they don't fully understand the current hurdles in the system—and this takes one of the biggest hurdles right out.