Nordstrom, a leading fashion retailer, has expanded its beauty recycling program, BEAUTYCYCLE, to include Nordstrom Rack locations. This initiative aims to address the issue of plastic waste generated by the beauty industry, which produces over 120 billion units of plastic packaging each year, with less than nine percent being recycled.
BEAUTYCYCLE, launched in partnership with TerraCycle, is a take-back and recycling program that accepts all brands of beauty packaging waste for recycling. Customers can bring their empty cosmetics, haircare, or skincare packaging, regardless of the brand or purchase location, to any participating Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local, or Nordstrom Rack store in the United States. Collection bins are conveniently located in the beauty department of these stores.
Once collected, the beauty and skincare product packaging is cleaned and separated by material type. The materials are then recycled into raw formats that manufacturers can use to create new products. This process helps reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans.
Unfortunately, not all beauty products can be recycled through this program. Items such as pouches, squeezable tubes, toothpaste, hand cream, and sheet mask packets cannot be recycled and should be disposed of in the trash. However, mascara tubes, which are typically made from recyclable materials, can be washed and dried before being placed in regular curbside recycling bins.
Nordstrom’s BEAUTYCYCLE program is an important step towards making the beauty industry more sustainable and environmentally friendly. By providing accessible recycling options for consumers, Nordstrom is encouraging responsible disposal of beauty packaging and helping to reduce the environmental impact of the beauty industry.
