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Pact Beauty Collection Program
October 31, 2022

Pact Beauty Collection Program

What is the Beauty Collection Program? 

The Beauty Collection Program (run by Pact) is a non-profit collective actively taking action to reduce plastic waste generated by the beauty industry. They collect hard-to-recycle plastic and divert it from landfills. By doing so, the Beauty Collection Program up-cycles these plastics so that they can become packaging once again!

 

Why are beauty products so hard to recycle?

The majority of beauty packaging is too small for curbside recycling, too flexible, or made of material that has no end market. About 90% of all plastic packages cannot be recycled. 

 

What happens to the beauty packaging collected by Pact?

The hierarchy of what happens to beauty recycling collected by Pact is as follows, from the best possible outcome to the least:

  • Mechanically recycled into another product (e.g. packaging, carpet, pallets for warhouses, etc) 
  • Downcycled (into asphalt, for example)
  • Chemically recycled (e.g. reduced to chemical monomers that can be used to build something else) 
  • Waste-to-energy, where packaging that cannot be used in any other way is burned 

 

How do I recycle my beauty packaging with Wild Prairie? 

If you reside in the Edmonton area, you can bring your clean packaging ready for recycle to our store collection bin located at 10345 69 Ave. NW. In order for your item to be accepted, we ask that you make sure that ALL containers and beauty packaging are thoroughly cleaned, unbagged, and free of all liquid or product. If not, we have a sink in store that you can use before donating. 


 

What can I recycle with Pact? 

NOTE THAT ALL PACKAGING MUST BE RINSED AND CLEAN. IF IT IS NOT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT IT.

  • Plastic jars/pots, tubes, sticks, and small (travel size) bottles
  • Colored glass bottles and jars
  • Metal packages 
  • Lipstick and lip gloss tubes, applicators
  • Mascara tubes and wands
  • Plastic pencil components (for eye/lip liner, brow pencils)
  • Makeup compacts (empty pans/no product left)
  • Plastic caps
  • Ceramic containers
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Lotion pumps and treatment pumps
  • All dispensers (includes pipettes, sprays, misters)
  • Small pill bottles (disassembled)  

 

What should go in curbside recycling? 

  • Plastic containers #1, 2 and 5 (the size of a yogurt cup or larger)
  • Plastic packages larger than 2” on more than one side 
  • Clear or frosted glass jars and bottles
  • Stainless steel or aluminum 
  • Cardboard & paper

 

What should go in the trash?

  • Broken glass
  • Sponges
  • Toothbrushes & dental floss
  • Single use wipes
  • Plastic or foil safety seals
  • Plastic bag & wrappers
  • Plastic with foil/metal inlay
  • Nail polish and nail polish remover

 

What about “compostable” or “biodegradable packaging?

  • If you have backyard compost and it says “backyard compost OK” it can go into your home compost 
  • If it is “industrial compostable” it cannot be accepted by Edmonton’s composting program and should be put into the trash (unless you are aware of an industrial composter that can accept it) 
  • Biodegradable material is good in the event that your packaging gets into the environment but it is not going to turn into soil in the landfill - landfills are tombs 

 

How can I clean out my makeup products so they’re acceptable for Pact recycling?

  • Mascara:
    • Mascara tubes can be particularly tough to clean out, they are made with polymers to coat lashes, and oils and waxes to help the product to adhere to your lashes. These need to be broken down while cleaning to ensure the product comes out of the tube. Try pouring a little makeup remover or rubbing alcohol inside and pumping the applicator in the tube. You can also leave makeup remover or rubbing alcohol in the tube to soak, this will allow it more time to break down the mascara. It may also help to remove the rubber stopper at the top of the tube to give the applicator wand more room to wiggle and clean. 
  • Tiny tubes:
    • If you’re having trouble rinsing out the inside of a small tube, try cutting off the end and scrubbing the inside with a straw cleaner or mascara wand.
  • Pumps:
    • Fill a bowl or skin with warm, soapy water and use the pump with the sucking end submerged. This will pull the soapy water through the mechanism and will remove product buildup. Make sure to examine closely to ensure there is no product left behind before popping it into the Pact bin.
Filed in: recycle, recycling