5 SEP - 2022
Mecca has launched a recycling initiative for empty beauty products that would have otherwise been thrown away.
If you're anything like me, you have a drawer full of empty containers that once contained your skincare or makeup products but are now entirely obsolete. My sad-looking once so expensive eye cream tube fits with its now deformed label. Telling myself that maybe if the world ends, the tiny dreg left in this bottle will be of use.
Upon my next bi-monthly clean, I know it's time for the bottle to depart. Oh, but now this bottle nags at the question of whether or not it can be recycled. It would be wasteful to just throw it away without at least trying to figure out what the mysterious symbol on the back means.
To end the graveyard of empty foundation bottles and lip gloss tubes, beauty retailer Mecca has announced that from August, as part of their MeccaLife campaign, they will be accepting empties from all brands at their New Zealand locations.
The cosmetics giant will help New Zealanders give their used containers a second life by recycling their bottles, tubes, pots, pans, and palettes. Anything that can be recycled or reused is sent to TerraCycle, where a team of environmental benefactors performs the necessary sorting and processing. A total of 150,000 empty containers have been recycled through the programme, and even the bins used to collect the products in-store are made from 100% post-consumer waste.
In 2019, Mecca began working with TerraCycle in Australia. TerraCycle is a waste management and recycling company that collects non-recyclable waste and converts it into raw and reusable materials. TerraCycle bins are being distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand to have containers in every store by the end of August.
"We're excited to support Mecca in taking a remarkable step forward in reducing the environmental impact of beauty packaging by providing a free recycling solution for consumers across Australia and New Zealand. To make an impact, the problem of waste needs to be addressed by the beauty industry as a whole." – Jean Bailliard, the General Manager of Terracycle Australia and New Zealand,
Additionally, throughout August, MeccaLife is honouring eco-friendly beauty by emphasising the value of conscious makeup, reusable products, and innovative packaging. We have more exciting Mecca news on these brilliant initiatives to share with our CC readers soon.
Thankfully, more and more companies in the skincare and cosmetics industry are taking a more sustainable approach, such as New Zealand's Emma Lewisham, which produces high-end, plant-based products with a strong focus on refills, recycling, and regeneration. Companies like Lush cosmetics have had a very successful recycling initiative since 2008. It is very motivating to have another giant take these matters seriously and will set the bar for more retailers.
What can I put in a TerraCycle bin?
Makeup, haircare or skincare packaging (from any brand), such as:
- Shampoo bottles and caps
- Conditioner bottles and caps
- Hair gel tubes and caps
- Hair paste plastic jars and caps
- Lip balm tubes
- Soap dispensers and tubes
- Lotion bottles, boxes, dispensers and jars
- Shaving foam tubes (no cans)
- Lip gloss tubes
- Mascara tubes
- Eyeliner pencils and cases
- Eyeshadow tubes
- Concealer tubes and sticks
Make sure they are nearly empty, as Mecca will not accept any containers with product left inside.
What can't I put in a TerraCycle bin?
'- Aerosol cans
- Fragrance bottles
- Nail polish bottles and nail polish remover bottles
- Electronic items such as blow-dryers and straighteners
- Any bio-medical or bio-hazardous waste
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