Not My Monkey

Reaching the end of various beauty items got me thinking what I could use the empty containers for. My mind went to storage or travel containers, I decided to scour google to see what creative ideas others have!

95% of beauty packaging is thrown away, which takes 450 years to decompose in landfill, so finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle such packaging is a must! First, ask yourself, do you need all the beauty items you own? Do they all need replacing or can I live without some? If I do need them all, can I buy bigger to reduce the number of bottles consumed? Second, how can I reuse the packaging once the item is finished? Finally, am I able to recycle the packaging at home or do I need to find another way (such as a take back point provided by certain retailers)?

Focusing on reusing, there are three main types of containers that come from beauty packaging: round tubs, spray bottles, and dropper bottles. Here are some creative ways to reuse them! Make sure to thoroughly clean the bottles before up cycling.

Round Tubs

Tea light holder

Jewellery box

Snack container

Hair clip/grip container

Spray Bottles

DIY leave-in conditioner

Plant mister

Toner spray

Cooking oil spray

Travel Perfume

Travel hand sanitiser

Dropper Bottles

Cooking oil dropper

Nail varnish pipette for precise dropping

Decant bitters for elevating drinks

Decant essential oils

The main idea behind extending a products lifecycle is to reduce waste which ultimately ends up in landfill. This pattern is known as the recycle economy, where resources and materials are made into products, which are used, recycled, and then wasted. Recycled products are able to be deconstructed to be reused at the end of their life. However, we ideally want to achieve a circular economy where zero waste is produced and everything is either reused or remade into something else, i.e., a products’ lifecycle doesn’t end. Contributing towards creating a circular economy means natural resources are conserved; waste is remade into new products; ecosystems are protected; and carbon emissions are reduced.

Beauty brands should be encouraged to invest in making their products refillable to reduce waste from packaging and drive change towards a circular economy. Brands such as Wild make this their unique selling point, believing that high quality products should benefit society and the environment by developing natural formulas in packaging that lasts a lifetime. Wild have saved 80 tonnes of single-use deodorants being thrown into landfill since they started in 2019.

The lack of sustainability related education and government intervention results in the responsibility often falling into the hands of small businesses to drive change. This can be challenging due to their small market share and influence. Additionally, corporate organisations misunderstand that the only way to be successful in the long-term is to act sustainable now, or there will be no planet, no resources, and no people to drive demand. Through changing our consumer behaviour we can shape markets to engage in sustainable actions, protecting our planet and future generations.