These Five Beauty Brands Can Help You Save Cash By Recycling Your Old Products

When it comes to recycling, you probably know what to do with your old milk cartons and empty pizza boxes.

But if you're thinking of throwing out your empty moisturiser bottles, dried out mascaras or old lipstick tubes then stop right now (thank you very much), because there's a whole host of beauty brands that are taking the whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra to heart by rewarding customers for recycling their empties.

Not sure where to start? Here's a list of five eco-conscious brands with recycling programmes in place to ensure your products don't end up as landfill...

1. John Lewis

A recycling scheme for all beauty items except perfume bottles, nail varnish and aerosol cans, John Lewis is teaming up with recycling business TerraCycle for its new BeautyCycle scheme and is currently trialing the service for a month in 36 of its stores.

It's currently offering selected loyalty members to take part and get £5 off a beauty purchase in store in return, and if all goes well the scheme will be rolled out further afield.

2. MAC

One of the oldest recycling schemes in the business, the "Back to MAC" campaign rewards customers with a free lipstick when they return six old empties back to any MAC store.

While lipstick tubes, empty palettes, foundation bottles, compact blushes and eyeshadow pots are all fair game, check out the website for more information on what isn't accepted.

3. Lush

Made from a mix of purchased recycled plastic and recycled black pot material, Lush's famous black pots are the ultimate environmental dream.

When customers return them to the store, they're reformulated into shiny new ones, ready and raring to go for the next shopper.

Lush also recycles domestic use bottle tops, and while you won't get any freebies, it's for a very good cause.

4. Kiehl's

If you've not downloaded your Kiehl's loyalty card yet then what are you waiting for? Customers will get one stamp every time they return any empty product packaging or shop with a reusable bag, receiving a free travel size product once ten points are racked up. What more could you want?

5. L'Occitane

Another beauty brand which has teamed up with TerraCycle, receive 10 per cent off a new full-sized product when you bring in your empty beauty and skincare products from any beauty brand to be recycled at L'Occitane. Yes, you read that right.

Now you've got no excuse.

Topics: Hair and Beauty, Life

Naomi Chadderton

Naomi is a freelance journalist working for Tyla. After graduating from The University of Nottingham, Naomi moved out to Dubai where she worked for Grazia Middle East and Harper's Bazaar Arabia. She is now back home and enjoying the London life.