Most beauty products on today’s shelves, from foundation to mascara, come in plastic packaging. This is just part of the three million tons of plastic waste that Canadians throw away every year. Of that, only nine percent is recycled—meaning the vast majority of plastics end up in landfills. About 29,000 tons finds its way into our natural environment, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. In an effort to divert this waste, L’Oréal has partnered with London Drugs and TerraCycle to help Canadians across the country recycle their empty cosmetic products. Customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba can head to the cosmetics section at their favourite store to drop off their used or expired cosmetic products in dedicated containers.

The program which is sponsored by L’Oréal, is part of London Drug’s commitment to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills. They do this by providing shoppers a convenient and responsible way to integrate sustainable shopping practices into their everyday routine. “We are inspired by the communities where our stores are located, in their efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible,” says London Drugs COO and President, Clint Mahlman.

Plastic and metal makeup packaging from any brand and of any size, as well as glass foundation bottles are accepted. This includes: eye and lip liner pencils and cases, powder cases, tubes of mascara, eye shadow, concealer, lipstick and lip gloss.

Glass makeup packaging (excluding foundation bottles), perfume, nail polish, nail polish remover, aerosol cans, and skin care packaging cannot be recycled using this program.

The packaging should be empty, but does not need to be washed or rinsed.

Once the bins are full, they are sent to a material recovery facility in Canada. The packaging is sorted into various material types: plastics, metals and glass. The materials are then sent to a global network of processors to convert the items into raw material. Then, they are sold to manufacturing companies who produce new end products and complete the recycling journey.

Yes! All accepted waste TerraCycle receives gets recycled. This content was created by The Kit; L’Oréal funded and approved it.

Guys, great news: The fall nail trends are really good this year. Like so chic and wonderful that you’ll swiftly forget all about your summery polishes and won’t even miss them one bit. We’re talking scrumptious dark chocolate, toasty terracotta... Time to give our hands a little autumnal update.

Match your mani to your espresso martini. Fashion-wise, brown was one of the biggest colours on the runways, so…

Plaid, pleats and chunky loafers: Class is in session

Everything you need to know about our biggest annual contest

It's a full-on royal tour on Windsor turf, and the timing is fascinating

The message to women to adhere to “acceptable” beauty standards is clear

© The Kit 2022, The Kit, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited One Younge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6, 416-945-8700