Attempting A Zero-Waste Lifestyle? These Are The Canadian Beauty, Health And Wellness Brands To Shop And Recycle With

In November, Kitchener’s Cocoon Apothecary teamed up with TerraCycle to expand their Bottle Return Program and offer zero-waste options for their plant-based products. 

TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, created the Zero Waste Box program to provide solutions for difficult-to-recycle waste that cannot be recycled through TerraCycle’s brand-sponsored, national recycling programs or via standard municipal recycling. 

Since Cocoon Apothecary already packages their clean beauty products in amber glass bottles and jars to ensure the best performance of active ingredients and to save product packaging from landfills, the Zero Waste Box program seemed like a natural next step. 

Through their Bottle Return Program, Cocoon Apothecary collects back hundreds of empty bottles a month from customers. The bottles are properly sanitized and reused to reduce the environmental toll of creating new packaging. Over the past four years, the brand has reused over 7,000 bottles returned by their customers.

Cocoon Apothecary’s recyclable packaging

With the help of the Beauty Products and Packaging Zero Waste Box, Cocoon Apothecary also recycles caps, pumps and other product packaging that is unable to be reused. Like most plastic materials, these caps would have otherwise been landfilled, incinerated, or may have even contributed to the pollution of marine habitats.

“The Kitchener-Waterloo community has adopted our bottle return program in numbers that we never expected and we are so proud of our customers for this,” said Jessica Burman, founder of Cocoon Apothecary. “We are thrilled to offer a zero waste program with TerraCycle that will take care of the pumps, caps, and labels that we are not able to reuse. It makes our products 100 per cent zero waste.”

By using TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Boxes, Cocoon Apothecary hopes to inspire other brands to participate in the circular economy, engage ethical consumers and eliminate waste from the beauty industry altogether, but it seems they already have. Here’s a running list of the Canadian beauty, health and wellness brands to shop and reduce waste with. 

eco+amour

“Every brand should think about, and take responsibility for their product packaging in an effort to reduce waste. Pretty boxes on shelves that serve little to no purpose other than marketing should be a thing of the past.” – Sarah Marcus, founder of eco+amour

eco+amour uses TerraCycle’s All-In-One Zero Waste Box

Garden City Essentials

“We are so pleased to offer TerraCycle here at GCE. This is an important step for us and our commitment to low impact living. We are proud to offer eco-friendly alternatives and now a place for our community to bring the hard to recycle personal care items that may have ended up in landfills and oceans. We want to do our best and to help others do so as well.” – Jolene Antle, founder of Garden City Essentials

Garden City Essentials uses TerraCycle’s Beauty Products and Packaging Zero Waste Box and Oral Care Waste and Packaging Zero Waste Box

Purple Carrot Health Foods and Wellness Inc.

“Our planet is very important to us. We want to keep our community healthy and involved. Our mission statement says it perfectly. We nourish our community by embracing and driving change. We provide healthy foods, quality products, unique services and excellent advice, in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Because we only have one planet, we invite you to join us on our journey to zero waste.” – Cathy Lancaster, co-owner of Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot Health Foods and Wellness Inc. uses TerraCycle’s Packaging Zero Waste Box, Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero Waste Box, Plastic Cards Zero Waste Box and Oral Care Waste and Packaging Zero Waste Boxes

Do you want to be added to the list? Please contact [email protected].