It’s rare I buy anything other than high street makeup but I do have the occasional more expensive item. MAC make up is something I often receive for my birthday or Christmas and as such every couple of years or so, I accumulate old packaging. Fantastically, MAC are committed to the environment and as such, they run a Back to MAC scheme in a bid to recycle products where possible like mac cosmetics & Makeup recycle. If you return 6 MAC packaging containers back to MAC you will receive a mac free lipstick (excluding the Viva Glam Lipstick which are for a charitable cause).
MAC asks that items returned are “primary packaging” which means they do not accept the following:
TIM Makeup Recycling Program When I think about the beauty industry, I think about all of the waste that is created by just a few different companies pushing endless amounts of product at women. What most people don’t realize is that out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of makeup brands out there, most are all owned or produced by just a. It's called the Back to MAC recycling program and all you have to do is bring your empties in to your local store – and that's it. They'll trade you for the lippie of your choice on the spot. MAC Cosmetics Back-2-MAC Recycling Program: rated 5 out of 5 on MakeupAlley. See 217 member reviews and photos.
- Paper boxes
- Plastic or cellophane wrappers
- Shopping bags
- Samples
- Applicators/tools
- Accessories (cases, bags, lashes, and a few others)
I know a number of women with not insignificant MAC habits who had forgotten all about or not even heard about the Back to MAC scheme. So if you’re nearing the end of a beloved MAC product, make sure you hang on to the packaging so you can eventually be in line to score a free lippy. Best yet, I have quite a few friends and colleagues who can’t be bothered to take their products back to the store “just” for a free product and they’re only too happy to shove them my way. Don’t be too scared to ask if you see a friend heading bin-ward with some MAC packaging.
April is commonly known as Earth Month so you might be stepping up your recycling game or making a conscious effort to buy more sustainable beauty products. While it’s something we should be doing all year round, April is a good reminder to kick us into gear. The MAC lipstick exchange recycling program can help in a small but important way by letting you recycle old products in exchange for a free new one. Yes, I said free.
It’s not a new program, as Allure points out, but it’s one that’s popping up on Reddit and Instagram as of late, which might mean people are taking advantage of the program more than ever. To enroll, all you have to do is join the MAC rewards program. It’s free to join and easy to reap the benefits. Sort of like Sephora Insider, MAC’s reward program has three tiers depending on how much you spend in the store: Lover, Devoted and Obsessed. Most importantly, each level includes the Back-to-M·A·C program, so no matter how much dough you drop, you can get a freebie.
When you finish a MAC product, make sure you hold onto the component it comes in. Return six empty containers and you’ll receive your complimentary product, either a Lipstick, Lipglass or Single Eye Shadow worth up to $17. Pretty cool, right?
Find out more info on the loyalty and recycling program over on MAC’s website now.
Mac Makeup Recycle Program
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