Podcast 226: The latest in greenwashing: “Recycle-ready”

Have you ever wondered what “recycle-ready” means when it comes to cosmetic packaging? Brace yourself, because this term might surprise you.

“Recycle-ready” refers to packaging designed for future recycling systems that don’t yet exist.

Essentially, brands are claiming eco-friendliness by betting on future infrastructure improvements, not current capabilities.

Last week, we interviewed Alexander Kwapis of FusionPKG about the complexity of designing cosmetic packaging and the future of sustainable beauty.

In this week’s episode of the Green Beauty Conversations podcast, host Lorraine Dallmeier, Chartered Environmentalist and Biologist, exposes how “recycle-ready” is just the latest in greenwashing tactics. She challenges listeners to rethink the impact of their beauty choices and calls out brands for shifting responsibility away from immediate action.

“Recycle-ready packaging is designed for a future that doesn’t exist yet. It’s a misleading promise that shifts responsibility away from manufacturers and onto hypothetical future systems.“— Lorraine Dallmeier

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding “recycle-ready”: Discover the true meaning behind “recycle-ready” packaging and why it’s more about future promises than present realities. Lorraine highlights how this term misleads consumers by implying current recyclability.
• Greenwashing uncovered: Learn how brands use “recycle-ready” as a greenwashing tactic, shifting responsibility to future recycling infrastructure that doesn’t exist yet. This episode calls for transparency and immediate action from the beauty industry.
• The reality of plastic waste: Explore shocking statistics on global plastic waste. With only a small percentage of plastic being recycled and much ending up in landfills or nature, Lorraine emphasises the urgency for real solutions over empty promises.
• Mono-material misconceptions: Lorraine discusses how some brands claim that using mono-materials in their packaging makes them “recycle-ready.” While mono-materials are easier to recycle theoretically, without the proper infrastructure, they still end up in landfills, debunking the myth that this approach is a sufficient solution.
• Call to action: Lorraine challenges listeners to reject brands using “recycle-ready” and to advocate for genuinely sustainable practices. She urges everyone to support truly eco-friendly brands and push for a circular economy where waste is minimised and nature is regenerated.

Join Lorraine as she passionately dissects the recycle-ready trend and calls for a shift towards immediate beauty sustainability efforts. Listen to the full episode to understand why we must move beyond misleading claims and towards a more sustainable future.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.