Eco Beauty

I'm an avid recycler, and when I empty the recycle bin in my kitchen every Thursday night I'm so proud of myself - and shocked to see how much plastic, metal and paper we go through in one week. I do have to admit that it's taken me a while to start thinking about recycling in the bathroom the way I think about it in the kitchen. Shampoo bottles, moisturizer jars and even makeup packaging can be recycled, too, you just have to remember not to casually toss them in the wastebasket along with other bathroom trash.

There are a handful of beauty companies that are doing their part to clean up the planet, offering other ways to reduce the amount of trash that winds up in our landfills, and even giving you an incentive to reduce waste. So the next time you're in the market for a new cleanser or lipstick, keep these lines in mind.

Origins
The newly launched Return to Origins program lets you recycle all of your cosmetics and toiletries packaging at over 450 Origins stores and department store counters, regardless of brand.

M.A.C
Who doesn't have a handful of lipsticks in their cosmetic case that are no longer worn? The Back to M.A.C program gives you a reason to purge your extras: Bring 6 M.A.C lipsticks back to your local store or department store counter and you'll get a new lipstick for free.

Pangaea Organics
This forward-thinking line of organic beauty products aims to reduce the amount of packaging that winds up in our landfills in a different way. All of the outer boxes are embedded with seeds so all you have to do is peel off the label, soak the box in water for one minute, dig a little hole in the backyard, and in a few weeks' time your box turns into a patch of sweet basil or amaranth.

Read more about going green with your beauty routine: Earth Day Beauty and  Green Beauty Products