Do you have a ton of used mascara tubes lying around? Do you wonder if it’s possible to recycle them?
In this article, I wanted to explore whether or not it is environmentally friendly to recycle mascara tubes. I’ll be looking at the facts and trying to answer whether you should or should not recycle them.
Can you recycle mascara tubes?
Yes, you can recycle mascara tubes. But there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, you have to separate the tube from the brush — the tubes are made of plastic and will be recyclable, but the bristles are not. Separate them by unscrewing the cap and pulling out the brush.
To recycle mascara tubes, you need to remove the stuff that’s inside. The best way to do this is to punch a hole at each end of the tube and then peel off the tube itself.
This will leave you with just the metal wand part of the mascara tube. Now you’re ready for some fun! Put on your favorite CD and start turning the wand around in circles.
It will pick up the CD powder and begin to build up a coating around the wand.
You may have to do this several times before you get enough of a coating on it to make it usable again.
This is why you should use old mascara tubes for this purpose instead of new ones.
It also helps if they are used mascara tubes that still have some of the old mascara left in them.
Once you have enough of a coating on your mascara wand, hold it above a flame until it catches on fire, and then start twirling it around in circles again until it burns out completely.
You should now have a perfectly good wand ready for use!
What are mascara tubes made of?
Are you wondering what are mascara tubes made of? Well, we can all thank bees for that.
Beeswax, that is. That’s right, the ingredient in honey is used to make the tubes that most mascaras come in today. Beeswax is pliable, yet waterproof and helps hold your mascara in place as you apply it.
But while beeswax works great with mascaras, it isn’t very popular with consumers. Some people have reactions to the wax and find their eyes to be red and irritated after applying mascara.
A common solution to this problem is to use a non-latex brush applicator instead of a plastic tube. The bristles on these brushes should be soft and flexible so they don’t irritate your eyes or poke them.
How do you dispose of mascara tubes?
Have you ever considered that tossed mascara tubes and other makeup containers could be harming the environment?
Not only do these tubes get tossed into landfills, but they can end up in oceans, lakes, and streams polluting our water systems and killing marine life.
Here is a step by step process on how to properly dispose of your mascara tubes:
Step 1: Locate local recycling facility – You can find out where to recycle different products by visiting Earth911.com.
Step 2: Empty the tube – Remove any remaining product from the tube you are going to recycle and hold it upside down over a sink until no more comes out.
Step 3: Check for remaining parts – Make sure no metal pieces or plastic inner workings remain inside the tube before tossing it in the recycling bin.
4: Rinse and dry: If your mascara has gone a bit lumpy, you can try to get it looking smooth again by rinsing the wand under hot running water.
Can you recycle mascara tubes in Australia?
The short answer is that you can’t. Australia doesn’t have a formal recycling program, and cosmetic industry leaders don’t see any immediate need for one, either.
This means that while there are plenty of efforts to reduce landfill waste and encourage makeup users to store their products correctly, there’s no official way to recycle the containers themselves.
Trying to dispose of old mascara by turning the container into a rubbish bin or flushing it down the toilet is not only wasteful, but it can also release toxins into the environment.
Fortunately, it’s easy to keep your mascara out of the waste stream. If you plan carefully and take these steps, you can prevent a tube from winding up in a landfill
How do you recycle mascara wands?
Okay, so I can’t believe that I’m doing this but I’ve decided to try and help my fellow beauty lovers out there.
I recently came across a few videos on YouTube that taught me how to recycle mascara wands.
I thought it was genius! You should’ve seen the amount of money that I saved by doing this. I knew I had to share this technique with everyone.
So, here are the steps to recycling your mascara wands:
1) First, unscrew the mascara wand from the tube.
2) Remove the plastic insert from the wand.
3) Throw away the tube and plastic insert in your trash can.
4) Put a drop of glue right onto the metal part of your wand and attach it back into the metal casing of your mascara tube and let it dry overnight.
5) Enjoy your new, improved mascara wand!
Final Thoughts
The good news is that you can recycle mascara tubes, and there are several options for you to choose from.
It all depends on how much effort you want to put into it and what you want to do with the tube.
