Aveda Launches Nationwide Bottle Cap Recycling Program

By GreenerDesign Staff, GreenerDesign
Published July 31, 2008

Design & Innovation

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NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Aveda, maker of hair care and beauty products, will collect plastic bottle caps nationwide to recycle into new items.

The company's Recycle Caps with Aveda program will collect caps through Aveda stores, beauty salons and schools.

Aveda is collecting any hard plastic bottle tops, which it will ship to its recycler to be broken down and re-molded into new caps and containers.

The company started is recycling program by first collecting caps from employees and their families, which will be made into tops for the limited edition retro Clove shampoo that will be out in September. The shampoo's bottle will also include 96 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Earlier this year Aveda ran a promotion from March to May, asking people to bring caps into stores, and offering free samples to anyone who brought in 25 or more caps.

Aveda has a long history of environmental concern, frequently changing packaging to reduce materials, make recycling easier and adding more post-consumer content. This year it also earned Cradle-to-Cradle certification for four ingredients.

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Aveda = Greenwashing

Greenwashing at it's finest. Positioned as a revolutionary recycling program. Any metropolitan or other recycling program that takes plastic also takes the caps. Aveda just lost a lot of respect with me.

Mon, 08/11/2008 - 14:27 — Anonymous

Aveda Corporation

The goal of Aveda's bottle cap recycling program is to help combat the devastating effects of plastic cap pollution—and to increase awareness around this critical issue. Marine life mistake colorful plastic caps for food, leading to malnutrition and often death. Plastic caps are currently not widely accepted into many recycling streams in the U.S., so Aveda encourages consumers to check with their local recycling facility about including caps in recycling bins.

Thu, 08/14/2008 - 22:32 — Anonymous

Re: Aveda = Greenwashing

I've lived in several communities over the last few years, according the recycling guidelines in most of them (current township included) plastic caps should be removed from plastic bottles, which would imply that they don't get recycled. I dutifully remove the caps, but feel bad about throwing them away. Now I can save them up and drop them off at the Aveda school when I get my hair cut by their students. Thank you Aveda!

Fri, 08/15/2008 - 07:11 — Anonymous

Actually, if you do a little research...

you'll find that bottle caps are the bane of the recycling company's existence. The pvc they are made of can ruin an entire batch of resin (the soup made from the plastic in the bottles.) When the caps are left on, the company has to cut off the top of the bottle, wasting part of the recyclable bottle as well as the cap, not to mention a waste of time and effort. So save your caps and recycle them on their own!

Mon, 08/18/2008 - 12:48 — Anonymous

Aveda = Greenwashing NOT

Dear Anonymous,
How lame to be critical of this innovative program when your criticism is based simply on a lack of knowledge. Unlike metal caps, plastic caps can not be recycled with the bottles that they come with. If you have been putting them in with your plastic recycling, you're contaminating the rest of the recycling. You should start removing your plastic tops and bring them into Aveda. Perhaps it would also be wise to hold off your public criticism of a company that is doing so many good things environmentally until you have your facts straight. Thanks Aveda for leading the way again - the genuine depth of your committment is appreciated.