Zero Waste Week - The make-up exchange

Even though I am an aspiring ZeroWaster, I took a look in my bathroom cabinets and they are absolutely brimming full of products, mostly plastic packaged in some way, many of which I am unlikely to use ever!

I find it hard to believe I have so much accumulated stuff.  I've been using the same few fairly solid plastic or glass bottles for several years now and refilling them with shampoo and conditioner that I buy in a big 5 litre container from a local buyers group with SUMA.  I also have about half a dozen hand soap containers that I refill with lovely fig had soap from another local company called SESI.

Yet, still I have hundreds of bottles and packets of stuff in my bathroom cabinet.  That inspired me to think about a make-up exchange.

I will be running the make-up exchange on Tuesday 4th September during Zero Waste Week. I thought it would be a good idea to encourage businesses to think about running a make-up exchange too.

All you'd need is a box in reception or in the kitchen or even just by your desk.  Tell all your colleagues about what you are doing and why and persuade them to give their cupboards a clear out.


With this thought came the worry that "What would you do if you have loads of products left over?"

I have just the thing for that.

There are several organisations that accept make-up and donate to women's refuges or to refugees.

Firstly, I came across this article by Sally Hughes and Jo Jones, describing how they set up their Beauty Banks.  Have a read and it will make you want to help.   Or you can just cut to the chase and send stuff to them at: BEAUTY BANKS, c/o JO JONES, THE COMMUNICATIONS STORE, 2 KENSINGTON SQUARE, LONDON W8 5EP.
The downside is they only accept unopened items.

But what about those items that you may have used once or twice but then abandoned? That's what I really want to deal with.

Caroline Huron's Give and Makeup Charity accepts good quality part used items. The rule is..be respectful...if you would be embarrassed to give it to your best friend, then please don't send it to them. For hygiene reasons, they can't accept mascara and they can't accept lipgloss. Other make-up can be cleaned. There's a full list of what they accept on the link.

The address for Give and Makeup is either London: GIVE AND MAKEUP, PO BOX 855, LONDON, W4 4AW or Cardiff: Give and MakeUp c/o Escentual.com, 63-67 Wellfield Road, Cardiff, CF24 3PA

So onto that issue of cleaning. It seemed to me that it must be possible to clean makeup. I asked a make-up artist how she keeps her make-up clean.

• Use a small piece of tissue to wipe off the top layer 
• Now apply a drop of rubbing alcohol (or vodka) to another piece of clean tissue and wipe over. to kill germs

This works for eyeshadows and lipsticks, though lipstick is generally very fragile so you need to be gentle.

I'm off to clear out my cupboards to donate the spares. I'm going to be ruthless, I hope!