People are only just discovering what recycling symbol on make-up actually means

25 January 2023 , 15:20

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Well-meaning makeup users might be mistakenly recycling items that end up in landfill (Image: Getty Images)

Running out of your favourite blusher or mascara is often met with the thrill of shopping for new make-up, with the empty tube long forgotten. For those who do try to recycle regularly, we see the little triangle of arrows and assume all is well as we toss away the packet, hoping we've done our bit for the planet.

However, these symbols are far more complex than just marking something as recyclable or non-recyclable. In fact you could be innocently attempting to recycle a bottle that your local centre cannot process.

There's multiple recycling symbols all with different meanings that beauty users should be aware of - here's the ones you might be getting wrong.

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Mobuis loop

The classic 'Mobius Loop' doesn't just mean the product can be recycled (Getty Images)

The three arrows in a slightly three dimensional triangle is known as the Mobius Loop and can often be found coloured green or black on the back of make-up bottles. If you see this on your make-up it means the product can be recycled but does not guarantee that all recycling centres can take it.

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Sometimes inside this little triangle you can spot a percentage in the middle, this indicates how much of that product is made from already recycled materials. Not all recyclable products with this stamp will have a number as not all are made from already recycled materials.

Most of the time, the Mobius Loop will be accompanied by other recycling symbols but check with your local centres to see if they accept that particular material or packaging.

Plastic triangle

All the symbols have a particular meaning - not just that they're recyclable or not (Getty)

Commonly mistaken for the Mobius Loop is the plastic triangle, which lets consumers know what type of plastic was used in the product. This has three arrows in a triangle too, but they are flat and don't appear to be looping in on themselves.

In addition, this symbol will always have a number with some lettering underneath to show which of the seven plastic categories the packaging is made from.

1 - PET, Polyethylene Terephthalate, which is widely recycled.

2- HDPE, High-Density Polyethylene, which is also widely recycled.

3 - PVC, Polyvinyl Chloride, this is harder to recycle but still can be so check with your local authority.

4 - LDPE, Low-Density Polyethylene, another one which is capable of being recycled but check with your local authority.

5 - PP, Polypropylene, unfortunately PP is hard or not possible at all to recycle so reuse containers or avoid it altogether. PP is used in Tupperware, disposable cups, and some food containers.

6 - PS, Polystyrene or Styrofoam, again this is hard or not possible to recycle so reuse or avoid it. PS is used in disposable coffee cups, plastic cutlery and packing foam.

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7 - Other. This is usually a mish mash of lots of different plastics and is pretty tricky to recycle so should be avoided or reused.

Heart arrow

If you see this you should check locally if the item can be recycled

This is another common symbol that has multiple variations, although it's a little more self explanatory than some of the others. The circular arrow with a little heart shaped end on a green background is the best as it means the material is widely recycled.

Widely recycled means around 75% of UK centres will take the material but this is still not all centres so do double check if you're in doubt. Sometimes the word "rinse" will appear on top of the green box, meaning the item must be washed before recycling.

A black background for the same arrow means between 20% and 75% of centres will recycle it so it is always advisable to check before putting it out for recycling. Adding a straight line through the centre of this and you indicate that even less centres can recycle this product.

Green dot

The Green Dot is often mistaken for a green light for recycling

The two green arrows, twisted together to create a green dot is commonly thought to symbolise the ability to recycle packaging but it has nothing to do with this.

Instead, this light and dark dot merely means the manufacturer has made a financial contribution to recycling services across Europe. It does not mean that the product itself is recyclable - or even made from recycled materials.

The Green Dot is a trademarked symbol so can only be used by UK license holders but bares no actual significance in the UK and is a more due to standardised packaging across the UK and Europe.

Other symbols

The aluminium symbol is not used often on make-up but it can be

Sometimes these are not the only symbols you will see as aluminium has it's own circular symbol with two arrows and the letters "alu" inside. This indicates that the product is made from recyclable aluminium, which includes the common household foil - scrunch your foil into a crumb free ball for an easy recycling process.

This is rare in make-up products but not completely unheard of, although you may not be able to separate the aluminium for recycling or even see that it's there.

If you spot a little man throwing some rubbish in a bin, this is simply the UK tidyman symbol. It has no relation to recycling at all and is just reminding you not to litter and to pick up after yourself. If he appears in an arrow triangle and is throwing away a bottle - that's the symbol for glass!

This can be recycled easily, just separate it from the plastic elements or any other coloured glass and put it in your recycling bin.

Danni Scott