Nordstrom Will Now Take Back and Recycle Your Empty Beauty Packaging

As major retail players continue to navigate the ever-changing 2020 landscape, attempting to set themselves apart to consumers still proves to be a challenge. For Nordstrom, a brand that has reinvigorated itself in the better half of the last decade — with a fresh, editorial merchandising perspective and socially conscious initiatives — joining its costumers, and the world, on a push for environmental responsibility is its newest frontier.

On Thursday, October 1, Nordstrom announced the launch of BEAUTYCYCLE, a new in-store beauty recycling program with global leader in the space, TerraCycle. The program, effective immediately, makes Nordstrom the first brand-agnostic beauty take-back and recycling program at any major retailer. Through BEAUTYCYCLE, customers can bring their empty beauty products to any Nordstrom or Nordstrom Local — regardless of brand or purchase location — to be recycled using boxes available in the beauty department. The retailer will then send the products to TerraCycle, where they will be cleaned and separated into metals, glass and plastics, and distributed for repurposing (think plastics into new park benches, metals into nuts and bolts).

The program comes as Nordstrom set the remainder of its 2025 corporate social responsibility goals around environmental sustainability, where its team decided on three key impact areas of focus, including climate change, environmental impact of our products and services, and circularity. Through these goals, Nordstrom is committed to taking back 100 tons of beauty packaging to be recycled by 2025.

"Nordstrom leads with the fundamental belief that we have a responsibility to leave the world better than we found it," Gemma Lionello, Executive Vice President, general merchandise manager for accessories and beauty at Nordstrom, shared with NYLON over email. "Customers increasingly feel the same and look to us to be a responsible company that plays an active role in protecting the environment."

For more details, see the brand's full BEAUTYCYCLE launch announcement, below.