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What happens to your nail polishes at the end of their life? It is not uncommon to see unused varnishes accumulating in the bathroom, for lack of knowing what to do with them. A problem that the committed brand Orijinal has tackled head-on by offering bottles that can be recycled forever… provided of course that they have been completely emptied.
All initiatives are good when it comes to reducing waste and waste in our bathroom. If brands are offering more and more solid cosmetics, and are gradually moving to bulk and refilling, packaging, cases and bottles remain very present in our beauty bags. On the occasion of the European Waste Reduction Week, here is an initiative that should delight those who do not know – or no longer know – what to do with the bottles of nail polish – often half full – which accumulate in the bathroom.
Born in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the original brand stands out for its natural care varnishes containing a patented active ingredient based on French celery and an organic pomegranate extract, but not only… Aware of the environmental impact of nail varnishes, its founder, Cheryl Gava, has imagined a solution allowing everyone to recycle their varnishes to infinity, and this in the form of instructions. This involves returning a bottle at the end of its life upon receipt of a new product, thereby considerably reducing waste from the bathroom.
Reduce waste
The concept is quite simple. All you have to do is order a first nail polish on the brand’s e-shop, then use it until you run out – a detail that is important. Because Orijinal specifies it, it only recovers “user bottles”, meaning empty. From the second order, it is a question of making it known that you wish to return your old bottle – preferably without the wooden cap to push the environmental commitment even further; which will allow you to receive the new product accompanied by a postage-paid label to return said empty bottle. And this, eternally.
To make this deposit principle possible, the brand has invested in a cleaning process derived from the food industry, which allows the bottles to be cleaned in just 16 minutes. All via the most eco-responsible procedure possible, specifies Orijinal. Still, this principle only works if consumers play the card of reducing waste, understanding that they (really) use their nail polish to the last drop. A way to rethink your practices, and to ensure that you don’t – or no longer – have dozens of nail polishes at your fingertips to the point of not knowing what to do with them. Something still very far from reality. But to motivate as many people as possible to change their habits, the brand is offering a voucher from five bottles returned.
The question of the end of life of varnishes
Throwing the contents of your nail polish in a sink or trash can is obviously not the right thing to do, for environmental reasons. Finishing your nail polish to the last drop is indeed the only solution to take advantage of an empty bottle. Something still very rare today. If the deposit does not appear to you as a possible solution, or if you do not use your nail polish regularly enough to overcome it, some very simple tips will help you to do something for the planet.
If not used quickly enough, a varnish can thicken and/or dry out, making it difficult to apply. To keep it alive as long as possible, you can add a few drops of castor oil to it, which will give your nails extra care as a bonus. If this is not enough, then it is essential to take the right steps to get rid of the product without harming the planet. The Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe) recommends “throwing the glass bottle in the bin or container reserved for recyclable glass packaging”, and “throwing the brush and its cap in the household waste bin”. If the bottle is still full, it is necessary to turn to a recycling center that accepts this specific type of content.