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Aveda & Shape's Initiative Towards A Better World

Did you know that when bottles are recycled, their caps (which can't be processed by recycling machinery) are often cut off and thrown away, ending up in landfills, oceans, rivers, and too often, in the mouths of baby sea animals? This causes the animals to either choke or end up with bellies full of plastic, which eventually leads to death due to malnutrition, explains Michael Braungart, a toxicology expert and engineering professor at Germany's University of Lüneberg.

So three years ago, Braungart approached the natural-beauty company Aveda for help with this problem. "Our solution was to prevent the plastic caps from getting into the ocean altogether," says John DeFausse, vice president of global packaging for Estée Lauder, Aveda's parent company. "So we created a second life for the discarded plastic by collecting caps from our employees and their families and using them to make new tops for Aveda's limited-edition retro Clove Shampoo bottles, which hits stores in September for Aveda's 30th anniversary."

What can you do to help?

From March 10^th through May 10^th, Aveda stores will be accepting any and all of your hard plastic caps (e.g. from bottles of water and soda, laundry detergent, facial cleansers, shampoo, etc.). To participate, visit aveda.com/stores to find an Aveda store location near you. Don't see one within driving distance? Mail in your caps instead to: Aveda Re-Cap Program, ACA Waste Services, 40 EADS Street in Babylon, NY 11704. Bonus: Bring in 25 or more caps and you'll receive a free sample from one of Aveda's hair or body-care lines (limit one per customer).