Top 5 Items People Forget to Recycle in the Bathroom

Nov 13, 2015 1:00 PM ET
Whether it’s hairspray, leave-in conditioner or dry shampoo, your favorite beauty products can take on another life through recycling. For example, your shampoo bottle could be recycled into a hairbrush, and your hair product bottle could become a dress. Learn more about what your personal care products can become here: http://iwanttoberecycled.org/bathroom

Keep America Beautiful's America Recycles Day – on Nov. 15 – is a great time to celebrate recycling and learn new ways to recycle in your home.

With the national recycling rate at 34.3 percent, there is still plenty we can do to recycle more, to recycle right, and to convert friends and family into recyclers.

So, how can we work together to increase that recycling rate? Let’s start by recycling in the bathroom.

We have found that only 41 percent of Americans say they always recycle products from the bathroom. As a result, common bathroom products like shampoo bottles, toothpaste boxes and shaving cream cans are more likely to end up in landfills than their kitchen counterparts.

Why is this happening? According to our 2015 consumer insights study with the Ad Council, more than one in five people say they would recycle more products if they understood that they could be turned into new products. And nearly half of the people say they don’t recycle in the bathroom simply because they don’t have a recycling bin there to do so!

That’s why it’s more important than ever to spread the word about personal care product recycling. Check out the top five items that many people forget to recycle in the bathroom. Recycle them this America Recycles Day – and every day!

Quick Tip: Placing a small bin in your bathroom can help you to remember these items. You can solidify your commitment to recycle by taking the America Recycles Day pledge here: http://americarecyclesday.org/pledge/.