Is Eco-Friendly Packaging Important To You?

March 3, 2009

After my friend Babyassface pointed out how wasteful Olay's packaging is – especially because it's practically impossible to recycle — she received a lame, canned response. She's encouraging people to write letters to Olay, explaining their preference for a more environmentally friendly packaging system. I definitely prefer to buy products with minimal (or better yet, no) packaging. What about you? How important is environmentally friendly packaging when you're shopping for beauty?

28 Comments

Autumns_Elegy 4 years

I hate looking at the packaging for eye creams. Masses of plastic and cardboard for one teensy little jar. Is it so hard to just give it a small box or leave it with no packaging?I tend to buy products that have recyclable packaging, or very little. It's best when I can just buy the product and the only packaging is a safety seal

Autumns_Elegy 4 years

I hate looking at the packaging for eye creams. Masses of plastic and cardboard for one teensy little jar. Is it so hard to just give it a small box or leave it with no packaging? I tend to buy products that have recyclable packaging, or very little. It's best when I can just buy the product and the only packaging is a safety seal

Vaadsfweytes 4 years

It's important to me. Where I live, before throwing anything out, everyone needs to practically dissect their trashes and recycle them separately. Also, things that cannot be recycled, people must pay to throw them out. I'm aware of Americans not recycling. It might be more convenient to throw everything out together, but eventually, it's the people that need to pay more tax to get rid of the trash, and it's the people who will have to deal with global warming and pollution. It's ignorant to not recycle when the world is at risk with environment related issues. I'm almost finished with my eye cream, and unfortunately, there's no recycle symbol on the container. I'm planning on emailing the company to ask how to recycle the container. It's interesting to see how drug store brands tend to over package their products.Lastly, since my skin is sensitive, I'm very careful with products I purchase. I rarely ever buy anything from drug stores when it comes to beauty products. However, most products I purchase, I just need to flatten out boxes and recycle. Olay should put the money on improving the quality of their low quality products instead of spending it on over packaging.

Vaadsfweytes 4 years

It's important to me. Where I live, before throwing anything out, everyone needs to practically dissect their trashes and recycle them separately. Also, things that cannot be recycled, people must pay to throw them out. I'm aware of Americans not recycling. It might be more convenient to throw everything out together, but eventually, it's the people that need to pay more tax to get rid of the trash, and it's the people who will have to deal with global warming and pollution. It's ignorant to not recycle when the world is at risk with environment related issues. I'm almost finished with my eye cream, and unfortunately, there's no recycle symbol on the container. I'm planning on emailing the company to ask how to recycle the container. It's interesting to see how drug store brands tend to over package their products. Lastly, since my skin is sensitive, I'm very careful with products I purchase. I rarely ever buy anything from drug stores when it comes to beauty products. However, most products I purchase, I just need to flatten out boxes and recycle. Olay should put the money on improving the quality of their low quality products instead of spending it on over packaging.

cptnruthless 4 years

there's a British company that just opened up a store in Anaheim (Garden Walk near Disneyland!) that's all about the eco-friendly! It's called lush... I loved looking and smelling all of the stuff in the store - it was refreshing to know that they use very little packaging! http://www.lushusa.com/about/responsible-packaging I haven't had a chance to try out the bath bombs that I bought, but they make my drawers smell of lavender so that's a good sign :)

cptnruthless 4 years

there's a British company that just opened up a store in Anaheim (Garden Walk near Disneyland!) that's all about the eco-friendly! It's called lush... I loved looking and smelling all of the stuff in the store - it was refreshing to know that they use very little packaging!http://www.lushusa.com/about/responsible-packagingI haven't had a chance to try out the bath bombs that I bought, but they make my drawers smell of lavender so that's a good sign :)

kerryq 4 years

eco-friendly packaging is very important to me.... I can't buy products packaged like olay's and still feel good about it. Just pause a minute and think about all of the waste each one of us produces anyway--- it would be nice if we all would try our best to reduce it!!!! I love lines like smashbox green room and cargo plant love... they're quality brands and eco-friendly!!!

genesisrocks 4 years

Not as important as the product itself. I do have to mention though, that if it's tested on animals I refuse to buy it.

Francoisehardly 4 years

Even if I wasn't as into caring about the environment, I would still find excess packaging kind of dumb. It's just extra waste and it isn't necessary.

theglossarie 4 years

Oof this is a toughie because I totally agree that Olay's packaging is wasteful...however Total Effects is my HG moisturizer and even if that stuff was wrapped in toxic waste, I would probably still buy it.

Jabbadoo 4 years

I needed another answer option. "I care and it annoys me, but if I need the product i'l still buy it"I've noticed that about the OLAY packaging before. The one that really gets me is Crest Whitestripes. It comes in this giant plastic box, and it could just be in a smaller (bandaid box size) cardboard container. Now i know, when they are charging $30 bucks, they want to put that feeling of "I'm getting something big and substantial for my money.." feeling in you. If the product is good and works for me, I have no problem paying the price for it, and don't need the fancy packaging.

Jabbadoo 4 years

I needed another answer option. "I care and it annoys me, but if I need the product i'l still buy it" I've noticed that about the OLAY packaging before. The one that really gets me is Crest Whitestripes. It comes in this giant plastic box, and it could just be in a smaller (bandaid box size) cardboard container. Now i know, when they are charging $30 bucks, they want to put that feeling of "I'm getting something big and substantial for my money.." feeling in you. If the product is good and works for me, I have no problem paying the price for it, and don't need the fancy packaging.

miss malone 4 years

Sometimes... it all depends.

miss malone 4 years

Sometimes... it all depends.

aimeeb 4 years

Honestly not so much. Pretty much everything I buy does not come in any sort of packaging so it doesn't affect me.

soulight 4 years

I saw that article on Babyassface's blog and it made me think about the products I buy, and to remember to be more conscientious in the future. I also wrote to Olay and will be avoiding all their products that overkills when it comes to packaging.

emalove 4 years

To an extent...I could definitely care more than I do. But I think it's SO ridiculous when companies use packaging like Olay does.

terryt18 4 years

I think merchandisers excessively package their drugstore beauty products to try to stop people from turning each product on the shelf into a tester. It annoys me that there's so much plastic, but w/ the products that are not as liberally packaged people continually open them up and try them out. And no one buys that product. So it goes to claims and then to the trash or back to the company which is even more of a waste, which also causes prices to rise as companies have to write off those products. Just to clarify, I do realize companies could package in one kind of recyclable plastic, but really that's not terribly eco-friendly either. I just think we like the idea of eco packaging but most wouldn't buy a tampered-with product. Is there eco-tamper-resistant packaging?

terryt18 4 years

KadBunny 4 years

I care a lot. I'm not going to primp and pretty myself up at the earth's expense. Embarrassingly though I'm not quite as committed to the cause as your friend is; maybe I should write a letter.. hmm..But really, in my perfect world we wouldn't have to repurchase bottles and plastics over and over. Refilling would be the best solution to plastic containers.

KadBunny 4 years

I care a lot. I'm not going to primp and pretty myself up at the earth's expense. Embarrassingly though I'm not quite as committed to the cause as your friend is; maybe I should write a letter.. hmm.. But really, in my perfect world we wouldn't have to repurchase bottles and plastics over and over. Refilling would be the best solution to plastic containers.

starangel82 4 years

I can go either way. But I do hate it when it is impossible to get into a product, eco-friendly or not.

melizzle 4 years

I'm in the middle on it, but it does drive me nuts on occasion... Olay seems to be trying to make it impossible to open their product.

LArgent 4 years

I like to use go for natural brands like Liz Earle who always use eco-packaging anyway. If I really loved a product, I would find it hard to stop buying it just because of the packaging, but if the packaging is eco, it's certainly a bonus.

le romantique 4 years

OH, Plus... overly eco-friendly people would most likely only buy products packaged in an eco-friendly way... which I find ridiculous.

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28 Comments