Okay, so, I’ve been a long-time fan of MAC Cosmetics. I mean, who hasn’t, right? Their lipsticks are iconic, and don’t even get me started on their foundations. But lately, I’ve been trying to be more conscious about my environmental impact, you know? Less waste, more recycling, that kind of stuff.
So, I remembered MAC used to have this awesome recycling program called “Back-To-M·A·C” where you could bring in your empty MAC containers, and they’d give you a free lipstick. I used to do that all the time! But then I heard some rumors that they stopped the freebie part, and I was like, “No way, that’s a bummer!”
I decided to dig a little. I started looking for information online. The website says something like, “While our free product incentive has come to an end, our commitment to Back-To-M·A·C remains.” So, what does this mean? I was confused. I went on reading. “We encourage you to bring back your empties in-store or online to be processed through the program and hope you’ll follow us for updates as we further evolve the program for greater action and impact.” Okay, it’s something. I can bring back my empties in-store or online, but no free lipstick.
Then I went to the section about how to recycle. I found “Return your clean, empty products that are eligible for return to a participating M·A·C counter in-store or ONLINE. The packaging that cannot be recycled will be converted into energy.” Alright, I need to clean my empty products first. That’s not too bad. It’s better than throwing them in the trash, I guess. And those that cannot be recycled will be converted into energy. That’s good, I think.
And I noticed some chatter online, someone saying, “You have until March 31, 2023 to collect your empties.” I thought they canceled the program? I guess it was the deadline for the free lipstick part, or something like that. And I saw another comment, “The company will still recycle your old products, but the former employee feels because there is no longer a gift included.” Yeah, that’s what I thought. There’s no gift anymore. It’s a little sad, but hey, at least they’re still recycling, right?
My Conclusion
So, after digging around, here’s the deal: MAC still takes back your empties for recycling, which is great! They’ll either recycle them properly or convert them into energy, but, the free lipstick deal is gone. They ended that on March 31, 2023. Bummer, I know, but it’s still a good thing they’re keeping the recycling part going.
Honestly, I’m a little disappointed that they stopped the free lipstick incentive. It was a great way to encourage people to recycle. But I get it, things change. At least they’re still committed to the environment, in their way.
So, next time I finish a MAC product, I’ll definitely still bring it back to the store. It might not get me a free lipstick anymore, but it’s still better than adding to the landfill. Every little bit helps, right? And who knows, maybe they’ll bring back the incentive someday. A girl can dream, can’t she?
