New York-based eos Products, known for its lip balms, shave creams and hand and body lotions, has partnered with TerraCycle, Trenton, New Jersey, to recycle the company’s end-of-life packaging into park benches, picnic tables and bike racks.



Eos says it takes a “thoughtful and delightful approach to product design and sustainable ingredients.” While its mixed plastics packaging is technically recyclable, it often ends up in landfills because of the high cost associated with recycling these materials, the company says. Therefore, eos has launched the eos Recycling Program with TerraCycle, available at www.terracycle.com/eos.

"Aligning with a partner like TerraCycle to ensure a free and easy way for our consumers to recycle was incredibly important to us as we continue to grow our sustainability efforts," says eos Chief Marketing Officer Soyoung Kang. "We know our eos consumers share our commitment to preserving the planet, and now, with the help of TerraCycle, we're excited to rollout this nationwide recycling program that makes all eos product packaging 100 percent recyclable."

Participating in the eos recycling program is free and easy. Consumers register for the program on the TerraCycle website and use existing boxes or envelopes in their homes to package their empty eos products. They then download a free UPS shipping label from their account to attach to the box or envelope and mail it in.

All participants are incentivized to recycle with the opportunity for their product shipment to result in a charitable donation. For every 1 pound of empty eos product shipped, collectors can earn $1 to donate to a school or nonprofit organization of their choice, eos says.

"We are thrilled for eos to join our portfolio of partners," says TerraCycle CEO and founder Tom Szaky. "Eos is known for providing consumers with a delightful product experience, which they've now enhanced by offering consumers the opportunity to recycle their used packaging, giving them a way to make the world a better place."

TerraCycle operates in 21 countries, partnering with leading consumer product companies, retailers, cities and facilities to recycle products and packages that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard-to-recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. TerraCycle has won more than 200 awards for sustainability and has donated more than $25 million to schools and charities since its founding 15 years ago.

To engage its consumers in this program, eos kicked off a social media content series on World Cleanup Day, inviting fans to share user-generated content illustrating the ways they give their eos products a second life by upcycling them into succulent planters, jewelry cases and more. Eos' fans have been showcasing the many ways in which they upcycle their balms for years, which the company says it will highlight via a series of Instagram stories and social posts.