Origins Offers Samples in Exchange for Recycled Packaging
Natural cosmetics brand Origins is mounting a nationwide Earth Day campaign that will let customers bring in all their used cosmetic packaging for recycling—even from Origins’ beauty-care rivals—and receive a free sample of Origins’ latest skincare product.
The “Return to Origins Recycling Program,” runs through April and permits customers to bring used cosmetics containers to their nearest Origins store or to any U.S. retail beauty counter selling Origins products (except Nordstrom’s.) There the packaging will be accepted for recycling or energy recovery, and contributing customers will receive a free sample of one of Origins’ natural skincare products.
The company maintains this is the first package-reuse program to accept items from any cosmetics brand regardless of the manufacturer. A statement around the program points out that consumer packaging makes up about a third of all landfill waste, and that community recycling programs generally accept only items that are easily identified, such as water or beverage containers. Cosmetic and toiletry packaging is often not recycled simply because programs can’t recognize the items, Origins said.
In another eco-initiative, Origins will also offer to plant a tree for every April sale of its Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer with White Tea. The replanting program is in partnership with Global ReLeaf, the education and activity campaign from the non-profit American Forest organization. The company will reportedly also plant a tree for every new Origins Guide or sales associate it hires and will continue to plant trees throughout 2009.
The April 2 kick-off events in New York and Los Angeles offered customers a chance to meet “Gossip Girls” star Kelly Rutherford or “90210” star Jessica Stroup respectively and handed out special month’s-supply sizes of A Perfect World hydrating body cream. Other launch events took place on the same day in Boston, Denver, San Francisco and Austin, TX.
The Origins Earth forest initiative will be promoted with 15-second spots on digital mall billboards in the Adspace network. Adspace operates 1,400 Smart Screen billboards in 105 shopping malls across the country.
