We all want to use a shampoo that smells awesome and does wonders for our hair, but what does your choice of hair care do to our planet? Is Herbal Essence shampoo biodegradable?
Herbal Essence shampoo comes in plastic bottles so it is not biodegradable. Plastic is a synthetic material that does not decompose but you can recycle it.
We’re all trying to do our bit for the planet, even when choosing our hair care products.
So, how can you correctly dispose of your Herbal Essence shampoo bottles? Find out all you need to know about recycling this brand in this article.
How Do You Know If a Shampoo Is Biodegradable?
Knowing whether shampoo is biodegradable or not depends on two things.
These are, what the shampoo container is made out of and what the shampoo itself is made out of. Let’s consider these one at a time to see what is biodegradable and what’s not.
We’ll start the ball rolling by talking about the shampoo’s container. Is your shampoo in a plastic bottle? Well, unless the bottle states otherwise, the container is not biodegradable. Plastic bottles are made of synthetic materials that do not break down.
Some shampoos, however, come in bars that are wrapped in paper. These are biodegradable.
Ok, so let’s move on to the shampoo itself. Are the ingredients in your shampoo biodegradable? You can only say that your shampoo is biodegradable if 90% of the ingredients it is made from can be broken down into water and carbon dioxide within 6 months.
But very few shampoos are made from ingredients such as these. Most are made with chemicals that take a lot longer to biodegrade.
So what’s the key? To find a biodegradable shampoo, look for one that is made in a decomposable container. (Ideally not a plastic bottle).
You should also look for one that’s shampoo itself is made with biodegradable materials. These are natural ingredients and not chemicals like sulphates and phosphates.
Does Herbal Essence Contain Plastic?
Herbal Essences is a brand that is working hard to reduce its carbon footprint.
But the brand, like most shampoo manufacturers, has still not been able to eliminate its plastic footprint. The brands’ shampoo bottles are all made from plastic at least in part.
But the brand hopes to reduce the amount of plastic in its packaging by 2025.
So what can we say about the amount of plastic in Herbal Essence packaging? Herbal Essence shampoo bottles contain plastic. Most of their shampoo and conditioner bottles incorporate 50% recycled plastic from manufactured recycling.
Their sulfate-free green bottles incorporate recycled plastic with virgin plastic.
Using shampoo in bottles is not as green as we would like it to be. So, what can you do to reduce your carbon footprint while using Herbal Essence shampoo? Here are a few tips that you can follow:
- Recycle your Herbal Essence shampoo bottles. Their bottles are recyclable. You should place them in your household recycling waste and then leave them for curbside collection. Some counties would prefer that you rinse the bottles out before recycling them. You should return the cap to the bottle for recycling.
- Upcycle your Herbal Essence shampoo bottles. There are so many creative ways of upcycling plastic shampoo bottles. Are you a little stuck for ideas? Then check out 5 things you can do in this video. It’s so easy!
- Give your shampoo away. Instead of throwing away any shampoo that you don’t want to use, give it to someone else. Charitable organizations often take donations of unwanted bottles of shampoo as long as they are unopened.
Is Herbal Essences Environmentally Friendly?
Many people are drawn to Herbal Essences because of their great quality shampoo and the ethics of the company.
Do we know what the company is doing to support the planet? Is Herbal Essences environmentally friendly? The following information will help you to see what the company does in favor of the earth.
- Herbal Essences works closely with the TNC (The Nature Conservancy). This is a tree-planting program that works to protect millions of acres of land. Herbal Essences supports this program with tree-planting promises when users buy certain products.
- The company is working to reduce its water use. From 2010 to 2016 they managed to reduce their water consumption by 20%. They are still hoping to lower their water usage in the future.
- Most of their shampoo bottles are made from recycled plastic. Some of their bottles are made from 50% recycled plastic. Others are made from a mix of recycled plastic and virgin plastic. The company is working to use more recycled plastic and educate their clients further on how to recycle their bottles.
- Herbal Essences are trying to use more renewable energy at their plants. They are taking steps to cut down on the use of conventional fuels like coal and nuclear gas at their plant in Iowa. They are also eliminating waste at their manufacturing sites.
So what’s the verdict? Is Herbal Essences environmentally friendly? Well, we will let you be the ultimate judge.
But the truth is that the company is trying to enforce a lot of good habits into the production of their products.
Amongst those are tree planting, water conservation, and recycling plastic. They also use renewable energy and cut back on waste.
Final Thoughts
We all want the best for our planet and our hair. That means a great smelling shampoo that fortifies your hair and is good for the environment.
This may leave you wondering, is Herbal Essence shampoo biodegradable?
As you have seen in this article, Herbal Essences shampoo is packaged in plastic bottles so it is not biodegradable. But that said, you can recycle the bottles.
You can even upcycle the bottles that you have finished with to make something creative with them.
So, although your shampoo may not be as biodegradable as you would like it to be, what you do with it can support our planet earth.
