Ulta is no stranger to criticism, with footage emerging of its employees destroying beauty products in its stores' back rooms. Now, another associate is spotlighting the retailer for the "sad" practice even though she has insight into why it doesn't sell certain items.
What's happening?
TikToker Joanna (@joanna4420) shared a clip showing herself destroying eyeshadow palettes and squeezing concealer, lotions, and hair products into a plastic-lined container. While most of the items appeared to be open, one container seemed to have its safety seal intact.
@joanna4420 So sad🥲 & idk how people dumpster dive…cause we supposed to do this 😂😭🫢 #fyp #ultadamages #destroyingmakeup ♬ Aesthetic Vibes - Megacreate
"Idk how people dumpster dive…cause we are supposed to do this," Joanna wrote in the caption, alluding to the incredible finds some people redeem from store bins.
Other TikTokers wondered why Joanna couldn't just toss the products as is.
"I hate this!" one person wrote. "So wasteful."
"A lot of employees don't destroy the item," another suggested. "They just throw it in the trash."
Joanna affirmed in the comments that it wasn't necessarily untrue but pointed out that she was getting rid of items that shoppers had returned to the store.
"Most of those things are [returned] and USED or testers that PEOPLE TOUCH WITH DIRTY HANDS ALL DAY LONG," she explained, wondering why divers would want such items.
Why is this important?
While most of the discarded products are likely contaminated, making their disposal as opposed to donation understandable, the clip highlights the significant amount of waste generated by the beauty industry — which also often relies on plastic packaging.
🗣️ Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a refillable product?
🔘 Saving money 💰
🔘 Reducing plastic waste 🗑️
🔘 Using less shelf space at home 💁♀️
🔘 Getting easy refill deliveries 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
According to Forbes, Zero Waste Week estimates that the sector uses more than 120 billion units of such packaging annually.
As most plastics are made from dirty fuels, packaging production also contributes to deforestation when land is cleared for extraction, with around 18 million acres of crucial forest lost each year. Meanwhile, plastics can take hundreds of years to break apart, so items made from the material easily accumulate in landfills and as toxic and hazardous litter.
What is Ulta doing to reduce plastic waste?
The retailer is among the companies partnering with Pact Collective, which has more than 3,000 recycling bins across the United States and Canada for people to drop their empty cosmetic tubes and bottles. It also spotlights brands that sell products in packaging made from recycled or biosourced materials as well as those that offer recyclable or refillable containers.
In other TikTok clips, Ulta employees have showcased themselves cutting plastic containers into small pieces, though, and it's unclear if the packaging in the footage is part of any recycling efforts or whether the items in question even come wrapped in recyclable material.
What can I do about beauty product waste more broadly?
In addition to participating in recycling initiatives such as those from Pact Collective, choosing to support plastic-free brands can contribute to a cleaner tomorrow.
For example, you could say goodbye to single-use plastic razors in favor of a durable metal one — this practice will stretch your dollar further, too. Zero Waste stores also sell items including shampoo and conditioner bars, soap bars, and more.
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