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L’Oréal Groupe and Maybelline New York Champion Recycling Access in Small Towns
L’Oréal Groupe and Maybelline New York Champion Recycling Access in Small Towns Across the U.S.
Recycling should be for everyone. It’s vital for the planet and brings communities together.
In September 2022, L’Oréal Groupe, in partnership with GlobalGiving and Maybelline New York, announced founding support for The Recycling Partnership’s Small Town Access Fund. This initiative aims to enhance recycling programs in small U.S. communities with populations under 50,000, addressing the critical need for improved recycling infrastructure and access in these towns. Less than two years later, the Small Town Access Fund has already made a big impact. Through these projects, access and education has been provided to over 70,000 households.
Providing Essential Access
The United States faces significant challenges in its recycling infrastructure. According to The Recycling Partnership’s “State of Recycling” report, only 43% of American households participate in recycling programs due to both lack of access and insufficient communication and outreach, resulting in 76% of the country’s residential recyclables lost at the household level. The Small Town Access Fund directly targets these challenges.
“Smaller and rural communities often face unique challenges when it comes to implementing or maintaining robust recycling programs,” says Cody Marshall, Chief of System Optimization for The Recycling Partnership. “[There are limited] resources such as dedicated staff, and challenges including increased distance for processes, financial limitations due to lower population density, and sometimes increased per-household collections costs.”
Creating New Solutions
The Small Town Access Fund aims to divert an estimated 4,200 tons of recyclable waste away from landfills annually by leveraging people and data to create actionable solutions.
"Reaching these communities is essential for us to achieve our recycling and sustainable packaging goals here in the U.S.,” says Rachel Taplinger, Global Head of Sustainability for Maybelline New York. “Instead of waiting for others to solve the challenge of Small Town Recycling for us, [Maybelline and L’Oréal Groupe] decided to be a proactive part of the solution."
By supporting initiatives like The Small Town Access Fund, L’Oréal Groupe and Maybelline New York are working to ensure that environmental solutions reach communities of all sizes across the country. This initiative is in alignment with L’Oréal’s sustainability program, L’Oréal for the Future, to have 100% of the plastic used in our packaging from recycled or biobased sources by 2030.
For more information on L’Oréal’s sustainability efforts and the Small Town Access Fund, visit L'Oréal for the Future.