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If you’re going for a New Year, new you moment, one obvious place to start is editing down the products you use to get ready in the mornings to the essentials. To do that safely, I asked Gina Herrera, senior director of brand partnerships at recycling company TerraCycle, for her advice on properly disposing of beauty products. For the most part, she says, what is meant to be used near a household drain can be disposed of that way before preparing its container for the end of its lifecycle. However, it’s important to take the time to review what’s in your product and consult local disposal guidelines. “There are definitely regulations around how to handle anything that’s flammable or alcohol-based,” Herrera says.

Before tossing that half-empty bottle of cream, you may want to take up Herrera’s challenge to find inventive ways to get to the last drop. When you buy your first new product of 2021, search out options that help maximize the amount of product you can use, such as Oribe’s luxe hand cream, which comes with a winding key that pushes the cream through the tube. The trend of posting a photo of your empties on social media is a fun way to share your favourite products and encourage others to adopt your waste-reducing attitude. “Any small changes or adjustments that you can commit to, those are the best ones to make,” Herrera says.

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Oribe Cote d’Azur Nourishing Hand Crème, $65 through oribe.ca.

Need some advice about your skin and hair care routines? Send your questions to ritual@globeandmail.com

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