My First Attempt at Back 2 Mac
Alright, so I finally got off my butt and decided to try MAC’s recycling thing – the Back 2 Mac program. Heard about it for ages, seen those “return 6 empties” signs in stores, but always kinda forgot or couldn’t be bothered. This weekend, I dug through my makeup bag and drawers, looking for those dead soldiers.
I was shocked. Seriously, SO many empty containers! Lipstick tubes, foundation bottles, those little plastic pots for paint pots… I had a whole pile. Felt kinda dumb letting them pile up for months, honestly. Gathered them all up on my kitchen counter.
Cleaning Up The Mess
First step was cleaning them out. Some were nasty. Old foundation crusted around the pump? Yeah, that was fun. Just used warm water and dish soap, nothing fancy. Scrubbed them as best I could:
- Lipsticks: Tried to twist up any last bit and wipe the tube clean. Some plastic ones just needed a rinse.
- Glass Bottles/Pumps: Pumped water through until nothing came out. Had to soak the pump heads a couple times.
- Pots: Scraped out any leftover goop with a cotton bud. They cleaned up pretty easy.
- Tubes (Like primers): Cut them open to get the last bit? Nah, too messy. Just squeezed out as much gunk as possible and rinsed well.
Important thing MAC asks? Take the lids off! I almost forgot this. They recycle the packaging parts separately. Left everything to air dry overnight. Didn’t want wet stuff molding in the bag!
The Store Visit
Took my baggie of clean empties to the MAC store today. Felt a little awkward, like “Am I doing this right?” Just walked up to the counter. The artist smiled and asked if it was for Back 2 Mac. Simple as that.
Here’s what happened:
- Count ’em out: I dumped my empties on the counter. She counted them quickly. “Okay, that’s 9! Good job.” Yay!
- Choose Your Freebie: Because I returned 6 empties (which is the minimum), I got to pick one free lipstick. Return 5? Nothing. Gotta hit that magic number six. They have specific lipstick shades you can choose from – it’s not the entire range, but plenty of nice ones. I grabbed this peachy nude shade I’d been eyeing for ages.
- That’s It!: She took the empties, handed me the new lipstick. Whole thing took maybe 3 minutes? Super easy. She thanked me for recycling.
Final Thoughts
Honestly? Whole thing was pretty chill. The most annoying part was just remembering to save the empties and cleaning them properly. But once that’s done, the actual return bit is dead simple. Felt good not just tossing all that plastic and glass. Plus, getting a free lipstick is a nice little perk! Definitely gonna keep saving my empties now. It’s a small thing, but kinda satisfying.
Key takeaway for newbies? Save 6 empty MAC containers, wash ’em good & take the lids off, haul them to a MAC store. Easy peasy recycling with a shiny new lipstick reward.
