Sparked-off by our partnership with sustainable hair care providers Pureology, parent company L’Oreal worked with the Sustainable Coastlines team to deliver a conference activity with a difference. In the weeks leading up to L’Oreal’s company conference, Auckland salons stocking Pureology products were asked to put aside large shampoo bottles after use. These bottles were supplemented by others salvaged by our team from nearby recycling facilities.

Instead of sending the bottles for recycling (a process commonly referred to in the environmental sector as ‘down-cycling’) these bottles were diverted for ‘up-cycling’ — the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new products for better environmental value.

Conference-goers gathered outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum venue and the up-cycling workshop began, with 180 L’Oreal employees from around Aotearoa getting stuck-in to turn Pureology bottles into good-looking planters for use at home. Organic potting mix and herbs filled each bottle to create a healthy, delicious kitchen planter solution while giving hundreds of plastic bottles a new life.

Thank you to the team from L’Oreal and Pureology for your support of this project, and to all of the L’Oreal staff for taking part!