Garnier USA took home the first-ever Sustainability Pioneer Award presented by Organic Monitor at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit held in Paris, France on October 21 st.

Through an exclusive partnership with TerraCycle, a company that specializes in recycling post-consumer waste and a driving force behind environmental action, Garnier provided a comprehensive solution to personal care and beauty packaging waste.

Through its Personal Care and Beauty Brigade, individuals and groups are empowered to recycle any kind of hair care, skin care, and cosmetic packaging waste that would otherwise end up in landfills by sending it to TerraCycle for free. For every piece of waste sent in, Garnier will contribute two cents to the school or charity of the collector’s choice.

In addition to diverting packaging from landfills, Garnier and TerraCycle are beautifying communities with the waste collected.

In October 2012, Garnier donated 55 trash receptacles made of recycled beauty waste to the city of Newark, NJ to help keep the city’s parks clean. Last August, Garnier and TerraCycle renovated a community garden in New York City that was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Beauty waste was recycled into plastic lumber and used to build raised garden beds, picnic tables and trash receptacles.

David Greenberg, President of Maybelline New York-Garnier-essie, commented:

“We couldn’t be more honored…This is a long term commitment to sustainability for the L’Oreal Group and Garnier. We have currently collected over 2.7+ million pieces of beauty waste with more than 12,000 Beauty Brigades established domestically and internationally. The program has literally created great things, such as a Community Green Garden in New York City with plant beds, picnic tables and waste bins made from recycled beauty waste.”

Criteria for the Sustainability Pioneer Award includes a demonstration of proven leadership by a cosmetic or ingredient firm in the areas of packaging, waste management, energy management, CSR and corporate philanthropy, and more.

Here’s more about Organic Monitor’s Sustainability Awards, and the otehr categories.