They recycle plastic bottle caps in Japan, why can’t we do it here? This is a question I’ve been asking myself and the world. An answer came from an unlikely place. The makers of Aveda hair care have announced they will accept used caps at their salons, and the caps will be melted down and made into new caps.

Caps are the new Butts! Plastic bottle caps are quickly eclipsing cigarette butts as the number one item found on the world’s beaches. In New Jersey, Surfrider Foundation volunteers Dave Storch, Derek Riddle, & Joe Mairo saved all the caps found on recent beach sweeps run by Clean Ocean Action. Clean Ocean Action volunteers saved all the caps from their Sandy Hook sweeps, (the mother load) and in total over 4000 caps were collected in just 3 hours. Aveda parent company Estee Lauder has arranged to pick up the caps and have them recycled with the ones collected by their salons.


Clean Ocean Action's Anna Will and 4000 + bottle caps collected in NJ in 3 hours.