A good number of sheet masks are 100% cotton, which — yay! — can be composted, organic or not. (The serum — all-natural and/or chemical — isn’t necessarily a factor, although essential essences decompose faster.) The issue is finding a composting facility. For instance, New York’s sanitation department will not accept “cotton hygiene products,” but Denver ’s takes “cotton balls.” A 311 customer service rep in NYC said that a pure cotton sheet mask could fall under that category. But all the composting experts we spoke to indicated there doesn’t seem to be a precedent set for certified and officially sanctioned composting of sheet masks.Marisa DeDominicis, cofounder of New York’s Compost Learning Center, suggests seeking out local composting organizations and inquiring if they would accept the natural fiber (or 100% soluble hydrogel) masks, which would involve some testing.Another alternative? “If I was using a 100% organic mask and I had a backyard [composting] system, I would probably be okay throwing it in my pile and seeing what happens,” says Brenda Platt, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and head of the Composting Makes $en$e and Composting for Community projects. While you’re at it, try natural sea kelp and flower and aloe vera hydrogel masks, too.“One one hand, we don’t want to tell people, ‘You can’t have the things that you want,’” says Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist, Food & Agriculture Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) . “On the other, you could look for ways to eliminate packaging.”Of course, this involves a massive mind shift from the adorable, individually wrapped masks, which Christine Chang, cofounder of Glow Recipe , explains is for hygiene purposes (and the plastic backing keeps the folded mask from fusing to itself).“If someone asks me for a more eco-friendly mask option, I recommend they try sheet masks that come in packs of 10- to 50-plus, minimizing overall packaging,” recommends Cat, K-beauty blogger at Snow White and the Asian Pear . She likes Japanese brand LuLuLun’ s package of 42. A redditor suggested hyaluronic acid masks by Kose , also from Japan. They look like a resealable package of makeup wipes, but dispense an individual sheet mask, instead.“Jar masks can work as effectively as sheet masks. It just comes down to the formulation and ingredients used,” explains Charlotte Cho, founder of Soko Glam and The Klog . Jars — or other packs, like sleeping or wash-off masks — are multi-use, come packaged in a (hopefully) recyclable glass or plastic container, and don’t require disposable applicators.She recommends Erborian Bamboo Waterlock , which contains “fibers that act as as a net on the skin to trap moisture,” and Goodal Anti-Wrinkle Sleep Cream Pack , which “cocoons your face with fermented argan and lavender oil while you sleep.”It's important to note that both Cat and Chang consider sheet masks much more effective than lotion or liquid mask packs.