Toothpaste tubes have long been a challenge to recycle due to being made of different materials (primarily aluminum and plastics) that render them incompatible with recycling streams.
However, Colgate-Palmolive announced that its tubes made in Brazil are now wholly recyclable, making for a significant milestone in the company's quest for sustainable packaging.
According to a report by ThePackHub, Colgate-Palmolive actually began work on a fully recyclable solution in 2013. The result is the new toothpaste tube design made of high-density polyethylene. By using only this single material in the latest design, the packaging can be recycled via current recycling methods.
"The transition to HDPE-based recyclable toothpaste tubes addresses a longstanding material challenge in the personal care sector," ThePackHub membership manager Zac Jenkins said in the report. "Colgate-Palmolive's open-source approach, along with investment in local recycling infrastructure, showcases real leadership in sustainable innovation."
That approach consists of Colgate-Palmolive making the technology open-source for these toothpaste tubes in an effort to encourage the broader industry to adopt the method. In this way, steps toward sustainability across the personal care market could accelerate, contributing to the global goal of curbing plastic pollution through recycling.
To create plastics, refineries break down ethane and propane into ethylene and propylene, which are then modified with chemical additives. The process from beginning to end is responsible for releasing toxic substances into the air we breathe and the water we drink while also contributing to the overheating of our planet.
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By using recyclable toothpaste tubes, people could reduce some of that pollution, leading to fewer pollution-related illnesses in our communities. At the same time, recycling these tubes would also reduce the amount of microplastics in our soil and water. Since researchers have determined that microplastics make us more susceptible to lung disorders and respiratory illnesses (among other health concerns), the reduction could prove vital.
Of course, whether others take up this tube packaging or it stays only in Brazil remains to be seen, but it's a vital step in the right direction toward greater sustainability in the personal care sector.
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