Colgate Begins Roll Out of Its Recyclable HDPE Toothpaste Tube in the US

Colgate is rolling out its recyclable toothpaste tube in the US—the first to be recognized by external recycling authorities as recyclable—and the company is taking steps to insure the tubes don't end up in landfill.

Colgate-Palmolive's tube is made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), the same plastic used for milk and detergent bottles. Recycling the tube alongside plastic bottles requires no extra steps such as rinsing, cutting or cleaning before it enters the recycling bin.

But making a toothpaste tube that is recyclable is only half the battle. Colgate will need to change consumer habits.

To alert shoppers that the Colgate tube is now recyclable, Colgate has designed a  “Recycle Me!” tube with limited edition graphics. The design will be found on select tubes of Colgate Optic White Advanced Sparkling White, Colgate Cavity Protection, Colgate Max Fresh Cool, and Colgate Total Whitening, with the transition of the rest of the Colgate toothpaste line to be completed by 2023.

The goal is to build awareness of recyclable tubes not only among consumers, but also the operators of the Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) that sort plastic, reprocessors that make resin from recycled plastic, and other recycling stakeholders.

“As the global toothpaste leader with a brand found in more homes than any other, we want to lead in waste reduction and, in particular, making toothpaste tubes a part of the circular economy. The Recycle Me! tube is designed to educate and engage consumers and the recycling community who are both essential to progress, and we are excited to initiate and learn from our upcoming pilot program,” said Dana Medema, vice president and general manager, oral care for Colgate-Palmolive in North America.

Colgate-Palmolive is developing a recyclable tube pilot program in partnership with peer companies and working with a leading MRF and reprocessor in the US. The pilot will focus on one county or municipality to test how educational efforts can build tube recycling rates and assess the quality of the tube material that is collected for reprocessing. The data will be used to define easy-to-action best practices for tube recycling to be shared with communities and recyclers around the country, according to Colgate.

Colgate-Palmolive has taken other important actions to build momentum for the adoption and acceptance of recyclable tubes.

For instance, Colgate chose it because the HDPE bottle stream has one of the highest recycling rates—30% in the US—but it wasn't easy to create a squeezable tube that was suited for toothpaste. Colgate says it has combined different layers of HDPE laminate at varying thicknesses to produce a soft, easy-to-squeeze recyclable tube that will also protect the product across roughly 150 brushing occasions during the life of a typical 6 oz. tube.

For recyclable tubes to be a success, it requires a critical mass of tubes on shelf that meet recycling standards, says Colgate. To that end, Colgate is sharing its knowledge with other companies, including competitors, through some 50 packaging forums and 1-on-1 meetings to promote the transition to recyclable tubes.

Colgate-Palmolive contends that other major toothpaste brands have publicly committed to switching to recyclable HDPE toothpaste tubes by 2025. During this transition phase, acceptance of tubes at certain recycling facilities may be limited, and consumers should check with their local community facilities.