Categories: Recycle

Where Can I (Wednesday)… Recycle Toothpaste Tubes?

Brushing my teeth is one of my favorite activities. I beam when my dental hygienist comments on my teeth condition. Yet I use a lot of toothpaste, and those empty toothpaste tubes are a gray area on the green front. Can you recycle them? Can you not?

Don’t fear my readers… I did some investigating to figure out what we can do with our toothpaste-less tubes:

  • The toothpaste boxes (aka packaging) should always be recyclable in Philadelphia. Stick that in your single-stream recycling bin.
  • Colgate’s tubes are made from laminates and NOT recyclable.
  • Tom’s of Maine also recently switched to “laminate” tubes after a long process.  They explain their reasoning on their environmental practices – laminate website (ie: customer complaints) but you CAN send them your used laminate tubes to the following address: Tom’s of Maine, 302 Lafayette Center, Atn: Consumer Department, Kennebunk, ME 04043. Save a few up and send them at once.
  • UPDATE: Burts Bees responded to me & said their toothpaste tubes are NOT recyclable. (“They are metal tubes with an insert on the inside to protect the Toothpaste which cannot be recycled.”)
  • UPDATE: Crest’s toothpaste jam goes as follows: “Box: 100% recycled paperboard; Tubes are polyethylene/foil laminate; Caps and liquigel bottles are #5 polypropylene”. I’m assuming Philly can recycle the paper & #5 bottles/caps, but not the tubes.
  • But if you can’t recycle/are feeling creative, try to upcycle non-recyclable toothpaste tubes into a toothbrush holder. Or if you’re super-craft, make a change purse and tell me how!
  • Aluminum toothpaste tubes SHOULD be able to go into a recycling bin.

Overall, try to choose products that won’t go in the trash after you use them.  Whether you purposely choose Tom’s because of their recycling program OR want to upcycle, be enviro-‘sponsible.

 

Photo: My Internship… Blog

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.

Recent Posts

Harnessing People Power: How Councilmember O’Rourke advocates for the environment and the working class

Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke discusses affordability and access to green initiatives in our latest Civic Catalyst…

8 hours ago

Drumroll for the 2025 SustainPHL Award Recipients

Let's sail-ebrate the latest changemakers who are moving the region towards a sustainable, equitable place.…

6 days ago

Community farm preservation, curbing animal cruelty, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: Community Farm gets closer to community ownership. The…

7 days ago

Did you hear? There’s an election on November 4th, and your voice (or sitting at home) can impact the environment.

Philadelphia residents will not only vote on who will be the next district attorney, but…

1 week ago

Nature Challenge results, National Walk & Roll to School Day, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: Transit advocates demand better SEPTA funding. On Tuesday…

2 weeks ago

Philly wants more trash cans and trees, believes civic engagement is key

Part Two of Every Voice, Every Vote research revealed that Philly takes pride in community…

2 weeks ago