Colgate is rolling out its breakthrough recyclable tube in the US, using a bold message on its package. The tube’s limited-edition design says “Recycle Me!” 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. Traditionally, since most of the world’s toothpaste tubes are made with a mix of materials, they have not been recycled. Globally, that means 20billion toothpaste tubes a year tossed in the trash.
Colgate’s bold graphics aim to encourage recycling. The message is found on tubes of Optic White Advanced Sparkling White, Cavity Protection, Max Fresh Cool and Total Whitening, and the tube will encompass the whole Colgate range by 2023 Dana Medema, Vice-President & General Manager, Oral Care, Colgate-Palmolive North America, said, “The Recycle Me! tube is designed to educate and engage consumers and the recycling community, and we are excited to initiate and learn from our upcoming pilot programme.”
Colgate-Palmolive is developing a recyclable tube pilot programme in partnership with peer companies and working with a leading MRF and reprocessor in the US. Colgate chose HDPE because the bottle stream has one of the highest recycling rates, at about 30% in the US.
Colgate engineers were able to produce a soft, easy-to-squeeze recyclable tube that will protect the product across roughly 150 brushing occasions