Toothpaste Tube Pollution: The facts
Our daily routines are filled with small actions that seem harmless. However, when multiplied by billions of people, even something as simple as squeezing a toothpaste tube can have unintended consequences for the planet.
You may never have thought about what happens to your toothpaste tube once you’re finished with it. Many of us, with good intention, wash out the tube when it’s run out and place it into our recycling bin. The truth is, generic toothpaste tubes are made from a combination of materials, including crude oil and aluminium, which makes them non-recyclable. Those toothpaste tubes have a big impact on our planet.
Pollution facts:
| Fact Category | Statistic | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Global Tube Waste | 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes discarded annually | Contributes significantly to landfill and ocean pollution |
| Ocean Plastic | 10 million tons of plastic dumped in oceans each year | Harms marine life, disrupts ecosystems |
| Future Outlook | More plastic than fish in oceans by 2050 (if trends continue) | Threatens marine biodiversity, food supply chains |
Toothpaste tubes don't just float around harmlessly. They become hazards for marine life in several ways:
- Entanglement: Animals like sea turtles, seals, and birds can become trapped in the tubes, restricting movement and potentially leading to injury or death.
- Microplastic Ingestion: When tubes degrade in the ocean, they break down into tiny microplastics that are ingested by fish and other marine creatures. This fills their stomachs without providing nutrition and can even release toxic chemicals.
- Habitat Damage: Large accumulations of plastic debris, including toothpaste tubes, can smother delicate coral reefs and other fragile marine habitats, disrupting entire ecosystems.
We're a dental care company, passionate about creating healthy, beautiful smiles. But we quickly realised that mission couldn't exist in a vacuum. The health of our smiles is directly connected to the health of our planet. Seeing the shocking impact of traditional toothpaste tubes, we knew we had to be part of the solution, not the problem.
The Sugarcane Solution
Our toothpaste tubes are produced using Green Polyethylene, a 100% virgin PE derived from Sugarcane and renewable raw material. Sugarcane is one of the greatest carbon sinks that exist, metabolising CO2 as it grows and regenerating itself from its own roots. Grown in Brazil using fair labour, each ton of Green Polyethylene produced captures up to 3.09 tons of CO2, helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
"Renewable resource" is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot. But with sugarcane, it's more than just a buzzword. Sugarcane is a powerhouse for cleaning the environment. As it grows, it actively pulls CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to combat harmful greenhouse gases. By turning this amazing plant into our toothpaste tubes, we're making them a force for good, not just a less bad option.
Our tubes are fully recyclable and won’t end up contaminating our precious oceans.
Recycling Ease
Don't let fears of complex recycling stop you from making a difference! Here's how easy it is to recycle our toothpaste tubes:
- Empty It: Squeeze out as much leftover toothpaste as you can.
- Cut It: Snip off the top and slice along the length of the tube.
- Rinse It: Quickly clean out any residue with soap and water.
- Recycle It: Toss it in with your regular plastic household recycling!
So, next time you choose a toothpaste, look for our earth-kind tubes. Together, we can stop plastic pollution, one smile at a time.