Colgate launches Recyclable Toothpaste Tubes in India
In pursuit of its commitment to a 100% recyclable oral care portfolio in India in the coming years, Colgate-Palmolive has launched the first-ever recyclable toothpaste tubes in India.
Colgate-Palmolive, the market leader in oral care in India, has been working relentlessly to include consumers in taking a step towards a sustainable and healthier future. In tune with these efforts, Colgate-Palmolive has launched the first-of-its-kind recyclable toothpaste tubes in India that will be available nationally starting this month, August 2021.
Colgate has Launched this initiative in partnership with EPL Limited (Formerly known as Essel Propack Limited). Initially, Colgate is manufacturing recyclable tubes for its Colgate Active Salt and Colgate Vedshakti toothpaste and will be followed by other products across portfolio.
These toothpaste tubes launched nationally with recyclable packaging will contain the identifiable Recyclable logo to help its customers differentiate between the packaging effectively. The new tube is soft, squeezable, and recyclable without compromising on key product attributes like taste.
Colgate’s recyclable tubes are a steppingstone in its journey to achieve 100% recyclability across its oral care portfolio in India.
The brand has been a pioneer in bringing world-class sustainable innovations to not only improve oral care but also reduce the burden on our environment. Colgate-Palmolive India has been manufacturing recyclable cartons and boxes across its portfolio for over a decade and is taking its next step into recyclable packaging. This new initiative is a part of the company’s continued effort in its sustainability journey.
As per the company press release, Colgate-Palmolive was the first in the world to introduce a recyclable toothpaste tube and is sharing its technology with the industry to support a shift to a greener and much-needed circular economy.
As a part of its Corporate Sustainable Ambitions for 2025, Colgate Palmolive India has been continuously striving to reduce its carbon footprint through various sustainable initiatives such as water conservation, energy saving, waste management, no deforestation, and reducing energy, greenhouse gas emissions.
With the launch of recyclable tubes this year, Colgate-Palmolive intends to create a recyclable alternative to reuse the billions of toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills every year. These tubes can be used by the economy for recycling into various other packaging materials and bottles for further use, thus reducing the need for virgin plastic to be added to the environment.
First, check to be sure that your tube has one of the, below listed symbols. If your tube has this symbol, then recycling is easy. Simply squeeze out as much of the toothpaste from the tube as you can, put the cap back on and place the tube in your recycling bin. The tube recycles with #2 HDPE plastics.
Yes, caps are technically recyclable and the best practice is to replace the cap on the Tube before placing it in the recycling bin. Doing so will help avoid litter of caps.
Caps are made of a different plastic than the tube and thus some recyclers might prefer the caps to be removed before tubes are recycled. Please check your local recycling rules to be sure.
No, this tube (and plastics in general) are not designed to be biodegradable. The #2 HDPE plastic used in our tubes is designed to be “circular,” so that the material can be re-processed into new products and packaging.
The tube is primarily made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), #2 plastic. The cap is made of PP (Polypropelyene), #5 plastic.
