But change is happening.
Toothpaste tubes have typically been made from a mixture of plastic and metal, to provide flexibility and help them hold their shape when squeezed. This makes them durable - and it's easier to squeeze every last drop out - but it also makes them a nightmare to recycle.
Increasingly, the tubes are being made of recyclable HDPE plastic - but many local authorities still don't accept toothpaste tubes via kerbside recycling schemes.
Here, we explain what to do with your empty ones to ensure they get recycled.
Tips for living well -Is your toothpaste tube recyclable?
Big manufacturers are working towards all their toothpaste ranges being recyclable by 2025, so it's increasingly likely your toothpaste tube is made from recyclable materials.
Oral B says it has converted 70% of its tubes to recyclable plastic already, and plans to convert its whole range by the end of the year. Colgate and Aquafresh are in the process of switching over and plan to make all their toothpaste packaging recyclable by the end of 2025.
If the big brands meet their targets, it'll be easy to tell if a toothpaste tube is recyclable by 2025, because it probably will be. But at the moment you'll need to check the packaging to find out.
Look for a symbol on the tube to indicate it is. This may be the brand's own unique recycling symbol, or one of the established recycling symbols.
You might see the symbol for HDPE plastic, which is what recyclable tubes are usually made from.
How much will you have to pay at the dentist? Read ourNot all councils accept recyclable toothpaste tubes
Checking your tube is made from recyclable plastic is the first step. But even if it is, your local authority might not be set up to accept it in its household recycling collection.
Generally, local councils will advise you not to throw toothpaste tubes away in your recycling bin, without clarifying in their guidance whether recyclable tubes are an exception. This means there's a chance your toothpaste tube could end up in landfill even if it is technically recyclable.
If you're told to throw toothpaste tubes in general waste instead of recycling, you can instead look for a local collection point where you can drop tubes.
You'll need to sign up to the app and scan the products before you take them in, but there are rewards in the form of Boots advantage points, and the scheme takes a range of cosmetic products that can't go in your home recycling, so you can save up a stash and drop them off in one go.
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But with the Boots recycling scheme, and a push for manufacturers to step up efforts to make packaging recyclable, it is getting easier.
The Boots scheme says it accepts 'most' hard-to-recycle products, including:
Plastic-free toothpaste options
If all of this sounds like too much of a headache, you could avoid plastic toothpaste tubes by buying your toothpaste in tablet form.
Toothpaste tablets, a relatively new innovation, come in recyclable glass, card or tins, and are designed to be chewed to form a paste in the mouth.
Their plastic-free packaging has appeal, but make sure they include fluoride, because a number don’t.
Experts widely agree that fluoride is safe to use and key for dental health, as it helps to prevent tooth decay.
However, toothpaste tabs are still a relatively new and niche formula, and some studies have raised questions over whether fluoride, when applied via a tablet instead of in a paste, is as effective.
Francesca de la Torre, a writer and researcher at Ethical Consumer, also warned: ‘There is no reason why toothpaste tablets are automatically better for the environment than toothpaste.’ As always, there are lots of factors that play a part, and you can also buy toothpaste that comes in a jar if avoiding plastic is your biggest priority.
- oral care myths busted undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/can-you-recycle-toothpaste-tubes-arxn68h3e2g0