Now You Can Recycle Your Toothbrush Thanks to Colgate

Now You Can Recycle Your Toothbrush Thanks to Colgate

Of the things you thought you could recycle; your old toothbrush is probably not high on the list. But now oral healthcare giant Colgate and the recycling firm TerraCycle are launching the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Programme, a free nationwide recycling scheme for oral care products and their packaging.

The scheme will allow consumers to recycle toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrush packaging, electric and battery toothbrush heads and toothpaste cartons for free while raising funds for the school or charity of their choice.

Hard to recycle

Oral care products and packaging are usually made from a mixture of materials like plastics and bristles, which is why they aren’t generally accepted as part of local authority recycling schemes, but this is all set to change.

Creating new products

When the products and packaging reach TerraCycle, they are separated into their different materials, shredded up and melted into plastic pellets that can be used to make new productions like benches and construction materials. This saves plastic from landfill and our waterways, and it reduces the need to use energy and resources to create new plastics.

Tackling the global waste plastics problem

The general manager of Colgate UK said that the issue of plastic pollution is high on the agenda, and that the new recycling programme promotes sustainability. He added that the company is encouraging people to take advantage of the programme by recycling all of their oral care products and packaging and telling their friends and family to join in too.

The general manager of TerraCycle Europe said that everyone uses oral care products every day and they are one of the types of products they get a lot of recycling questions about. She added that consumers tell the company that they want to be able to recycle them so it’s delighted to partner with Colgate to launch the initiative.

Consumers can recycle oral care products and packaging from any brand, not just Colgate, as part of the scheme.

You can sign up to the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Programme for free at www.terracycle.co.uk.