Turning the Tide on Toothpaste Tube Waste
Helen Tandy, Founder Eco Communities
Why toothpaste packaging is finally becoming recyclable, and what that means for households and the environment
For decades, toothpaste tubes have been a persistent recycling headache — and a surprisingly large contributor to household plastic waste. Traditionally, most tubes were made from mixed materials: layers of different plastics and a thin aluminium barrier. That combination made them almost impossible to recycle through standard kerbside systems, and as a result hundreds of millions of tubes sold every year ended up in landfill or incineration.
The Problem with Old Toothpaste Tubes
Most tubes sold in the UK — around 252 million a year, historically contained aluminium sandwiched between plastic layers.
This mix meant recycling facilities couldn’t separate the materials effectively; the tubes were therefore not recyclable in routine collections and often contaminated other recyclables.
Toothpaste tubes became one of the UK’s top “wish-cycled” items, people hope they’re recyclable but they’re usually not accepted.
A Shift to Single-Material Plastics
The good news is that toothpaste packaging is now being redesigned around a single recyclable plastic, especially high-density polyethylene (HDPE):
Major manufacturers — including **Colgate-Palmolive, Haleon (Sensodyne, Aquafresh, Corsodyl) and others in partnership with the recycling charity WRAP, have worked together to switch tubes from mixed materials to HDPE mono-material construction.
HDPE is the same kind of plastic used in milk bottles and is widely processed through standard plastic recycling streams.
This redesign means tubes are now technically 100 % recyclable, and more than 90 % of toothpaste tubes sold in England today are made this way.
What’s Changing in 2026
According to recent reporting:
From 31 March 2026, all toothpaste tubes sold in England will need to be recyclable under new recycling rules designed to standardize collections nationally.
Councils will be required to provide consistent kerbside recycling for plastic tubes alongside other “plastic pots, tubs and trays” as part of the Simpler Recycling reforms.
♻️ Why This Matters
This shift is significant because:
It transforms an everyday item — used in almost every household — from plastic waste into a material stream that can re-enter the circular economy.
It also demonstrates how design-for-recycling (choosing materials that match existing recycling infrastructure) can unlock real improvements in waste management.
Manufacturers are sharing packaging innovations across the industry to promote broader uptake.
Tips
To ensure toothpaste tubes really get recycled (not just labeled recyclable):
Squeeze out as much paste as possible before recycling — residual product can reduce recovery rates.