Gumming Together

 

(Avila, 2008, CC BY 2.0)

Gumming Together

    According to recycling advocacy organizations, consumers in the United States use more than 400 million tubes of toothpaste each year (Linnenkoper, 2019). Each of these tubes is made of plastic that encases a layer of aluminum to protect the paste inside. Unable to be recycled, the product will more than likely end up in a landfill, unable to decompose. After responding to consumer demands for packaging alternatives, as well as pressure and cooperation from organizations working to reduce plastic waste in the environment, Colgate responded with a five-year plan to address the issue of the material in their packaging. Initial prototypes proved difficult to squeeze, which didn’t please the company as the goal was to develop a packaging that would ensure sustainability going forward, and be able to be replicated in other developed products. Tom Heaslip, Colgate’s worldwide director of global packaging, explained that the new packaging was also tested, “at recycling facilities to ensure that they would be sorted correctly” (Linnenkoper, 2019). An article in CNN Business indicates that companies making their packaging recyclable isn’t enough to promote real change in environment protection when recycling is often unavailable, or too expensive in many communities. A more effective approach, the author calls, is for companies to collaborate (Wiener-Bronner, 2018). According to the sixth habit discussed in his novel, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey regards that using such synergy is an effective (arguably the most effective, by his suggestion) approach to problem-solving. Through active collaboration, and valuing the differences in others’ perspectives and abilities, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts (Covey, 2020). The implementation of this best exists when parts are able to make contributions based on their skills, which are refined and empowered by the differing skills of others. Wiener-Bronner points out that in, “working together, companies can pour significant funds into development projects and create collective demand for sustainable products . . . and they can invest in new recycling technologies that can be adopted by cities” (Wiener-Bronner, 2018).
    Called to action by consumer demand, companies are shifting focus to solve the issue of plastic pollution by redeveloping their packaging or shipping standards. As consumers, we have the power to encourage such change by changing the way we incorporate plastic in our lives. One of the most popular electric toothbrushes on the market offers a changeable head that would cost $60 annually when changed four times a year, or $53.90 if you choose to purchase using Amazon Prime. This doesn’t account for the electric costs, or the costs to the environment in rapid shipping, battery-use, and the plastic components of the toothbrush. Bite is a brand that offers an alternative approach to using toothpaste in the form of a small tab which you chew on until it becomes a foam for you to brush into your teeth. The company also sells a manual toothbrush made from bamboo, a renewable resource. Since most of us replace our toothbrush once every 3 months, choosing this option would bring your annual costs to $48 (only $15 if you choose to use their subscription service!). Plus, think of the added benefits of physical health in exercise when you get to brush manually twice a day!
    Brushing our teeth with electric plastic toothbrushes and tubes of fluoride-filled gel-goop-bleaching-paste has been ingrained in us as part of a healthy routine that is inevitably necessary if we want to go on living healthy lives. As such a fundamental part of our routine, it is easy to forget that the materials we use to polish our pearly whites are just as much a threat to our environment as single-use plastic straws and bags. If you have been brushing your teeth with toothpaste and a plastic toothbrush your whole life, the idea of making such a substantial adjustment is understandably a shocking one. You may feel caught off-guard by being asked to change such a standard, but have no fear, advocate: the change is a small one. Science and healthcare providers tell us that brushing our teeth encourages healthy gums, enamel, and teeth, but why does it need to be delivered via paste from a non-recyclable plastic tube? You need to brush your teeth, yes, but the materials involved don’t have to compromise your values for preserving and protecting the environment.
    I call on you, this week, to consider a new approach to your personal care routine. Finding ways to eliminate plastic may seem an unsurpassable task, but we can make small adjustments to our lifestyles that encourage a huge change. If paste-form toothpaste is a necessity to your oral care, consider supporting Colgate’s efforts to replace their packaging with fully recyclable materials by purchasing their new Smile for Good products. The website provides instructions for recycling the tube once you are finished using it, which doesn’t even require cutting open the plastic to rinse out the old toothpaste (Colgate, 2020)! If you are feeling like a superstar, advocate, consider swapping out toothpaste tubes for a chewable tab option that encourages the systemic reduction of plastic waste in its manufacturing and more sustainable delivery. Bite tooth tabs offer a subscription service that sends tab refills in compostable materials using existing postal routes to reduce the carbon footprint often exasperated by faster shipping options. They also sell a fully recyclable toothbrush made out of bamboo, plant-based bristles that can be composted, and a recyclable staple that holds the bristles in place (Bite, 2020)! If tooth-healthy ingredients are a concern of yours, as they are of mine, consider reviewing a breakdown of the ingredients found in Bite tooth tabs, here.

Please consider watching these videos to learn more about projects using recycled plastics as
well as an approach to a zero-waste morning routine!



(Al Jazeera, 2017)

(Sedona Christina, 2019)

References

Bite. (2020). How to dispose of brush by Bite bamboo toothbrush [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://bitetoothpastebits.com/blogs/blog/how-to-dispose-of-brush-by-bite-bamboo-toothbrush

Colgate. (2020). FAQ toothpaste: Colgate®. Retrieved from https://www.colgate.com/en-us/power-of-optimism/faq

Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Linnenkoper, K. (2019, June 28). Colgate leads toothpaste tube Recycling innovation. Retrieved from https://recyclinginternational.com/plastics/colgate-leads-toothpaste-tube-recycling-innovation/26597/

Plastiki Rafiki. (2019). Retrieved from https://plastikirafiki.com/

UN News. (2014, June 24). Plastic waste causes $13 billion in annual damage to marine ecosystems, says UN Agency. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2014/06/471492-plastic-waste-causes-13-billion-annual-damage-marine-ecosystems-says-un-agency

Wiener-Bronner, D. (2018, June 11). How big brands are trying to pull off a recycling revolution. Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/2018/06/11/news/companies/recycling-revolution/index.html

Media Sources

Al Jazeera English. (2017, Jun 1). Colombia's lego homes - earthrise (lead) [Video]. Youtube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfWBhNhZuzY

Avila, K. (2008, May 28). Toothpaste [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/4RNQQW

Sedona Christina. (2019, Oct 29). My zero waste morning routine | ft. sustainable hair and 

beauty products shopping | fall 2019 [Video]. Youtube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YQ854F_r7U&t=16s




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