Why Swap
- We use 300 million tubes of toothpaste every year in the UK. Spread end-to-end that’s about 75,000 kilometres of plastic, almost twice around the world!
- Unfortunately toothpaste tubes are often made of different types of plastics and in some cases a layer of aluminium, making them almost impossible to recycle here in the UK
- These tubes will then sit in landfill or make their way to our oceans, where they’ll stay for hundreds of years before breaking down
The Alternatives
There are alternatives to the usual toothpaste tubes, and we're proud to have many of them on Canopey! Many of them reduce the need for complicated composite tubes made from plastic – and in some cases, aluminium. Our alternatives are usually smaller, more concentrated products like toothpaste tabs that foam in the mouth and are often packaged in easy to refill and recycle materials, like glass or aluminium jars, and cardboard packaging.
Toothpaste Tabs
These small tabs or tablets will foam up as you brush, reducing the need to package up a semi-liquid product which needs preserving. Tooth tabs can therefore vastly reduce the packaging you throw out, but also reduce the weight of the goods transported, since they don't need to be liquid and heavier in transit. Tooth tabs are also much better for travelling, camping and hiking since they're lighter, and you won't need to worry about liquid allowances!
Plastic-Free
Refillable
Ultra Light
Low Waste Toothpaste
Toothpaste isn't the big villain here: it can itself be made with a lower footprint, and using fewer ingredients. The important thing is that this can then be packaged in refillable and recyclable packaging like glass or aluminium jars, rather than those pesky plastic tubes that are almost impossible to recycle.
Plastic-Free
Refillable
Ultra Light
Toothpaste Powder
Toothpaste powder is similar to toothpaste tabs, all you need to do is put your wet toothbrush into a jar of the white stuff and you're good to go. Much lower waste, no unecessary plastic packaging and sustainable smile!
Plastic-Free
Refillable
Ultra Light