Toothpaste Without a Box

INTRODUCTION 

I must give credit to Alan’s Teory for this first post. After seeing his video titled: “Why does toothpaste come in a box?” I decided, like him, to do something about it. I believe that we all have our share of responsibility when it comes to reducing waste. The idea that companies, especially manufacturing companies, are the only ones accountable for the waste produced globally is quite vexatious. Do not get me wrong: manufacturing companies are major contributors to waste; however, if we understand that every single company exists because there are customers willing to buy their goods, everything else will be put into proper perspective. The proper perspective is that: if we do not buy, companies will not sell; therefore, we have the power to choose which companies thrive and which ones wither. We have the power of choosing consciously. This power is however, besmirched by the fact that often, we do not know where to start. The problem of “where to start” in our conscious effort to choose is the reason why I started this blog. This blog is intended to give you the important tools that will greatly assist in your everyday buying and living decisions. Join us then in the chanting of our motto:  All for One. 

THE MISSION

The goal is to find toothpaste options without a box. To do this, first, I have to consider the Cost-Benefit Ratio (CBR). The cost benefit ratio is the ratio of the cost of a particular commodity to its benefit. In my case, I live in Portugal and supermarkets close to where I stay or work are Minipreço, Aldi, Continente and Lidl. These supermarkets are either at a walking distance from where I stay or along my route from work. After visiting all of them, I found that Lidl and Aldi have the best options in terms of value for one’s money. I found four toothpaste tubes without a box with 125 ml per each tube.

MONEY SAVED

For a regular toothpaste like Colgate, which comes with a box, price usually varies between 2 to 5 Euros, for a 75ml capacity. For the four sets of toothpastes, each tube of 125 ml costs €0.89; therefore, unnecessary waste from the box can be reduced. The box increases the price of the paste yet doesn’t serve any real function. The box serves zero purpose and we throw them away in seconds. By purchasing toothpaste without a box, we save paper and still save some money. It’s a win-win situation. Yes!

PLASTIC MATERIALS

At this point, we have gotten rid of waste by choosing toothpaste without the box; however, there are still other issues like the tube, lid and small sheet protection commonly found in toothpaste tubes. To know more about these materials (as they are not listed in the tube), I contacted the manufactures of Dentalux and Eurodont.

Dentalux’s tube is mainly made of Polyethylene (PE) and the lid is Polypropylene (PP).  Both materials are recyclable and they should not be thrown away as complete trash.

Eurodont use PBL (Plastic Barrier Laminate) tubes, which are usually in the market. The inside and outside layer is made by Polyethylene (PE) and a special barrier layer is made by Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (EVOH). 

The toothpaste sheet protection is made by alumina foil which is polymer coated, to cover up surface contamination and to improve the surface smoothness.

Polyethylene is the most common plastic in packaging and it can be categorized into Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). LDPE is a very flexible material and can be used to produce squeezable bottles, shopping bags, or plastic wraps. HDPE is a tougher component than LDPE as it has crystalline structure. HDPE is used as, laundry detergent and garbage bins. Even though the HDPE is a stronger material, it can also be recycled. Polyethylene is classified as a thermoplastic, this means that it melts under heat and solidifies when the heat drops. The ability to melt and remould without any decline in structure makes the polyethylene a great recyclable materilal. This also gives it the ability to be molded into different shapes and be used for different purposes.

Polypropylene is also a thermoplastic polymer that can be molded using higher temperatures (approximately 130 degrees Celsius) and it is used in by various industries for packaging. It can be manufactured through injection molding into extremely thin pieces of plastics that can bend without breaking. Examples include lids on bottles, ropes, and clothing.  

EVOH is a flexible, crystal clear, glossy thermoplastic copolymer. It has great flex-crack resistance. EVOH is known for having some of the best barrier resistance to gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. This makes it particularly suited for packaging food, cosmetics, and other perishable products. This means it can protect food for quite a long time. EVOH also has superior barrier properties; however, when exposed to moisture, EVOH loses its good gas barrier properties and this is why it is often used in a multilayer co-extruded film structure with materials such as HDPE or PP, all of which have superior moisture barrier properties. 

DISPOSE AND RECYCLING

 

As mentioned before, all these materials are recyclable, so you should put them in the yellow recycle bin. In order to know more about the recycling process of plastic materials here in Portugal, I contacted “Plasval”, a non profitable organization responsible for the waste-recovery of plastics and I was informed that in theory, 100% of the plastic are recyclable; however, the level of recyclability can lower when you have different plastic materials in the body packaging. This is called multilayer packaging. Usually we find this type of packaging in the food or cosmetic industry. Multilayer packaging is usually done to preserve the products; however, even for this type of packaging, Portugal has the capacity and recycling solutions to allow its valorization. In terms of the recycling industry, you can see here the board with all the companies listed and the type of plastic that they receive.


The goal is to always try to reduce our wastes whenever it’s possible, and when it’s not, it’s important to know if your product will go to a circular economy, instead of ending in a landfill.

I hope you found this article helpful and I’ll see you in the next post :)