Procter & Gamble Oral Care announced a switch to HDPE tubes for its Crest, Oral-B and Blend-a-med to increase their recyclability where collection programs exist. The brands will start the switch in January 2021 and will continue until full conversion, expected in 2025. The switch is a part of the P&G Ambition 2030 commitments of achieving 100% recyclable or reusable packaging.

The company says it is in discussions with several HDPE tube suppliers and has already reached an agreement with Albéa to start using its proprietary Greenleaf Generation 2 tube technology, which enables the tubes to be recyclable wherever collection schemes are active. Greenleaf Generation 2 tubes are recognized by the North American Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) as well as RecyClass and SUEZ.circpack in Europe and can be recycled within the existing, effective HDPE bottles recycling stream.

“Toothpaste tubes are not largely recyclable today; with the RecyClasscertification for Albéa’s Greenleaf Generation 2 technology used by P&G, however, we are on the right track towards increasing both the design for recycling awareness for tubes as well as increasing recycling quality and rates for the HDPE rigids stream in Europe,” says Paolo Glerean, RecyClass Chairman.

“P&G Oral Care started our sustainability journey many years back and continue to reduce our footprint,” states Steve Bishop, P&G health care chief executive officer. He adds, “There is much yet to be done; however, we are proud of the steps we are taking with our leading brands, Crest in North America, and Oral B and Blend-a-med in Europe, to achieve recyclable tubes in the years ahead.”

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