Colgate® is partnering with recycling experts TerraCycle to launch the Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Programme, a free Nationwide recycling solution for oral care products and packaging in the UK.
The Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Programme is a new recycling fundraising programme which enables people to recycle any brand of toothbrush, toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrush outer packaging, electric and battery toothbrush heads and toothpaste cartons for free whilst raising funds for the school, charity or non-profit of the sender’s choice.
Oral care products and packaging comprise of a complex mix of materials such as rigid and flexible plastics and bristles which is why it hasn’t been recyclable traditionally through council recycling systems in the UK.
Now following the launch of the new Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Programme, once TerraCycle receives toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, outer packaging and cartons they will be separated by composition, shredded and melted into hard plastic pellets that can be remolded to make new recycled products such as benches and construction applications, which reduces the need to create new virgin plastics.
Anyone can sign up to the Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Programme for free at www.terracycle.co.uk either as a private collector or as a public location which is visible on the TerraCycle map which enables other people in that area to drop off their oral care waste of any brand for recycling as well.
TerraCycle rewards shipments of over 200 grams (approx. 15 pieces of oral care products / packaging) with TerraCycle points. A shipment over 1kg in size (approx. 77 pieces of oral care waste) is rewarded with a 100 TerraCycle point donation to the school, charity or non-profit of the sender’s choice. 100 points are worth £1.00
Similarly, Terracycle struck a partnership with Kellogg's to enable the recycling of Pringles cans. From December 2018, empty Pringles cans, which can currently not be recycled due to the materials mix they are made from, can be sent to TerraCycle using freepost labels in return for a charitable donation which can be redeemed at schools, charities or non-profits. Cans are then recycled with the resulting pellets used to create new products such as benches and fence posts.
