Hey earth muffins! Back in January, I wrote a review post about Davids Natural Toothpaste. This product comes in a metal tube (affiliate link), which is incredible for us eco-friendly folks! Plus, the toothpaste itself is awesome; my teeth feel clean and look so white from the baking soda. 😊 My first tube of this toothpaste ran out a few weeks ago, so I thought I would share how to recycle it. You obviously can’t just throw the tube in the recycle bin with leftover paste inside… So this post will take you through all the steps to recycle your Davids natural toothpaste correctly. Let’s jump right into it!
Can it all be recycled?
The tube is metal which can be recycled at most recycling centers. However, make sure you know your local recycling center rules! “Wishcycling” something that can’t actually be processed by the site can cause problems for the whole batch of recycling… Definitely a no-no when trying to recycle properly! So, make sure you know what your local center accepts.
According to the Davids natural toothpaste website, the toothpaste cap is made from Symbol #2 plastic. Again, this may or may not be accepted by your local recycling center. It is recyclable where I live, which allowed me to recycle both the tube and cap! 🎉 Like I mentioned in the review post, the toothpaste also comes with a metal key that rolls up the tube and ensures you get everything out of it. This is made of the same metal as the tube, which means you will probably be able to recycle it as well. However, I decided to keep mine; it seems like it will be useful for other products too!
How to Recycle Your Davids Natural Toothpaste Tube
Step 1: Unroll the tube of toothpaste and take off the key. Take some scissors and cut off both ends of the tube. At the top of the tube near the cap, try to cut as close to the top as possible.
Step 2: Cut a long slit up the length of the toothpaste tube. Be careful! The tube is metal, so you don’t want to cut yourself by accident. Once you have made the cut, carefully open up the metal to reveal the extra toothpaste inside.
Step 3: Once it has been cut open, you should have four pieces: the long metal piece, the bottom sliver, the top part, and the plastic cap. Wash all of these pieces out in the sink. My kitchen sink has a spray attachment, which was super helpful for getting in those hard to reach areas! Make sure you get all of the toothpaste off, as dirty metal can also contaminate a recycling batch.
Step 4: Now that the tube is clean, I placed the small bottom sliver into the large metal piece and folded it in half again. This will make sure the bottom piece gets recognized as metal at the recycling plant. Lastly, place everything into the recycling bin and bust out your next tube of Davids natural toothpaste (affiliate link). Congrats, you successfully recycled!
Overall Thoughts
I was so excited to find this toothpaste in metal. Sure, it takes a few minutes to get it ready for the recycling bin; but, it is amazing that a product like this exists! 🌎 ❤️ I will definitely continue to buy it because it allows me to reduce my landfill waste and opt for something much more eco-friendly. Plus, the toothpaste itself works really well too! Overall, I hope you all make the swap and use this post as a guide to recycle the tube correctly. Thanks for reading!
Love,
Jenna ♥
That is such a smart idea and really makes a lot of sense. If more toothpastes came in metal tubes…it could really make a significant difference. I will have to look into this!
Cutting it open to clean it is so smart!!! Thanks for sharing!
Great to know. Pinned this post, that I saw at Hearth and Soul Party. Look for my post there as well. It’s Water Conservation Tips to Save Money and Green Daily Living
Great article, the pictures were a nice touch. I’m hoping you have some insight for a question I have.. I read some conflicting info about the need to clean out metal tubes from a UK toothpaste brand– Happier. “There is no need to open and clean out. How easy is that? This works for any aluminium tube you use, even your tomato puree tube!”
Any thoughts? It would be so much easier to throw in recycle if it’s not necessary to cut and rinse. Thank you!
source: https://happierbeauty.com/pages/aluminium-recycling