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When it comes to making sustainable product switches, toothpaste is probably not the first item that comes to mind.

According to Colgate though, over 50 million toothpaste tubes end up in landfill each year, making a significant change in packaging long overdue.

At the beginning of 2020, the company announced a new range titled Smile for Good, which saw a vegan toothpaste arrive in a recyclable toothpaste tube.

The first-of-its-kind range was a massive leap for sustainability in the personal care sector; however, the line hasn't been available in Australia until now.

Historically speaking, toothpaste tubes are not recyclable, which is why Colgate's Smile for Good range is such huge news.

Rather than the usual combination of laminated plastic and aluminium foil, Colgate's new tubes have been re-engineered with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is the same plastic used by milk bottles and other widely-recycled plastic containers.

Colgate has also managed to overcome the rigid nature of HDPE; crafting various grades and thicknesses of HDPE laminate into a tube that meets recycling standards while remaining easy to squeeze.

The Smile for Good toothpaste tube is now the first of its kind to be categorised as recyclable under the Australasian Recycling Label Program – a packaging recyclability program run by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).

This means the tubes are able to be placed in regular household recycling bins for processing at recycling stations.

While many smaller items are often missed during the recycling process, Colgate has worked to ensure the tubes make their way through.

Colgate packaging sustainability manager, Anne Bedarf said, "We worked with three different sorting facilities to tag and track the tubes through the [recycling] system to make sure they ended up in the right place and were also sorted properly.

So it's very exciting to be able to take toothpaste tubes and be able to easily put them into your recycle bin and know that they will be sorted and recycled."

The Smile for Good range is only the first step in Colgate's new journey towards sustainability. By 2025, the company has pledged that all of its toothpaste will be packaged in recyclable tubes.

Rather than keep the toothpaste tube patent for itself, the brand has also made its design available to other manufacturers in an attempt to transform the toothpaste industry into a more environmentally-friendly one.

The Smile for Good toothpaste itself contains plant-based ingredients, effectively gaining product certification by the Vegan Society.

The tube also contains minimal ingredients, with the product list now clearly printed on the front of the packaging for increased transparency.

The formula is also free from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLF), gluten and sugar, making it an all-round clean product.

The Colgate Smile for Good toothpaste is now available for purchase in Australia for a retail price of $8. You can find it at major retailers such as Amazon, Chemist Warehouse, Woolworths, Coles and Priceline.

The toothpaste is available in two types: Smile for Good Protection and Smile for Good Natural White.

The range also includes Smile for Good Protection mouthwash, Colgate Bamboo Charcoal toothbrush, and Smile for Good dental floss.

Finder Green Fave is a regular column that highlights our favourite sustainable, eco-friendly, ethical and cruelty-free products. If there's a product that you love and think we should look into, leave a comment below or using our customer service chat.

Looking for more information about sustainable products and companies? Check out the Finder Green homepage.

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