Do we really need plastic toothpaste tubes?

Short answer: no.

Plastic toothpaste tubes are so familiar that most of us never stop to question them. They sit in our bathrooms, get squeezed twice a day, then disappear into the bin without much thought. But familiarity does not equal necessity. When we look a little closer, plastic tubes raise some uncomfortable questions about convenience, waste & what we have come to accept as normal.

The problem with plastic tubes

Most toothpaste tubes are made from multiple layers of plastic, often combined with aluminium. This mixed-material structure keeps toothpaste fresh, but it also makes tubes extremely difficult, sometimes impossible, to recycle through standard recycling systems. In many countries, they are destined for landfill or incineration, even when placed in recycling bins with the best intentions.

Considering how small a toothpaste tube is, it can feel insignificant. But scale matters. Billions of tubes are produced globally every year. Each one may be used for a few weeks or months, yet it can persist in the environment for hundreds of years. That imbalance alone is worth questioning.

Why did plastic become the default?

Plastic tubes became popular because they are cheap to manufacture, lightweight to transport & convenient for mass production. They work well within a system designed around speed, scale & disposability. Over time, this convenience has been framed as essential, rather than optional.

The truth is that humans cleaned their teeth long before plastic existed. Powders, pastes stored in jars, chew sticks & other methods were used for centuries. Plastic tubes are not a biological or health necessity, they are a packaging choice shaped by industrial priorities.

The recycling myth

Many of us have been reassured by the idea that recycling will solve the plastic problem. Unfortunately, toothpaste tubes expose the limits of this belief. Even specialised recycling programs that accept tubes rely on collection schemes, shipping & processing that come with their own environmental costs. Recycling is better than landfill, but it does not make single-use plastic sustainable.

Reducing plastic at the source is almost always more effective than trying to manage it after use. This means rethinking packaging entirely, not just adding a recycling label.

What are the alternatives?

Plastic-free or low-plastic toothpaste packaging already exists. Glass jars, aluminium tubes, refill systems & solid toothpaste tablets all challenge the idea that plastic tubes are the only viable option. These alternatives may require small habit shifts, like using a spatula or getting used to a different texture, but they dramatically reduce long-term waste.

Importantly, alternatives also encourage us to be more mindful. When packaging is reusable or refillable, it reminds us that resources are not disposable, even if the product itself is part of a daily routine.

Do we really need plastic tubes?

The honest answer is no. We use plastic tubes because they are familiar, not because they are the only or best solution. As awareness grows around plastic pollution & environmental health, it becomes harder to justify packaging that is designed to be thrown away after such a short life.

Questioning plastic tubes is not about guilt or perfection. It is about recognising that everyday products shape the world we live in. When we ask better questions about packaging, we open the door to better systems, ones that value health, sustainability & responsibility over convenience alone.

Small changes, repeated daily, matter. And something as ordinary as toothpaste is a powerful place to start.