OPJU Business Review

Research Articles

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2024): OPJU Business Review

What should happen to your used Toothpaste Tubes?

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63825/opjubr.2024.3.1.844
Submitted
11 August 2025
Published
12 September 2025

Abstract

Every year almost 4.15 billion of toothpaste tubes are sold around the globe. Consumers throw away their used toothpaste tubes in waste bins and they end up sitting in our landfills for almost 500 years before getting decomposed and also sometimes reaches our water bodies harming aquatic lives. A toothpaste tube may look small, but the large volume makes it a real-world problem to deal with. This paper will discuss the challenges that are being faced, while recycling these used or empty toothpaste tubes. It will also discuss several initiatives undertaken by the corporates and manufacturers to curb plastic pollution. This paper will propose ways to tackle the challenges that are being faced in recycling and also an alternative to toothpaste tubes. The methodology employed is a blend of concept, secondary and primary research. Secondary research will be conducted from sources such as online Newspaper articles, research articles from reputed journals regarding the topic. Primary data will be collected through a google form. Concepts will be brainstormed in an attempt to solve this major issue of responsible disposal of used toothpaste tubes.

References

  1. Anatasia, M. (2017, March). Innovative Packaging Design: Toothpaste Packaging Case Study. [Master of Science (MSc) Thesis], 3. Thessaloniki, Thermi, Greece: International Hellenic University.
  2. Barloworld Logistics. (2017, November 17). Reverse Logistics in Waste Management. Retrieved from Barloworld Logistics: https://blog.barloworld-logistics.com/reverse-logistics-in-waste-management
  3. Baud, I. S. A., Grafakos, S., Hordijk, M., & Post, J. (2001). Quality of life and alliances in solid waste management: contributions to urban sustainable development. Cities, 18(1), 3-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-2751(00)00049-4
  4. Binalla, A.M.A, & Mateo, A. L. M. (2022). Reverse Supply Chain: A Triple Waste Management Approach. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(3), 2982-2991.
  5. Bouzon, M., Govindan, K., Rodriguez, C. M. T., & Campos, L. M. S. (2016). Identification and analysis of reverse logistics barriers using Fuzzy Delphi Method and AHP. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 108, 182–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.05.021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.05.021
  6. Corra, G. (2022, March). What’s it going to take to eliminate plastic waste? Everything. Retrieved from Colgate-Palmolive: https://www.colgatepalmolive.com/en-us/who-we-are/stories/plastic-commitments
  7. Doan, L. T., Amer, Y., Lee, S.-H., Phuc, P. N., & Dat, L. Q. (2019). A comprehensive reverse supply chain model using an interactive fuzzy approach – a case study on the Vietnamese Electronics Industry. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 76, 87–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2019.06.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2019.06.003
  8. Govindan, K., Palaniappan, M., Zhu, Q., & Kannan, D. (2012). Analysis of third party reverse logistics provider using interpretive structural modeling. International Journal of Production Economics, 140(1), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2012.01.043 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2012.01.043
  9. Lim, A. (2021, May 19). U-Tube: Unilever to launch recyclable toothpaste tubes in India and France. Retrieved from Cosmetics Design Asia: https://www.cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/Article/2021/05/19/Unilever-to-launch-recyclable-toothpaste-tubes-in-India-and-France
  10. Mathiyazhagan, K., Rajak, S., Sampurna Panigrahi, S., Agarwal, V., & Manani, D. (2020). Reverse Supply Chain Management in manufacturing industry: A systematic review. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 70(4), 859–892. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm-06-2019-0293 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-06-2019-0293
  11. Packaging Gateway. (2022, February 18). Colgate introduces ‘Recycle Me!’ recyclable toothpaste tube. Retrieved from Packaging Gateway: https://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/colgate-recyclable-tube/?cf-view
  12. Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2022, April). Plastic Pollution. Retrieved from Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution#citation
  13. Sasikumar, P., & Kannan, G. (2008). Issues in reverse supply chains, part I: End‐of‐life product recovery and inventory management – an overview. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 1(3), 154–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397030802433860 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19397030802433860
  14. The Packman. (2021, September 2). Recyclable Platina toothpaste tubes in India: EPL partners with Colgate-Palmolive (India). Retrieved from The Packman: https://thepackman.in/recyclable-platina-toothpaste-tubes-in-india/
  15. Unilever. (n.d.). Rethinking plastic packaging. Retrieved from https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/waste-free-world/rethinking-plastic-packaging/#:~:text=Most%20toothpaste%20tubes%20end%20up,of%20thin%20plastic%20by%202025.: https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/waste-free-world/rethinking-plastic-packaging/#:~:text=Most%20toothpaste%20tubes%20end%20up,of%20thin%20plastic%20by%202025.
  16. World Economic Forum, Ellen Macarthur Foundation and McKinsey & Company. (2016). The New Plastics Economy- Rethinking the future of plastics. Ellen MacArthur Foundation and McKinsey & Company.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.