Henkel Makes Toothpaste Tubes Completely Recyclable
By the beginning of 2021, Henkel intends to convert its complete tube portfolio for dental care products across all brands to fully recyclable tubes. This will drive forward the recycling economy. The Spanish toothpaste brand “Licor del Polo” was the first.
Classical toothpaste tubes cannot be recycled so far. Their multi-layer structure is a challenge for recycling plants. Henkel now intends to convert its entire tube portfolio for dental care products to fully recyclable tubes by early 2021. Henkel is relying on the Greenleaf tube technology of its partner Albéa.
The Greenleaf tubes are recognized by the Association of Plastic Recylers (USA) and Suez Circpack (Europe) as technically recyclable within the existing effective recycling system for HDPE bottles. In addition, the innovative tube manufacturing technology uses a single-layer blown film. This also reduces the CO2 footprint of the products.
Tube including closure made of HDPE is targeted
“We want to drive forward a circular economy and are pursuing ambitious packaging targets,” says Philippe Blank, Head of Sustainable Packaging at Henkel Beauty Care. “This joint development project is a major step for us toward further improving the recyclability of our packaging portfolio.
He added that it would make an important contribution on the way to achieving 100 percent recyclability by 2025. “The introduction of Albéa’s Greenleaf technology will enable us to convert over 700 tons of packaging material that can be recycled and reused by existing waste recycling systems.
In addition, both companies are working to further improve and harmonize all the individual components of the tubes. “We have a clear goal: Together, we want to bring the world’s first tube to market in 2021 that is made entirely of HDPE, including the cap,” emphasizes Blank.
