Podcast 264:1.5bn toothpaste tubes are wasted every month – why aren’t we talking about this?

Every month, 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away – that’s 18 billion a year, most of which can’t be recycled due to mixed plastics and foils. They end up in landfills, incinerators, or our oceans, yet the conversation around sustainable packaging rarely includes oral care.

We’ve seen sustainability discussions reshape skincare, makeup, and haircare, but why is toothpaste still stuck in the past? Why aren’t we demanding change from the big brands dominating supermarket shelves? The truth is, they won’t change until they have to.

Last week, Lorraine Dallmeier – Chartered Environmentalist, Biologist and CEO of Formula Botanica – spoke with Axel Kaiser of Denttabs, the pioneer of toothpaste tablets, a water-free, zero-waste alternative that has been around for 20 years.

But why hasn’t this innovation taken over? And should we, as consumers, be the ones to lead the charge? Let’s talk about it in this episode of Green Beauty Conversations.

“If we know that 1.5 billion tubes go to waste every month, if we know that a tablet can work just as well, if not better, then why are we still squeezing plastic tubes? The truth is, change starts with us.” — Lorraine Dallmeier

Key takeaways:

• Toothpaste tubes are an environmental disaster. Every month, 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes are discarded, and the vast majority cannot be recycled. The beauty industry has embraced sustainable packaging in other areas, so why has oral care been left behind?
• Big brands don’t drive sustainable change – small brands do. History shows that indie brands lead the way in sustainability. From solid shampoo bars to refillable deodorants, small, mission-driven companies take risks before big beauty follows. The same is happening with toothpaste tablets.
• Toothpaste isn’t just about the tube – it’s about formulation. Traditional toothpaste contains up to 50% water and unnecessary fillers. Switching to tablets means rethinking how toothpaste is made, packaged, and marketed – a change the big players aren’t willing to make unless they’re forced to.
• We don’t need to wait for the industry – we can act now. The problem feels overwhelming, but toothpaste tablets offer a simple, effective swap that makes a real impact. The more people make the switch, the harder it will be for big brands to ignore.
• Are you ready to challenge the norm? Try toothpaste tablets. Test out an alternative and see how easy it is to brush without a plastic tube. The more we embrace these changes, the sooner the industry will have to follow.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.