Spotlight on Sugarcane-Based Toothpaste Tube
According to the company, the material is made from renewable resources and follows the ISCC certified mass balance principle. This is a chemical industry standard for tracing sustainability characteristics of circular and bio-based materials in the value chain.
Following testing, the company adds that it has manufactured a recyclable transparent bowl for frozen ready means from Bio-PP.
The company claims that it is one of the first rigid plastic manufacturers to produce Bio-PP products.
According to a number of sources, it’s estimated that 400 million toothpaste tubes in the U.S. and 1.5 billion globally are discarded in landfills every year. Spotlight has a goal to revolutionize the oral care industry by creating a range of products that are cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, free from toxins, ocean safe, and 100% recyclable.
With its toothpaste tubes, Spotlight has met the goal of 100% recyclability by using Braskem’s I’m green™ brand of bio-based polyethylene, a drop-in bioplastic that provides the same functionality as petroleum-based plastics, including 100% recyclability.
Says Dr. Lisa Creaven, “Generic toothpaste tubes are made from a combination of materials, including crude oil and aluminum, which makes them non-recyclable. Sugarcane is one of the greatest carbon sinks that exists, metabolizing CO2 as it grows and regenerating itself from its own roots. Grown in Brazil using fair labor, each ton of Green Polyethylene produced captures up to 3.09 tons of CO2, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our tubes are fully recyclable and won’t end up contaminating our precious oceans.”
The biopolymer tube is being used for Spotlight’s line of five toothpaste varieties, each formulated for a specific concern, for example, cavities, bad breath, gum health, and others. The 3.5-oz package is decorated by offset printing, with a crisp, white background and color coding with pastel colors to differentiate the varieties.
Spotlight also considered the sustainability of the secondary and tertiary packaging for the toothpaste as well. Explains Dr. Vanessa Creaven, “Our toothpaste tubes are packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard packaging and are delivered in a 100% biodegradable mailer bag that can be directly deposited into a compost bin. Also, when ordering online, we offer customers a choice at checkout whether to go with or without the cardboard packaging.”
Say Spotlight’s founders, conveying the benefits of its unique range of sustainable products and packaging—such as a plant-based plastic tube—requires consumer education. “Sustainability is a significant part of Spotlight Oral Care, and we do our best to educate our consumers on the ‘why’ behind our sustainable packaging and beliefs,” they explain. “We recently shared our efforts with our community by launching videos showcasing the life span of a toothpaste tube, as well as how our Dental Floss, made up of 100% recycled plastic bottles, is created. In addition, over the span of August, we rolled out various marketing emails, including statistics and polls, informing customers on topics such as animal testing and encouraging engagement with prizes. We plan to continue to release education materials, as well as have conversations around the importance of sustainability in the oral care industry.”