The last few months have really forced me to look at my space a little differently. All of a sudden, everything I saw in my household was just a big giant “PLASTIC” sign. I am fully aware I will never be plastic free. I will most likely continue to throw things away (albeit less) vs trying to re-purpose. All I can do is try to make changes where I can.
Aside from the kitchen, my bathroom also houses a ton of offenders. Floss, hair care products, skincare products, etc. Toothpaste seemed like the easiest shift.
Most toothpaste tubes are not recyclable. Because they’re made from a mix of aluminum and plastic, most local recycling centers cannot take them. That, and most people aren’t able to get rid of all the residual toothpaste in the tube and that automatically makes it non-recyclable. For those that care to to clean out the tubes, there’s a company called Terra Cycle that will recycle your toothpaste tubes for a fee.
After some research I came across toothpaste tabs. Most brands come in paper or glass packaging which make them the perfect candidate. I settled on Unpaste because a lot of the other brands didn’t include fluoride.
I wanted SOOOOO badly to like this product. I loved everything that it stood for and the impact on the environment seemed so significant. The flavor was fine and the price was more than fair. What I couldn’t get over was the chewing. You put the little tabs between your teeth, chew, and then brush. I tried to wet the tab before chewing, hoping that it would make the whole process more palpable but I just didn’t like the sensation of things breaking apart in my mouth. I think this has also ruined mints for me permanently….
For those that don’t mind the texture of this, I would still highly recommend. The flavor is good and my teeth definitely felt clean.
Chop Tsui 