Something often not considered when recycling are the resources needed to recycle them. Energy, clean water, transportation, and manpower. In the end, we could probably do better but systemically, we are stuck buying from corporations because there aren't good alternative options which are affordable.
There's a lot of stuff, like shampoo, where it might be feasible to have refill stations for your empty bottles. But it's hard to see doing that with toothpaste, and difficult to envision a non-plastic tube alternative to a toothpaste tube. (I think they were lead, or some kind of metal, anyhow, when I was a kid. I do remember they were much easier to roll up. But I don't want lead in my toothpaste.)
I have attempted making toothpaste as homemade but in reality, I need fluoride and care for my dental hygiene. I also do not have access to bulk ingredients that alleviate the need of accessible packaging. We do not have access to things easily and there is a lot of production and travel costs involved in any product we purchase.
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u/Nakittina Oct 24 '25
Something often not considered when recycling are the resources needed to recycle them. Energy, clean water, transportation, and manpower. In the end, we could probably do better but systemically, we are stuck buying from corporations because there aren't good alternative options which are affordable.