Nov 13,2025
Packaging hubs and companies have historically struggled to reengineer non-recyclable materials so producers can recycle them to produce sustainable packaging. Instances include:
• Wax-coated shipping cases.
• Multilayer flexible films.
• Packaging for the oral hygiene sector-laminated toothpaste tubes, a tough product to produce because of the need for aluminum coating.
Plastic packaging tube hubs conventionally construct toothpaste tubes using plastic layers, with a thin aluminum coating sandwiched between them to protect the commodity from humidity. Due to their aluminum coating and multilayer structure, toothpaste tubes could not be recycled until recently. Therefore, people discard approximately 0.4 billion toothpaste tubes each year in the United States and at least 1.5 billion worldwide. Using another measure to convey the problem's scale, a materials science company has claimed that unrecyclable toothpaste tubes contribute to approximately 100,000 tons of waste annually.
Luckily, as with the rest of the non-recyclable packaging formats discussed above, packaging manufacturers have made great strides to create new toothpaste tube designs that are curbside recyclable. In the latter part of 2021, Chinese multinational company NICE Group switched its portfolio of toothpaste businesses to an entirely recyclable tube developed by two toothpaste packaging companies.
NICE is a 50-year-old company that specializes in personal care, oral hygiene, fabric care, and household care products. Its markets include Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. According to the chief engineer of NICE, this business has one of the largest bases of personal care products worldwide, operating 10 production facilities. The chief engineer of NICE has stated that NICE's philosophy is to differentiate its brand from its rivals and improve people's lives. The chief engineer further said that, in line with its ambition to become a healthy, safe, and environmentally friendly company, the NICE group utilizes modern technology to develop green products. The chief engineer further stated that NICE strives to fulfill its mission of making the earth cleaner and life better by making significant efforts to promote sustainable development. Nice was among the first businesses to adopt the concept of atmospheric lifecycle management in the product development and design phase, scientifically considering the effects of raw material selection, recycling, use, sale, production, and disposal on the atmosphere. This Chinese multinational company aims to minimize resource consumption throughout the entire product lifecycle to reduce the discharge and generation of pollutants and significantly safeguard our atmosphere.
Packaging is an essential component of a product's lifecycle, the chief engineer emphasizes, which has encouraged Nice to make some enhancements in its packaging's sustainability. The chief engineer also stated that in recent times, the NICE group has improved the packaging's lightweight design and has decreased the use of virgin plastics by over 5,000 tons and the use of virgin paper by over 3,000 tons everywhere. He further stated that, apart from that, we have launched more recyclable packaging. That encompasses the latest launch of a new toothpaste packing tube for its toothcare line and Cnice gum, a high-quality professional whitening toothpaste line, and its Chinese children's toothcare product brand.
The Chief Engineer of NICE has also stated that NICE was among the first businesses to propose the idea of recyclable tubes, which was implemented by working with its long-term packaging partner companies. An official working as a long-term packaging partner of NICE claimed that NICE has committed itself to using more recycling-friendly packaging to advance its circular economy and is resolute to take a step further and find a way to reduce the amount of oral care waste entering landfill sites. The evolution of packaging is used in a well-established sector that makes a commitment to and fosters close collaboration to establish scalable solutions. That official further stated that, to fulfill its sustainability objectives and address the ongoing rise in toothpaste tubes in landfill sites, we worked with Nice's other packaging partner to develop a full plastic laminate. One of the sustainability commitments of a packaging partner of Nice is to ensure 100% of its commodities sold into recyclable or reusable packaging applications by 2035.
The problems faced while developing recyclable toothpaste tubes were multifaceted. Not only did the long-term packing partners of Nice need to build a mono-substance substrate that would provide the same humidity and oxygen barriers as the aluminum/ plastic laminate tube, but that substance should also run on the existing filing machinery of Nice and the converting machinery of the long-term packing partner of Nice.
The resulting package, now used by every NICE toothpaste brand, performs its functions like non-recyclable aluminum/plastic tubes and offers other benefits. Consumers have welcomed the new recyclable toothpaste tube since it was placed on store shelves. Particularly, the toothpaste items packaged in see-through plastic tubes are very popular, as their packaging lets consumers view the high-quality toothpaste and feel more reassured when using and buying them, stated the chief engineer of Nice.
Simultaneously, recyclable toothpaste is more environmentally friendly than aluminum-based toothpaste tubes. He further stated that in the process of buying and using NICE toothpaste, customers are fulfilling their environmental commitments and playing a significant role in protecting the environment, which gives them a sense of honor and achievement.
With the launch of the new toothpaste by NICE, the chief engineer of NICE states the Chinese multinational business would prevent toothpaste tubes weighing three thousand metric tons from entering landfill sites every year- not a small number, particularly when combined with the decreases pledged by the rest of the fast moving consumer goods business as they launch their recyclable tubes. The chief engineer at NICE also hopes the adoption of the new toothpaste packaging by NICE will encourage other companies to follow suit. He stated that the NICE group is among the first businesses to launch a recyclable toothpaste tube and has pioneered persuading the entire industry to adopt an environmentally friendly approach, with many brands now using this recyclable solution.