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How to Recycle Toothpaste Tubes
Check local acceptanceLast reviewed September 27, 2026
Quick answer
Most toothpaste tubes should stay out of curbside recycling, even when the package says recyclable. Use a verified oral-care take-back program, or put the empty tube in the trash unless your local recycler explicitly accepts that tube type. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
Squeezable toothpaste tubes may be multilayer plastic or newer single-material plastic; a recyclable design does not guarantee local collection.
Where to Recycle
- Participating oral-care take-back drop-offs or mail-in programs
- Local curbside collection only when tubes are specifically listed
- Household trash when no verified collection route exists
How to Prepare
- 1Squeeze out as much toothpaste as practical and close the cap
- 2Check the tube's label and your local accepted-packaging list
- 3Use a participating oral-care collection program if curbside does not list tubes
- 4Keep tubes out of plastic-film store bins and ordinary bottle-only recycling
Special Instructions
Do not cut open or rinse a tube unless the receiving program asks you to. Some take-back programs accept residual toothpaste but have brand or enrollment limits; read the current program rules before mailing or dropping off.
Environmental Impact
A designated collection route can recover material from tubes that curbside sorting may miss. An unaccepted tube can contaminate a stream of recyclable bottles and containers.
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Empty tubes and caps accepted by a named oral-care program
- Single-material tubes only where the local recycler confirms acceptance
Not Accepted
- Toothpaste tubes in store plastic-film bins
- Tubes placed in curbside recycling based only on a recycling symbol
FAQs
Can an HDPE toothpaste tube go in my recycling bin?
Only if your local program explicitly accepts toothpaste tubes. The tube's material or recyclable label alone does not confirm that your sorting facility can capture it.
Do I need to wash the tube for take-back?
Empty it as much as practical, then follow the specific program's cleaning and packaging instructions.
Related recycling guides
- Blister pack recycling
- How to recycle packing peanuts
- How to recycle bottle caps and lids
- Food pouch recycling
- How to recycle corrugated cardboard boxes
- Paper cup recycling
- Tetra Pak recycling
- Chip bag and snack wrapper recycling
- How to recycle padded mailers (paper)
- How to recycle plastic clamshell containers
Recycle toothpaste tubes
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