Recycle toothbrush, build a playground

Published 10:38 pm Thursday, May 2, 2019

TerraCycle recently announced a national recycling initiative with Colgate-Palmolive, CVS and the Starlight Children’s Foundation that calls upon CVS customers to recycle their used toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and floss containers to help win a playground for a children’s hospital.

Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every three months, and CVS customers are invited to shop their local retailer to replace and recycle their used oral care for a great cause.

After replacing your toothbrush, simply visit the CVS promotion website at www.cvs.com/shop/content/colgate-recycle, download a free shipping label and ship your oral care waste to TerraCycle for easy recycling. The state that collects the most waste will win a new playground, made from the recycled materials, that will be awarded to a Starlight Children’s Foundation member hospital.

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“By teaming up with Colgate, CVS and the Starlight Foundation, this initiative enables consumers to divert oral care waste from landfills as well as educate communities about a free, easy recycling solution for these common items,” said Tom Szaky, chief executive officer of TerraCycle. “We are proud to partner with these forward thinking companies to offer consumers a way to give back to the communities they live in and bring joy to its youngest citizens.”

Concluding on June 22, each unit (“unit” defined as .02 pounds of used, post-consumer oral care products and packaging) of oral care waste that is sent to TerraCycle for recycling earns the participating states one “Playground Credit” toward winning the grand prize playground made from recycled oral care waste that has been cleaned, processed and remolded. The state with the most Playground Credits will be named the winner, and a playground made from the recycled oral care waste will be placed on the premises of a Starlight Children’s Foundation member hospital in the state that earned the most points. 

The Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program is an ongoing activity, open to any individual, family, school or community group. To learn more about the program, visit www.terracycle.com.