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Tom’s Partnership with the Preserve® Gimme 5 Recycling Program
Posted on Nov 04, 2010
For me and the people I work with at Tom's of Maine, making great natural deodorant isn't just about the deodorant! We care about the green space around us and do our best to maximize recycled content and recyclability of our deodorant packaging – helping to reduce our impact on the landfill.
Recycle & Reuse our packaging: Usually the deodorant stick packaging that you see on the shelf is made up of many different components, each made of different plastic. This means you can't just throw it in your recycling bin as it would contaminate the recycling stream. Tom's deodorant packaging is different. We worked with our suppliers to develop a stick deodorant package that is made of a single type of plastic (100% #5 plastic). We tested the package thoroughly to make sure that it still functioned properly and that you could actually get the deodorant out of the package. We worked to incorporate recycled plastic content in the mix – plastic which came, for example, from deodorant packaging that would otherwise have gone into a landfill.
But making the container "recyclable" doesn't complete the recycling loop. Many communities don't accept the #5 plastics, simply because there isn't enough demand to make the economics work. That's why this year Tom's joined the Preserve® Gimme 5 recycling program as a supporting partner of Preserve®, Brita®, Stonyfield Farm, and Whole Foods Market® stores. Your #5 plastic is collected at participating Whole Foods Market® store locations, and is then made into new household products like toothbrushes and razors. In the first half of this year, 56,000 pounds of #5 plastic has been collected. That's the same as keeping 700,000 Tom's deodorant containers from being dumped in the trash.
So where do we go from here? We're currently working on ways that we can use the #5 plastic from Preserve® Gimme 5's great recycling program to make new Tom's of Maine deodorant packaging. It's been a step by step journey to get us to where we are with our packaging today. We know it will be a continuous journey to always do better, but I think our involvement with the Preserve® Gimme 5 program is a great example of how at Tom's we walk the walk and not so much of the trash talk :)
You can help Preserve® Gimme 5 recycling program recycle more than 100,000 pounds of #5 plastic by the end of 2010! Click here for more details on how to get involved.
Leave us additional comments or ideas below. We'd love to hear them!
Posted by Fiona. I am a Brand Manager and have worked at Tom’s of Maine for 8 years.
10 Comments
eden said...
Hi. I've been using Tom's for 6 years now, but recently had to stop because it has all the sudden been giving me a nasty rash. Was there an ingredient change with the new logo and "24 hour protection"? It makes me sad. And stinky.
on Feb 24, 2011 (11:11 AM)
Tom's of Maine said...
Hi all, this is Rob. Zoe and Gerald, given the prevalence of #5 plastics we think the Gimme 5 partnership is an important step in improving the sustainability of our packaging. But we completely agree that there are additional things that might be done to reduce the impact even more. I will pass your comments to our product development group, and we’ll continue to try and make improvements. Thanks for your willingness to share your thoughts.
on Jan 21, 2011 (03:37 PM)
Gerald Allain said...
I have been using Tom's deodorant for about 9 years, works great no complaints, BUT, the packaging has to change, and the whole change to #5 plastic just doesn't cut it. I mean come on, this isn't a sterile surgical device, why can't you find a cardboard solution? There must be a way to not require so much plastic (petroleum) to package this fine product. I am seriously considering an alternative, please change your packaging. Thanks, Gerald
on Jan 13, 2011 (10:56 PM)
mary mcclaine said...
i like my free samples of toms toothpaste
on Jan 07, 2011 (09:58 AM)
Beth Terry said...
Hi. I love Zoe's idea of creating a refill. That is certainly better than grinding down plastic to recycle. But I have another question. I was in Whole Foods in Berkeley on Thursday and stopped to check out the Tom's of Maine deodorant section. I didn't see anything on the label about recycling the product and I'm wondering if there will be a different label and how you will let customers know about returning the containers. Also, I saw a number 5 symbol on the label of the container but I didn't see a number 5 on the cap. How do I know if I have the right container. Are all your containers switched over to the new all #5 type at this point? Thanks. I write the blog Fake Plastic Fish (fakeplasticfish.com) about living plastic-free or with less plastic, and I'm interested in writing about your new recycling program.
on Dec 25, 2010 (04:07 PM)
Justin said...
Hello: I was just forced to view your ad prior to watching "the Worst cooks in America" program on the on-line service, Hulu. Wow, I have never run across a more self-righteous company/advertising campaign in my life. Do you guys really believe you are actively solving every world problem by selling tooth paste? This company is arrogant and absurd.
on Dec 12, 2010 (10:55 PM)
Lady Ilea said...
I have tried to turn in hundreds of sports drink plastic bottles for recycling. No one in the area takes it. They are all Gatorade plastic bottles. Any suggestions to recycle?
on Dec 02, 2010 (09:12 PM)
zoe said...
hello, I left a comment a couple of days ago and it hasn't appeared yet?
on Nov 11, 2010 (02:52 PM)
zoe said...
hello, although I am glad to see you making efforts regarding recycling your deodorant packaging I actually think that providing a refill of some sort would be a better solution. In my mind recycling plastics isn't ideal-- I am making a real effort to reduce my plastic consumption-- in particular single use plastic. I have been using Tom's of Maine deodorant and other products since I was 19-- which is 20 years ago! I hope you will introduce a refill or something equally sustainable as I am (and there are many more like me) serious about eliminating plastics and would sadly have to find an alternative. I love Tom's deodorant and don't want to stop using it.
on Nov 10, 2010 (07:44 AM)
Gary said...
I agree 100% with the comment about refills. Selling refill inserts for the deodorant would cut the plastic use by 95% and requires no new complex technologies or managing a waste stream because the wast stream is essentially eliminated.
on Apr 17, 2011 (06:28 AM)