Philips adds manual toothbrushes to free recycling programme

Mon, Dec 19, 2022 10:22 CET

Manual toothbrushes can now be recycled through the Philips Dental Care Free Recycling Programme for oral care waste
With the inclusion of manual toothbrushes to the programme, now almost all oral care products can be given a second life
Philips is also welcoming new sign-ups to collect on the programme

United Kingdom – Royal Philips(NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) has announced that manual toothbrushes can now be recycled through its free recycling programme for oral care waste, meaning both powered and manual toothbrushes can be given a second life through the scheme. Philips is also welcoming new sign-ups to collect on the programme. Anyone can set up a public drop-off location by heading to the TerraCycle website and signing up to the Philips Dental Care Free Recycling Programme to start downloading shipping labels and sending their community’s dental care products and packaging to TerraCycle free of charge.

Philips Dental Care Free Recycling Programme

The Philips Dental Care Free Recycling Programme, set up in collaboration with TerraCycle, accepts oral care products of any brand. The programme first launched in 2020 to recycle electric toothbrush heads and covers, electric flosser nozzles, flossing sticks and interdental brushes, and dental floss containers. These items are essential for maintaining high standards of hygiene for healthy teeth and gums, however they are often made from a complex mix of materials which means they are not recycled by councils. This is because the process to recycle them costs more than the recycled product is ultimately worth, making them uneconomical for local authorities to recycle.

For each parcel of waste sent in to TerraCycle, the sender will be rewarded with points redeemable as charitable donations to the school, charity or non-profit organisation of their choice. The more used dental products sent in for recycling, the more money can be raised for charity. There is a network of 249 publicly accessible drop-off locations on the Philips Free Recycling Programme for the public to leave their used oral care products to be recycled, all of which can be seen on TerraCycle’s interactive map.

Philips is increasingly becoming a sustainable consumer health technology brand, leading the way in embedding circular and sustainable practices across its operations, product design and innovation to mitigate climate change and restore biodiversity. As part of the company’s commitment to doing business responsibly and sustainably, Philips continuously works to improve the energy efficiency of its products, while optimizing the use of scarce resources, materials, and packaging across the product life cycle, in line with its global environmental ambitions. The organization has been carbon neutral its operations since the end of 2020, and through its proactive supplier sustainability program it is significantly reducing CO2 emissions across the value chain.

“Human health and environmental health go hand in hand. By looking after the planet, we contribute to the health and well-being of societies, as well as future generations,” says Jess, Gregory, Consumer Marketing Manager for Philips Oral Healthcare. “Circular design and circular product development are key to further improve energy efficiency our products, reduce materials usage, and meeting our ambitious environmental targets. We focus on using less, using longer and using again, for example by reducing the weight and volume of our product packaging and moving towards re-usable, recyclable or compostable packaging. By offering new business models, including lease options, we give products a second or third life. We are delighted to extend the partnership with Terracycle to facilitate an easy and sustainable way to dispose used oral care products, preventing products from ending up in landfill sites.”

ENDS

For the full list of accepted waste on the Philips Dental Care Free Recycling Programme, visit the programme page here

For further information, please contact:

Arielle Rawes

PR Manager Philips Personal Health UK

Tel: +44 7766505610

E-mail: Arielle.rawes@philips.com

Esme Parkins
PR Manager TerraCycle Europe

+447470 742 317

E-mail: Esme.parkins@terracycle.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About TerraCycle

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals.

TerraCycle launched in the UK in September 2009 and today operates in twelve European markets (UK, ROI, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden and Denmark). In the UK TerraCycle currently runs collection programmes for almost 50 types of waste, which can’t be accepted by local council-run recycling systems.

An estimated 6.9 million people across the UK have helped us to divert more than 250 million items of packaging waste from landfill while earning over £2 million for schools, charities and non-profit organisations. To learn more about TerraCycle please visit www.terracycle.co.uk.