Portugal, Cork Flooring and Sustainability

May 12th 2021 marked a special day in the global quest against pollution. It marked an important milestone that, if it is to become law, could bring us one small step closer towards the achievement of a zero waste society. The EU published its Zero Pollution Action Plan, aimed at decreasing air, water and soil pollution. This will hopefully lead the way for other global regions to follow suit. While this is certainly a long-awaited milestone, it is important to note that the achievement of zero pollution is strictly linked to the achievement of zero waste. There cannot be a zero pollution society without there being a zero waste society. This is why, to achieve its zero pollution objective, the EU has to adopt strong policy measures to drastically decrease waste at source, as well as our reliance on waste incineration, in order for the plan to have a real impact once it is put into practice.

GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), has announced today that it is partnering with two global packaging suppliers to launch fully recyclable toothpaste tubes across its specialist and science-based oral health brands, including Sensodyne, parodontax and Aquafresh.  The first partnership, with strategic packaging supplier, Albea, which is one of the world’s largest tube manufacturers, will see GSKCH switch its toothpaste tubes from aluminium barrier laminates to the patented Greenleaf laminate. The switch-over will begin with Sensodyne Pronamel tubes, which will be available in fully recyclable alternatives in Europe this July. This will be bolstered by a second partnership with EPL Global to produce tubes in Platina laminate. Both laminates have passed recycling-readiness tests set by the US-based Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and by Europe’s RecyClass, meaning that the tubes will be recyclable and compatible with existing recycling processes. It is anticipated that the combined moves will see over a billion toothpaste tubes per year recyclable by 2025.