Toothpaste Tubes

We recycle at home. Diligently. I asked everyone to save any toothpaste tubes for me. I got my first one today.
I am attempting to clean them out and re-use them for honey, oil, and anything that can be heated enough to funnel into the tube. My first experiment failed. An ounce of honey was used and it had a minty flavor. None of my recipes call for minted honey.
I inflated the tube orally, soaked it in 140*ish water until the water cooled, then rinsed with baking soda water, and repeated. I wonder if the mint taste can be removed? Any food grade ideas for cleanup? I wonder if I would waste a tube by boiling it? thanks

I use one of those hive shaped containers honey came in for jam for pancakes and put it in a baggie to contain any accidents. I wonder if the toothpaste tube would seal up good enough for oil though. I use a small plastic bottle for oil, once again, packed in a baggie. Too bad toothpaste can't be sacrificed like a can of beer to get quicker results.:)

rootball....how do you close up the opened end once you refill the tube? What a great idea.

Too bad toothpaste can't be sacrificed like a can of beer to get quicker results.:)

I wouldn't sacrifice a good can of beer. It is meant to be enjoyed. then you can use the container.

I don't think he mentioned that he opened the back end of the tube? Sounds like he's trying to funnel the oil etc into the small hole. Isn't there a company out there that makes tubes for this purpose?

My guess--and it's only just that--is that the "minty fresh!" taste and odor are there more or less permanently, and that any foodstuffs kept in these tubes will pick it up.

I'm imagining minty pesto or butter, and have to confess it sounds revolting.

I'll guess you could probably still store lotions in them, presuming there'd be an advantage to repackaging them.

I realize you're trying to diligenty recycle, but I just don't think a toothpaste tube is gonna be the greatest thing to try that with in this manner. Heck, if you go that far you could always also recycle Preparation H tubes in that way too!

If you ask me, recycling a small hotel size shampoo bottle that can be washed out effectively is a far better way to carry honey or olive oil (I do it all the time!) There's lots of things that come in little bottles that are way easier to deal with for this than tubes. or if you're determined to have a squeeze tube, buy some of the refillable ones from coghlans and reuse them, but I've never liked such things.

chaz---you're right about that.

Try soaking the tubes in water to absorb the flavoring.

Some tubes can be recycled, so check your brand and it's # if your recycle center accepts it. Also, Tom's of Maine will take your old tubes and reuse them. Here's an article about it from this site. http://www.ecometro.com/community/blogs/...s-and-more.aspx

I really have to hand it to Tom’s of Maine. They not only research their packaging to improve recyclability, but you can even send them your old toothpaste tubes. In order to recycle their toothpaste tubes, first you remove the plastic cap and the plastic threaded covering on the neck of the tube. Then simply sort them in with your aluminum cans for recycling. According to their website, Tom's of Maine, “any toothpaste left in the tube and the food-grade plastic liner does not affect the tube's recyclability. When the aluminum is processed, any residual toothpaste as well as the food-grade liner melts away without contaminating the recycled product.” They happily recycle them for you if you send them to: Tom’s of Maine, Consumer Dialogue Team, 302 Lafayette Center, Kennebunk, ME 04043. Their floss, shave cream, deodorant and other product containers are also mostly made out of fully recyclable #4 and #5 plastics or paper.

Continuing with dental hygiene, many of you may already know the company Preserve, providers of recyclable toothbrushes. They also sell razors, tableware and cookware. Their Gimme 5 program now lets you send them your #5 plastics (yogurt cups, etc) and they will recycle them into their products. This program is in addition to their already long-standing service of being able to send them your used toothbrushes and razor handles to be recycled into plastic lumber for park benches or decks, for example. On their website, you can print out a postage-paid label to return their products to be transformed.

Some folks say to use hot, soapy water to clean the tubes.

Here's another method of using the tube for p'butter and honey.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/563189714tjkPhd

Rootball... try soaking in alcohol... the mint flavoring is most likely an oil dissolved in alcohol... pure water or even water and baking soda won't remove the oil residue.

MNS

Sounds like a great idea. Perhaps a "liquid" isn't the best thing to have in them. Maybe dry goods such as sugar, salt, pepper, or spices. Just an idea for ya. I use cleaned out saline solution bottles (contact cleaner, the small ones) for salt/pepper and lemon juice. If you bore out the hole a little, they work just fine. Again, great idea.
Little Otter

If what RickD is saying is true; That the food stored in the tube would pick the flavor up of the mint that was in the tube, would it not eventually go away just from food absorption??? Just a thought. Hope it helps...sabre11004....

The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there!!!!!

Man, that is a great idea. Why the hell have I never though of that. In reality I think that there are plastic bottles specifically designed for such things and personally I think that it would be much easier just to purchase what you need and reuse them. We use Mountain House Dinners some times when we want to make it simple when we backpack and I never throw the resealable bags away and we always reuse them for something. I dehydrate food already made into entrees and put them in the reused Mountain House Bags. I contacted them (Mountain House) and they said as long as they were clean they could bu reused many many times. I have had one that I have had for about two years and I still use it every time. I think home made dehydrated food is much better and cheaper than the Mountain House food...sabre11004...

The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there !!!!!