United Kingdom

The Philips Dental Care Recycling Programme​

 
Recycle your dental care products through this programme

    We know sustainability and recycling is important, and we are making good progress in our
    efforts to make the world healthier and more sustainable. We’ve partnered with
    TerraCycle® to create a recycling programme for dental care products.


    In partnership with 

    Terracycle logo

    What is the Philips Dental Care Recycling
    Programme all about?

    Every day dental care products end up in landfill across the UK. We’re working
    with recycling experts TerraCycle® to put an end to this.

     

    That's where the Philips Dental Care Recycling Programme comes in. It’s now
    easier than ever to recycle your dental care products with us, for free.
    What’s more, the waste you recycle with us helps to raise money
    for charitable organisations and schools.

    What can I recycle?

    All brands accepted

    Electiric toothbrush heads

    Electric toothbrush heads and covers

    Electiric flosser nozzies

    Electric flosser nozzles

    Flossing sticks

    Flossing sticks and interdental brushes

    Dental floss containers

    Dental floss containers

    manual toothbrushes

    Manual toothbrushes

    Waste that is NOT accepted:

    • Battery operated toothbrushes
    • ​Electric toothbrush handles
    • Toothpaste tubes and caps​
    • Outer cardboard and plastic packaging for toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and floss containers
    • ​Dental floss
    • ​Batteries

    How does it work?

    Samla in avfallet

    Collect

    Create a TerraCycle account and join this program. Then reuse any cardboard boxes to start collecting dental products.

    Skriv ut fraktsedel

    Print free label

    When a carton is full, log in to your TerraCycle account to download and print a prepaid shipping label.

    Skicka iväg paketet

    Send

    Seal your carton, attach the prepaid shipping label and send it to us for recycling.

    Or find a recycling station on TerraCycle‘s website here.

    Redeem Rewards:

    Spara produkter hemma

    1. Recycle

    Sign up for Philips free dental recycling programm and start recycling

    Skriv ut fraktsedel

    2. Earn Points

    Submit your recycling to receive bonus points. The deliveries give 100 points per kilogram. To earn bonus point your shipment must weigh at least 0.5 kilogram.

    Använd poäng

    3. Redeem Points

    TerraCycle points can be redeemed for a donation of £0.01 per point to any charity or school

    galway piu inhand

    Free Shipping Label - Request Form

     
    Please accept Philips website cookies & refresh the page to access this form & request your free shipping label from TerraCycle©.

    Recycling with TerraCycle®

    TerraCycle®'s role is to recycle the material into a usable format so that manufacturers
    in the plastic industry can use it as a raw material.

     

    Collecting and sending your used dental care products is not only safe and easy,
    but also carbon neutral. All carbon emissions generated in the sending
    process are offset by carbon reduction programmes, meaning there
    are no net carbon emissions into the environment.

     

    Learn more here.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is TerraCycle®?

    Founded in 2001, TerraCycle® (www.TerraCycle.com) is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle® works with over one hundred major brands in twenty-one countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle®’s National recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay schools, charities and non-profits for every piece of waste they collect and return.

     

    TerraCycle® launched in the UK (www.TerraCycle.co.uk) in September 2009 (its first market in Europe) and today operates in 12 European markets (UK, ROI, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden and Denmark). In the UK, TerraCycle® currently runs collection programmes for over 50 types of waste which can’t be accepted by local council run recycling systems.

     

    Currently more than 6,800,000 individuals and organisations across the UK have signed up to collect, which to date has diverted over 194 million items of packaging waste from landfill while earning over £1,720,987 for schools, charities and non-profit organisations.  

    What can I recycle? 

    The Philips Dental Care Recycling Programme WILL accept all brands of electric toothbrush heads and covers, electric flossing nozzles, flossing sticks, interdental brushes, dental floss containers and manual toothbrushes.

    What can’t I recycle?

    This recycling programme will NOT accept battery operated toothbrushes, electric toothbrush handles, toothpaste tubes and caps, outer cardboard and plastic packaging for toothbrushes, dental floss, batteries.

    How is the waste recycled?

    TerraCycle®’s role in the process is to convert the collected material – dental care waste in this instance – into a suitable raw material state so that it can be used in new applications. After we receive these materials, they are baled and stored until we reach minimum processing thresholds. When the time comes where it makes economic, environmental and business sense for us to process this material, we work with third party subcontractors to perform various stages of work on the material. 

     

    In this particular case, the dental care waste shipments are received at TerraCycle®’s material recovery facility. The parcels are weighed, scanned and the contents (electric toothbrush heads and covers, electric flosser nozzles, flossing sticks, interdental brushes, dental floss containers and manual toothbrushes) are controlled and aggregated in bulk bags or bales.   

     

    The aggregated material is then sent to one of TerraCycle®’s processing partners. Plastic is shredded, washed and sorted. The material is then dried, compounded and pelletized into hard-granulated plastic granules.

    What happens with the recycled waste?

    TerraCycle®'s role is to recycle the material into a usable format so that manufacturers in the plastic industry can use this raw material as a part of their production.

    How do I participate in The Philips Dental Care Recycling Programme?

    Anyone can sign up to the programme through the dedicated page on the TerraCycle® website. Either drop your waste at a TerraCycle® public drop-off location, set up a new drop-off location via the TerraCycle® website, or recycle via UPS by requesting a free shipping label.

    How should I recycle my dental care product?

    When you are finished with your dental care product, rinse it under hot water to get any excess product off it. Then drop it off at your nearest public drop-off location, set up your own, or send via UPS. Wash or sanitise your hands before and after handling your waste.

     

    Collecting and sending your used dental care products is not only safe and easy, but also carbon neutral. All carbon emissions generated in the sending process are offset by carbon reduction programmes, meaning there are no net carbon emissions into the environment.

    How can I recycle my electronic toothbrush handle?

    There are two ways to recycle an electric toothbrush in the UK.

    Kerbside collection

    Your local authority may collect small electrical items including your electric toothbrush. Visit your local council page to see if they collect small electrical items. This is usually found under ‘what can I Recycle.’ If they do, follow the guidance provided to get your electric toothbrush collected and recycled.

     

    Recycling centre

    Another way to recycle your electric toothbrush is to take it along to your local recycling centre. To find your nearest one, visit https://www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling.

    Philips is not responsible for the content of any third party websites.

    In partnership with 

    Terracycle logo

    Sustainability news and blogs

    You are about to visit a Philips global content page

    Continue

    You are about to visit a Philips global content page

    Continue

    Our site can best be viewed with the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Firefox.