In previous posts I have talked about toothpaste tablets as a great plastic switch. Think about how many plastic toothpaste tubes you go through in a year and then consider that most toothpaste tubes are not recyclable. They are made from layered materials (plastic and aluminum) which makes them difficult to recycle and means they are not accepted by recyclers. While Colgate introduced a toothpaste tube made of recyclable #2 plastic in 2022, they will need to make people aware that their tubes are recyclable, but not confuse consumers into thinking tubes from other brands are. And then there is the issue that most plastics that are put into recycling bins don’t actually get recycled.
So, what to do?
Toothpaste tablets!
Why Tablets?
There are several things to love about toothpaste tablets.
- Many brands are plastic-free
- You use just the right amount every time–no over squeezing and wasting paste
- Great for travel–no need to take out of luggage at TSA with liquids and creams
Overall, toothpaste tablets are an easy replacement for paste. You pop a tablet in your mouth, chew it up into a paste, and brush just as you always do.
Hüppy Are My Favorites
One of the things that I have not loved about some tablets is that they are hard and a little difficult to chew into a paste. Some brands end up being chunky or grainy and difficult to spread throughout your mouth.
These Hüppy tablets are just the right consistency. They are easy to chew and break down into an easy-to-spread paste. The tablets are big enough that they make just the right amount of paste to comfortably brush all your teeth. And the minty flavor is strong enough to make your mouth feel fresh.
What About Fluoride?
Fluoride has been a sticking point for me when looking for toothpaste tablets. Many tablet brands choose to eliminate fluoride even eventhough fluoridated toothpaste is recommended by dentists and is necessary in my area where many people are on non-fluoridated well water.
While Hüppy tabs do not contain fluoride, they do contain a fluoride substitute called N-HA (shorthand for nano-hydroxyapatite). I found differences of opinion on the internet about the effectiveness of N-HA vs. Fluoride so, if you have bad teeth like I do, you may want to do your own research before making the switch away from fluoride. I have decided that N-HA is good enough for me if the tabs come in plastic-free packaging.
Things I Love:
- Plastic free!
- Easy to chew for smooth paste
- Great for travel
Things I Don’t Love:
- Limited availability–mostly online
- Refill packs only available through subscription
- I would prefer fluoridated tabs
Product Info:
- Available in Peppermint and in Charcoal Mint
- Somewhat limited availability–the company website and a couple of niche websites.
- Interestingly, also available on the Urban Outfitters website.
- https://behuppy.com/products/peppermint-subscription
Hüppy Toothpaste Tablet Rating
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