Danville, Recycle Toothbrushes To Help Sick Kids

Giving children who are battling serious illnesses a chance to just be kids on the playground again is as easy as recycling old toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes and floss containers through CVS stores.

The drug-store chain, which has locations throughout Tri-Valley and East Bay, is partnering with the waste management company TerraCycle, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive in the nationwide recycling effort. The state that collects the most waste will win a new playground, made from recycled oral waste, at a Starlight Children’s Foundation member hospital.

The collection effort ends June 22. For every 0.02 pounds of recycled oral waste shipped to TerraCycle, states will receive one “playground credit.” The playground equipment will be built from oral waste materials that have been recycled, cleaned, processed and remolded.

If the most oral waste is collected in California, one of several Bay Area medical centers, including George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, and University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Children’s Hospital could be the recipient of the new playground equipment.

Switching out toothbrushes every three months is recommended by dentists. After replacing your toothbrush, visit the CVS promotion website and download a free shipping label and ship your old toothbrush, toothpaste tubes and floss containers to TerraCycle.

TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky said the initiative helps consumers divert oral-care waste from landfills, and also educates communities about a free, easy recycling solution for common items.

“We are proud to partner with these forward thinking companies to offer consumers a way to give back to the communities they live in and bring joy to its youngest citizens,” he said in a news release.

More information is found here.