Brand Rating:

Colgate

Avoid

2/10

Score 2/10

Free PDF

Download this brand evaluation

Get the complete Shifting Gaia evaluation as a PDF, sent to your inbox.

Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (Avoid) to 5 (Top Choice).
See how we rate.

Rated: June 05, 2026
Category: Beauty care
Subcategory: Oral Care

Overview:

Sustainability 4.0/10

Non-toxicity 4.0/10

Colgate is a global oral care brand owned by Colgate-Palmolive Company that produces toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, dental floss, and related dental products sold in more than 200 countries.

Highlights:

Recyclable toothpaste tubes
Net zero target by 2040
RSPO palm oil member

Sustainability

score : 4.0/10

Packaging

Colgate is one of the most visible plastic-packaged brands in the personal care aisle, and its packaging strategy is in the middle of a long transition rather than a fundamental redesign. The company reports that 93% of its packaging by weight was recyclable, reusable, or compostable by the end of 2024, up from roughly 89.5% the prior year. Virgin plastic use has been reduced by 25% from a 2019 baseline, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) content reached 21% of packaging material in 2024.

The flagship initiative is a monomaterial high-density polyethylene (HDPE) toothpaste tube, marketed under the "Recycle Me" claim and now used for approximately 75% of toothpaste SKUs globally and roughly 95% of toothpaste tubes in North America. The tube was independently developed by Colgate and is technically made of a recyclable plastic.

Outside of toothpaste tubes, packaging remains predominantly virgin or recycled plastic. Mouthwash bottles are HDPE or PET plastic, toothbrushes are largely plastic with plastic blister packaging, and floss containers are plastic. The Keep toothbrush starter kit uses a reusable aluminum handle with replaceable heads and is marketed as reducing plastic by 80% compared to a fully plastic toothbrush; this is one of the few genuinely plastic-reduced offerings in the line.

Ingredient Sustainability

Across a representative sample of Colgate products, including Cavity Protection, Total SF, Optic White, Triple Action, and Total Gum Health mouthwash, the formulations are built around petrochemical and synthetic ingredient systems rather than plant-based alternatives.

Core ingredients across the line include sorbitol, glycerin, hydrated silica, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), PEG-12, propylene glycol, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium saccharin, sucralose, titanium dioxide, FD&C synthetic colorants, BHT, and active fluoride compounds.

The vast majority of these inputs are synthetic and fall into the moderately harmful to harmful tiers from an environmental perspective, with concerns around aquatic toxicity, biodegradability, and reliance on petroleum feedstocks.

Where plant-derived inputs do appear, they raise their own sustainability questions. Glycerin used across the portfolio is not transparently sourced, meaning it may come from either palm derivatives or animal fats, both of which carry environmental and ethical risks.

Colgate does not disclose third-party certifications such as COSMOS, USDA Organic, Fair Trade, or Demeter on its core ingredient set.

Energy Use and Carbon Footprint

Interim 2030 targets include 100% renewable electricity across global operations, a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions versus a 2020 baseline, and a 42% reduction in Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services. In 2024, the company signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement for a wind farm in Europe expected to cover approximately 60% of its European operational electricity, and renewable electricity sourcing has grown from 35% in 2020.

Greenhouse gas emissions are reported annually in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and disclosed in the Sustainability and Social Impact Report and KPI Table. The company participates in CDP disclosures and has its targets externally validated.

Waste Management

Waste management at the brand level is heavily dependent on the recycling claim attached to the toothpaste tube, which, as covered under packaging, has been challenged in court for not reflecting real-world recyclability. Beyond that, the Colgate brand offers no refill systems, no take-back or buyback programs, no closed-loop schemes for toothbrushes, and no compostable formats.

Products are designed for single use of the packaging by the consumer, with disposal responsibility passed downstream. There are partnerships with The Recycling Partnership, the U.S. Plastics Pact, and the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund aimed at improving recycling infrastructure broadly, which is a meaningful systems-level contribution but does not change the product experience for the consumer.

Business Model

Colgate operates a high-volume, mass-market consumer goods business model that depends on continuous product churn, line extensions, and promotional cycles. The brand markets aggressively through coupons, multi-pack deals, retailer promotions, and constant new launches, all of which encourage frequent repurchase and stockpiling rather than mindful consumption. Pricing strategy is volume-driven.

Non-toxicity

score : 4.0/10

This evaluation looks specifically at the safety profile of the ingredients used in Colgate products for the consumer, separately from environmental sustainability.

Across the sampled product range, Colgate formulations consistently include ingredients flagged as moderately toxic in the personal care ingredient literature. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is present in nearly every toothpaste in the line and is a well-established skin and mucosal irritant, particularly associated with canker sores in sensitive individuals.

Cocamidopropyl betaine, a coconut-derived surfactant common in mouthwashes, has been named Allergen of the Year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society due to its frequent association with contact allergy reactions. Cetylpyridinium chloride, the antimicrobial active in several mouthwashes, is well-tolerated for most users but can cause oral irritation and staining with prolonged use.

Older Colgate Total formulas historically contained triclosan, which was phased out after FDA action in 2017 and is no longer in U.S. formulas; this is a meaningful improvement. Active fluoride ingredients including sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, and stannous fluoride are clinically supported for cavity prevention and considered safe at toothpaste-level exposure, though they are over-the-counter drugs with a regulated upper limit.

Social Responsibility

score : 3.2/10

Fair Labor

Colgate-Palmolive maintains a Third-Party Code of Conduct, a Supplier Code of Conduct, and a Respecting Human Rights and Labor Rights disclosure statement, with policies covering prohibitions on child labor, forced labor, discrimination, and unethical recruitment. The company is a member of the Consumer Goods Forum Human Rights Coalition.

A human rights due diligence framework was rolled out across owned manufacturing and warehouse facilities beginning in 2024, focused on third-party labor and service providers.

In practice, transparency has significant gaps. Ethical Consumer's company profile of Colgate-Palmolive consistently scores the company poorly in its human rights and workers' rights categories, citing the absence of published standards for working hours and wages, no public outcomes from supply chain audits, and no clear anonymous worker grievance mechanism.

Community Engagement

The Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, has reportedly reached more than 2 billion children and their families across more than 100 countries.

The program provides free oral health education, dental screenings, and treatment referrals, often through mobile dental vans serving underserved communities in partnership with schools, dental professionals, and NGOs. It is one of the longest-running and largest corporate-led child health programs of its kind.

Additional programs include the Colgate Women's Games, which has supported young women in track and field with over 5,000 educational scholarships

Animal Welfare

Colgate-Palmolive's official animal testing policy commits to working toward the elimination of laboratory safety testing using animals and notes a 1999 voluntary moratorium on animal testing of adult personal care products and ingredients. However, the policy explicitly permits animal testing when required by regulatory agencies or by law. The company sells products in mainland China, which has historically required animal testing.