Packaging

Crest packaging relies heavily on virgin and recycled plastics, with little movement toward plastic-free or compostable alternatives. Toothpaste tubes are made primarily from multilayered plastic laminates that combine plastic films with thin aluminum or other barrier layers, a construction that has historically been difficult to recycle through municipal systems. Mouthwash bottles are PET plastic with polypropylene caps, and whitestrip kits introduce additional plastic film, paperboard cartons, and individual sealed pouches per treatment, generating significant per-use waste. Toothpaste cartons are made from paperboard and are widely recyclable, but they remain a smaller portion of total packaging volume.

To Crest's credit, the brand has partnered with TerraCycle through the Recycle On Us program, which accepts used Crest, Oral-B, and Fixodent tubes, bottles, caps, toothbrushes, dental flossers, and packaging by mail at no cost to the consumer. This is a meaningful infrastructure investment that diverts oral care waste from landfill, although the program has been announced to close on June 30, 2026.

Ingredient Sustainability

Crest formulations are overwhelmingly built around petrochemical-derived synthetic ingredients, with very few plant-based components and no transparency around responsible sourcing for the few that do appear. The dominant ingredient set consists of synthetic surfactant, synthetic polymers and thickeners,  petroleum-derived glycerin and sorbitol bases, synthetic sweeteners, and synthetic colorants 

From a sourcing standpoint, several of these ingredients carry significant sustainability concerns that Crest does not address publicly.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, and sodium cocoyl glutamate are typically derived from coconut or palm kernel oil, and Procter & Gamble has been repeatedly linked to non-RSPO and controversial palm oil suppliers tied to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia.

While P&G has corporate-level RSPO commitments, there is no product-level traceability or certification on Crest tubes confirming responsibly sourced palm derivatives. Coconut-derived surfactants are not disclosed as fair-trade or organic, and large-scale monoculture coconut farming carries its own biodiversity and soil-health costs.

The plant-derived flavor compounds (typically peppermint or spearmint oils) are not disclosed as organically farmed, and there is no information about whether they come from monoculture operations that deplete soil. 

Energy Use & Carbon Footprint

Crest does not publish brand-level emissions data, but its parent company Procter & Gamble does report at the corporate level and has made measurable progress on operational energy. 

Waste Management

The Terracycle partnership is useful infrastructure for a category where most curbside programs cannot handle multilayer toothpaste tubes, and it represents a real attempt to address end-of-life waste. However, the program closes on June 30, 2026, with consumers directed toward Colgate's broader oral care program or paid Zero Waste Boxes. The discontinuation of a brand-sponsored take-back program rather than its expansion is a step backward.

At the operational level, P&G reports zero manufacturing waste to landfill across its production sites since 2020, which is a significant accomplishment for a company of its scale and feeds positively into the Crest production chain. There is no refill program for Crest toothpaste or mouthwash, no buyback initiative, no upcycled ingredients, and no multi-purpose product design.

Business Model

Crest operates on a high-volume, trend-responsive consumer packaged goods model that is structurally tied to overconsumption. The product line is segmented into dozens of variations across whitening, sensitivity, gum care, etc. 

New whitening technologies, including LED accelerator lights and emulsion treatments, are released regularly and marketed with urgency around aesthetic outcomes. Pricing strategies rely heavily on coupons, multi-pack discounts, and retailer promotions that encourage stockpiling rather than mindful purchasing.

There is no marketing emphasis on buying less or using a product longer, no concentrated or refillable formats that reduce consumption frequency, and no durability-focused messaging.