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Can plastic laminated tubes be refilled?

by jose•

Hey everyone, if you’ve ever squeezed out the last bit of lotion or toothpaste from a plastic laminated tube and thought, “Ugh, I wish I could just refill this instead of buying a whole new one,” you’re definitely not alone. I’m [no company name] – been running a plastic laminated tubes supply business for almost 8 years now, and I get this question every single week. Friends ask, customers ask, even random people at grocery stores (yes, really). Today, we’re breaking it down: can these tubes actually be refilled, or is that just a myth we all want to be true? Let’s get real, no corporate buzzwords, just the straight talk from someone who actually makes and ships these things for a living. Plastic Laminated Tubes

First off, let’s cut to the chase: yes, some plastic laminated tubes can be refilled – but it’s not as simple as yanking off the cap and squeezing in whatever, right? Wait, let’s start with what these tubes are made of, because that’s the whole secret sauce here. You probably think they’re just plastic, but no – plastic laminated tubes are layers, not just one. Typically, it’s a mix of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) on the inside (that’s the stuff that touches your product, so it needs to be safe), aluminum foil in the middle (that’s the barrier to keep air, light, and moisture out – super important for things like sunscreen or hair gel that go bad fast), and another layer of LDPE on the outside to hold it all together and let us print logos. That laminate is key because it’s what makes the tube durable enough to protect your product, but it’s also why refilling works for some and not others.

Here’s the thing I tell every new customer when they ask about refills: it depends on three big things. First, what product are you putting in the tube? Second, how well are you sealing it after you refill? Third, is the original tube designed to be opened again easily? Let’s break each down, because this is where most people mess up.

First, the product. If you’re talking about thick, viscous stuff like toothpaste, hand cream, or even some types of paint, that’s way different than watery shampoo or liquid soap. Thick products don’t leak as much, so they’re way easier to refill. I’ve had a client a couple years back who refilled our 50ml hand cream tubes with bulk shea butter lotion – they just used a small funnel, unscrewed the cap, and squeezed the new stuff in. The tricky part with thick stuff is making sure you don’t overfill it, but that’s basic, right? But what about thinner products? I had another customer who tried refilling a tube with liquid dish soap, and it leaked like crazy. Why? Because thin liquids seep through the tiny gap around the cap, and also, when you squeeze the tube to get the last bit out before refilling, you stretch the laminate a little – sometimes creating a tiny micro-hole that thin stuff can escape through. That’s a non-starter, honestly. So product thickness is the first check.

Second, sealing the tube after refilling. The original cap isn’t made to be opened and closed multiple times, right? The first time you open a tube, the cap has that little tamper-evident ring that breaks off – that’s one-time use only. So when you refill, you can’t just put the original cap back on and call it good. I’ve seen people glue the cap, use a rubber band, even tape it – and all of those either fail or look like a hot mess. The good news? There are ways around this. Some brands that do refills use a crimped seal, like how the tube is sealed at the bottom. Wait, hold on – the original tubes have two sealed ends, right? The top is crimped after filling, and the bottom is sealed shut before the product even goes in. If you want to refill, you’d have to open the bottom seal, dump out the old product, clean the tube, refill it, then re-seal the bottom. That’s way more work, but it works. I had a client in the skincare space do this last year for their natural face serum – they’d buy bulk serum, refill our 100ml tubes, re-seal the bottom with a heat sealer (the same kind we use when we make the tubes), and it’s been flying off shelves. The key there is making sure the re-seal is airtight and watertight, so the product doesn’t go bad. If you don’t get the re-seal right, even thick products can start to smell weird after a week or two.

Third, and this is the big one: the tube itself. Not all plastic laminated tubes are created equal. I make some tubes that are designed for single-use only – super cheap, thin laminate, no extra flexibility. Those? You can probably get one refill out of them, but after that, they’ll crack. But I also make heavier-duty tubes for brands that do regular refills – the kind with a thicker LDPE layer, a reinforced crimp at the bottom, and even caps that are easy to remove and replace without breaking. Those tubes are built to handle multiple opening and closing, multiple refills, no problem. Wait, let’s be clear – I don’t recommend refilling a tube more than two or three times max, even the heavy-duty ones. After that, the laminate starts to get worn out, and the risk of leaks or contamination goes up.

Now, let’s talk about the real-world stuff people don’t mention. Like, why would you even want to refill these tubes in the first place? I get it – sustainability is huge right now. A lot of brands are ditching single-use plastics, and refilling tubes cuts down on waste. But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. For one thing, if you’re a small business doing home-based refills, you have to make sure the product you’re refilling is compatible with the tube’s inner layer. The inner LDPE is food-safe (or cosmetic-safe, depending on what the tube is for), so if you’re refilling with a different product, you need to clean the tube really well first. If there’s a trace of old toothpaste in the tube when you put in new face cream, that’ll ruin the new product, and no one wants that. I’ve seen a client skip that step once, and they had to throw out 200 tubes of face cream because it tasted minty – oops.

Another thing: cost. Refilling a tube isn’t always cheaper than just buying a new one, depending on the volume. If you’re a big brand buying 100,000 tubes a month, a new tube is like 10 cents, and bulk product is 20 cents per 100ml. Refilling would cost you maybe 5 cents for the tube (wait, no – if you’re reusing a tube, it’s free) plus 20 cents for the bulk product, plus the cost of sealing and labeling. That might work for small batches, but for big brands, it’s often easier to just get new tubes. But for small craft brands or people looking to cut down on their own personal waste? Refilling is a no-brainer, as long as you do it right.

Wait, let’s bust a common myth here: aluminum laminated tubes are the only ones that work for refills. No, that’s not true. The plastic-only laminated tubes (the ones without the aluminum foil) can be refilled too – they just don’t have the same barrier, so the product inside might go bad faster. I had a customer who refilled a plastic-only tube with lip balm, and it was fine for 6 months, but another who tried it with sunscreen and it got chalky after 2 months. So it’s less about the aluminum and more about the product and how you seal it.

Now, what are the pitfalls? Let’s get real. First, contamination. If you don’t clean the tube thoroughly between refills, you’re mixing old and new product, which can lead to bacteria growth – especially for things like lotion or toothpaste that have water in them. That’s a health risk, not just a waste issue. Second, leaks. If you don’t seal the tube properly, or if the tube has a micro-hole from being stretched when you squeezed out the last bit, you’ll have a mess in your bag or under your sink. Third, product degradation. If air or light gets in because your re-seal isn’t airtight, the product can change texture, smell, or even stop working. That’s bad for consumers and bad for your brand.

So, who should even try refilling? Let’s make a quick list:

  • Small craft brands making skincare, hand cream, or similar thick products
  • Individual consumers who want to cut down on plastic waste for personal use
  • Brands that sell bulk refills alongside their pre-filled tubes (that’s a big one – I had a client do this last year, and their sales went up 30% because people loved being able to refill their existing tubes)

And who should skip it?

  • Brands selling thin, light-sensitive products (like liquid sunscreen) because the re-seal won’t block light as well as the original crimp
  • People who want to refill and reuse a tube more than 2 or 3 times – the tube will wear out
  • Anyone who doesn’t want to put in the work of cleaning, sealing, and testing the refills – it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Wait, I should also mention a trend I’ve seen lately: refillable plastic laminated tubes that are designed from the ground up to be refilled. These have a special cap that’s easy to remove and replace, a reinforced top seal, and even a little notch at the bottom so you can open it without special tools. I started making these for a couple of eco-focused brands last year, and the feedback has been great. One brand even runs a take-back program – customers send back empty tubes, they clean them, refill them, and sell them for 20% less than a new tube. That’s the sweet spot, right? It’s sustainable, it’s affordable, and it works.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: sustainability. A lot of people say “just don’t use plastic tubes at all” but that’s not always feasible. For small brands, plastic laminated tubes are cheaper, they protect the product better than glass or other materials, and they’re lightweight for shipping. So if you’re going to use plastic tubes, refilling them is way better than tossing them after one use. I did a quick calculation last year for a client: instead of throwing away 50,000 empty tubes a year, they refilled them, and that cut their plastic waste by 45,000 pounds. That’s a huge number, right? And it’s not even that hard – they just set up a small cleaning station at their warehouse, use the heat sealers we sell along with the tubes, and label them with their refill line.

Wait, but what about the risk of microplastics when you reuse tubes? Some environmental groups say that reusing plastic can release microplastics over time, but from what I’ve seen in the industry, if you clean the tube properly (with warm soapy water, let it dry completely before refilling), the amount of microplastics released is negligible. Way less than the amount that would come from making a new tube, anyway. And if you do have to retire a tube because it’s worn out, most plastic laminated tubes are recyclable – as long as you take them to a facility that accepts them. A lot of people don’t know that, but they are recyclable, just not in your regular curbside bin.

Let’s wrap this up with some actionable tips if you’re thinking of refilling a plastic laminated tube, whether for personal use or for your brand:

  1. Check the product thickness first. Thick creams, pastes, and balms work best. Thin liquids (shampoo, dish soap) are harder to refill without leaks.
  2. Clean the tube thoroughly every time you refill. Use warm, soapy water, scrub the inside with a small brush (like a bottle brush), and let it dry completely for 24 hours before adding new product. No moisture in the tube means no bacteria growth.
  3. Seal it properly. Ditch the original cap – use a heat sealer to re-seal the bottom if you’re doing bulk refills, or use a reliable screw-on cap with a tamper-evident seal (we supply these if you need them for your brand).
  4. Don’t refill more than 2-3 times. After that, the laminate gets weak, and you risk leaks. When you retire the tube, recycle it properly.
  5. Test it first. If you’re a brand, do a small batch test with a few tubes before launching a full refill line. Make sure the product doesn’t degrade, there are no leaks, and customers are happy with the result.

At the end of the day, can plastic laminated tubes be refilled? Yeah, absolutely – but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. It works for some products, some brands, and some people, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. For me, as someone who makes these tubes, I love when customers use them for refills because it means we’re cutting down on waste, and that’s what this whole industry should be about. But I also tell people if refilling is too much work, we make recyclable tubes that you can toss after one use, too – it’s all about finding what works for you.

If you’re a brand looking to make refillable plastic laminated tubes, or if you’re a small business that wants to set up a refill program, hit me up. I’ve been doing this for 8 years, I know all the ins and outs, and I can help you figure out what size and type of tube works best for your product. No sales pitch, just honest advice from someone who’s been in the game too long to BS anyone. Let’s chat.

Face Wash Tube References

  1. Plastic Laminated Tubes: Composition, Properties, and Applications. Packaging Technology and Science, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2019.
  2. Sustainable Packaging: Refill Models for Consumer Goods. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 251, 2020.
  3. Microplastic Release from Reusable Plastic Packaging. Environmental Pollution, Vol. 267, 2020.
  4. Refillable Packaging Design for Skincare Products: User Perceptions and Feasibility. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 58, 2021.

Yangzhou NewGreatWall Plastic Co., Ltd.
Yangzhou NewGreatWall Plastic Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional plastic laminated tubes manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing high quality custom service. We warmly welcome you to wholesale plastic laminated tubes for sale here from our factory. Contact us for quotation.
Address: No.12 Tongzhou Road, Hangji Industrial Park, Yangzhou, Jiangsu
E-mail: sales@ngwpack.com
WebSite: https://www.cosmeticplastictube.com/