At Taglus, sustainability isn’t just a trend—it’s a commitment integrated into every layer of our business activities. As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of dental aligners and post-treatment retainer thermoplastic sheets, we, like everyone else, are responsible for managing plastic waste, especially in the dental field. In this second part of our Sustainable Dentistry series, we focus on how Taglus turns plastic waste into useful orthodontic accessories, which helps to achieve our objective of reducing the negative impact on the environment while still offering superior products.  

Upcycling medical-grade plastics has been in practice for years, repurposing PVC and PET into newer and useful medical accessories or breaking down the complex material into simple ones has always been a part of contributing towards nature. For example, slow pyrolysis has been considered one of the feasible ways to convert medical plastic waste into activated carbon. 

Some medical devices are used in hospital tubing and safety devices. 

However, a complete transformation of medical plastic waste that has been contaminated is not possible, but the virgin plastics that get wasted during manufacturing can be upcycled in a better way. 

The Challenge: Plastic Waste in Dentistry  

Both general dentistry and orthodontics consume a lot of plastic. In the first part   (https://www.taglus.com/blogs/2025/04/sustainable-dentistry-retaining-aligning-with-nature/)  of the series, we have already seen the larger impacts and landfill data that are caused due to plastic waste. These materials cannot be recycled as they are considered contaminated clinical waste, which poses significant environmental concerns.  

Therefore, we came up with the idea to upcycle the plastic waste that gets accumulated during the manufacturing of the aligners. Even upcycling this much waste would contribute a lot towards the environment.  

Taglus’ Approach: Repurposing Plastic Waste  

Taglus has been working toward upcycling the plastic waste and making their orthodontic accessories, which are equally good in quality and efficiency, along with assisting greatly in reducing plastic pollution.  

Manufacturing Premium Dental Accessories  

The fabrication of primary orthodontic care like braces, clips, and elastics, requires intact, verified-grade plastics. Therefore, the resulting products from plastic waste tend to be useful and trendsetting for orthodontic auxiliaries. 

• Aligner Removal Tools: The aligner removal tools are very important tools to be used while adjusting the aligners. The compact design is readily integrated into the aligner/retainer box.  

• Retainer Boxes: Taglus Retainer Boxes are expertly crafted using a specialized in-house injection moulding technique, ensuring they are made from high-quality materials designed for durability and functionality. Our retainer and aligner boxes are apart from the rest due to: 

Customizable Design– Each box can be tailored to reflect your brand’s identity with personalized logos and colour schemes, allowing you to make a lasting impression. 

Durability and lightweight: Our boxes strike the perfect balance between sturdiness and ease of handling, making them ideal for everyday use without the bulk. 

Secure Magnetic Closure: Featuring a reliable magnetic closure, our boxes keep your retainers and aligners safe and secure. 

Affordable Options: We offer competitive pricing to ensure you receive quality products. 

Additionally, our retainer boxes are available in options with or without a mirror, adding an extra layer of convenience for your clients. 

• Pillow Boxes: Taglus Pillow boxes are also made from upcycled plastic. These boxes are transparent, highly aesthetic and have a long shelf life.  

What’s Next:  

Continuous Improvement: With low plastic waste and higher sustainability Taglus has pledged its contribution to nature conservation. Efforts toward developing materials compatible with the eco goals of the organization do not cease with the research and development teams.  

Help Us Make Positive Change: An eco-friendly goal is a teamwork target! So, here comes a call from us for all the dental specialists, partners and even customers to adopt sustainable practices that aim towards conservative dentistry. Leveraging the products of Taglus ensures acting towards being proactive in caring for the environment.  

Together, we can create smiles that are not only beautiful but also kind to our planet.