> What ever happened to toothpaste that came in metal tubes instead of whatever it is that it comes in now? I really liked those. They were much easier to roll up and stuff.

They were made of metal. Plastic is cheaper.
The same thing is true of peanut butter jars.
Plastic is cheaper than glass. It's also tougher and lighter. Who cares if it puts a few toxic chemicals into the peanut butter? Or the tooth paste, for that matter. Profits are our most important product.

And on a related topic:
I save the plastic peanut butter jars. They make great containers for nuts and bolts. If you have as many old machines as I have, you need a lot of nuts and bolts.

Skipping merrily from one subject to the other; have you looked at ketchup bottles lately? Plastic! Can mustard and mayonaise be far behind?

I'm saving 20th century glass containers. They will be rare someday and I will corner the market. Just think! When I'm 110, I'll be rich! ........ Uh oh. I think I found a flaw in my plan.

Still skipping. I used to use tooth paste. But my teeth got so loose I had to start sticking them back in with tooth glue. What's next? Staples?
Howard