Sustainable Swaps: Toothbrushes
If you have ever participated in a local beach clean up, then you have probably noticed that one of the most common plastic household item that liters the beaches are toothbrushes.
According to Foreo:
1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the US alone.
thats a lot of plastic.
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Unfortunately, plastic has become a part of our daily routines.
It is estimated that each person will use around 300 toothbrushes in their lifetime. Plus, toothbrushes don't biodegrade and cannot be recycled with your recycling bin. This means that every single toothbrush you have ever used is still out in the world somewhere. Toothbrushes are necessary for proper oral hygeine and must be replaced every 3 months. No matter what, they are a product that we will end up disposing of on a regular basis.
Plastic toothbrushes are something almost all of us have, but we no longer need to choose plastic.
In 2021 there are hundreds of sustainable toothbrush companies ranging from toothbrushes with bamboo handles to plant based, to even fully combustable tooth brushes made with boar hair bristles.
Where do you find a sustainable toothbrush anyways?
Here are some quick links to stores that sell sustainable toothbrushes
Oahu
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One important feature to pay attention to when selecting your toothbrush is the type of bristles.
Most bamboo toothbrushes still have nylon/plastic bristles that are made from crude oil and do not biodegrade. If the package says charcoal bristles, that means are actually made from nylon and coated in charcoal. Now that 100% natural, biodegradable options available, it makes no sense to buy a toothbrush with nylon bristles.
our top 3 sustainable toothbrush brands:
1.Bite
We were super excited to find this brand and even more excited to share it with you. Bite is one of the first companies to release a completely plant based toothbrush with a bamboo handle and bristles that are made out of castor bean oil instead of nylon. According to their website, their product does biodegrade in a home compost but is not legally considered biodegradable because it takes their toothbrush a year to biodegrade instead of the 3 month required for the certification. Regardless, we love that this company is pushing the limits on biodegradable, zero waste products. You can learn more about their toothbrushes here.
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2. Life Without Plastic
Our second choice for sustainable toothbrushes are the all natural toothbrushes from Life Without Plastic. These toothbrushes have a handle made of bamboo like most sustainable toothbrushes, but the bristles are actually made of boar hair. Don't worry its throughly sanitized. While the boar hair makes the toothbrush non-vegan, it also means this toothbrush is 100% free of PVC, lead, phthalates, and BPAs and completely made of natural ingredients.
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3. Brush With Bamboo
This bamboo toothbrush is also made with a bamboo handle and all natural bristles. These bristles are made from castor bean oil mixed with bioplastic. We love that these are all natural toothbrushes that are not made with fossil fuels. These toothbrushes are not certified biodegradable so you must recycle the bristles seperately from the handle.
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If you're feeling inspired to make some sustainable swaps, here are some other innovative products that are now available:
Zero Waste Floss
Zero Waste Toothpaste
Zero Waste Toothbrush holder
Zero Waste Toothbrush Case
Now that we have become so much more aware of this plastic problem, there have been many amazing companies popping up making it so that plastic isn't the only option anymore. Let's push the limits on zero waste together!
Have anything to add? Comment below!
*We are not sponsored by any of these companies
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