Why you should choose a bamboo toothbrush?
Brushing our teeth is something we’ve done every day for our whole lives, but have you ever stopped to consider how it’s impacting the environment? Let me clue you in – every year, 3.5 billion plastic toothbrushes are dumped around the world, usually in landfill.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be brushing our teeth – we just need to choose a sustainable option for the planet, like a bamboo toothbrush. It’s one of the easiest swaps you could make to your bathroom routine, and here’s why it comes with heaps of benefits…
What is a bamboo toothbrush?
Our Non Plastic Beach Toothbrush is made from biodegradable bamboo with medium nylon bristles. They’re also BPA-free so you don’t have to worry about any chemicals leaking into your body, or the possible health consequences that come with it.
It’s also vegan and comes packaged in fully compostable or recyclable cardboard so you can be certain that the whole process is eco-friendly.
And don’t worry – according to Colgate, bamboo toothbrushes do the job just as well as a traditional plastic toothbrush.
What makes a bamboo toothbrush sustainable?
Bamboo is tremendously beneficial for the environment compared to other crops. It’s the fastest-growing grass on the planet and it produces 35% more oxygen than similar trees. It’s also regenerative as it will regrow each year from the same root, even in extreme weather conditions as it’s a super sturdy grass.
As bamboo is grown densely in clumps, it can be grown in smaller spaces which decreases the amount of land needed to create bamboo products. For most trees you can crop around 20 tonnes per hectare and only two tonnes per hectare for cotton, but for bamboo you can crop around 60 tonnes per hectare, which is a huge difference!
The handle of our Non Plastic Beach Toothbrush is made from biodegradable bamboo so it can be disposed of in an eco-friendly way. Dentists recommend that you change your toothbrush every three months so once you’ve finished with it, you can either toss it in your garden which would take around five to ten years to properly decompose.
Or better yet, you could pop it on your compost heap instead which would take about four to six months to decompose. And if you chopped it up into smaller pieces it would breakdown even quicker. If you have access to a local industrial composter then make the most of it because it would only take a few weeks for your toothbrush to decompose.
But you don’t have to dispose of it straight away. You could reuse the handle as a plant marker or save it for a DIY project.
As for the bristles, you’ll need to pluck them out individually with tweezers (it doesn’t take that long I promise) and take them to your local recycling centre, but make sure you check your local guidelines first.
Compared to plastic which takes hundreds of years to decompose, it’s pretty clear that choosing a bamboo toothbrush is a more sustainable option for the planet.
Why choose this over other non-sustainable alternatives?
There is currently 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic floating in our ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. It’s inconceivable. You’re probably thinking of the devastating images of marine life choking on plastic straws right now, but what’s scarier is that most of the plastic is so small you wouldn’t even know it was there.
Traditional plastic toothbrushes are strong and sturdy, made with polypropylene and nylon which are produced using non-renewable fossil fuels. But as time has gone on, we’re created sustainable alternatives that don’t needlessly last for hundreds of years or pollute our oceans. Swapping to a bamboo toothbrush is a small change that could make heaps of difference to the planet.
Although bamboo toothbrushes still use nylon bristles, for effective teeth cleaning they’re the best ethical and sustainable option on the shelves right now. You’d still be choosing an option with 95% less plastic than normal so you can be confident that your actions are making a positive difference to the planet.
In terms of price comparison, the Non Plastic Beach Bamboo Toothbrush is only slightly more expensive at £3.50 when compared to a Colgate bamboo toothbrush from Tesco at £3. Although a regular plastic toothbrush can cost as little as 99p, sadly our planet will pay the price.
With our Regular Reliable Deliveries, you can have your bamboo toothbrush delivered straight to your door every three months. No need to worry about keeping track, we do all of the hard work for you.
Why choose this over other sustainable alternatives?
There are few other sustainable options on the market at the moment. You may see charcoal toothbrushes on the shelves which are usually made from bamboo but with activated charcoal in the bristles – however some dentists warn against this as it can erode the enamel on your teeth.
Although biodegradable plastic toothbrushes may sound flashy, they may not be any more eco-friendly than traditional plastic toothbrushes as they won’t ever fully breakdown.
Cornstarch toothbrushes are also an option however, most of them are made partly of cornstarch and partly of polypropylene plastic. Although polypropylene is recyclable, choosing a bamboo toothbrush with 95% less plastic is more eco-friendly.
Plus, bamboo is naturally antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria on your toothbrush. And because it has antiseptic properties, farmers don’t need to use pesticides or chemicals on it – another win for the environment.
Brush with bamboo today
Choosing our Non Plastic Beach Bamboo Toothbrush is the best choice for eco-friendly dental care. You can brush confidently knowing that the 300 or so toothbrushes you’ll use in the future won’t end up in landfill or polluting our oceans.
