GO ZERO WASTE
Change your Dental Habits and Go more Eco-Friendly
TRY A BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH
Most grocery stores, pharmacy stores, and even Target and Walmart do not sell this. Amazon sells in bulk, so that’s a good way to keep your family stocked. Or it you want alternative mom and pop shops, try Me Mother Earth or google some zero waste stores like Plastic Freedom, and Prostainable. Please see a guide at the end of this article.
You might have to do some hunting but here is why bamboo toothbrushes are so useful.
Bamboo Toothbrushes help the environment by being an alternative to plastic. They have a smaller footprint than their plastic counterparts and are biodegradable whereas plastic toothbrushes take 500 years to decompose. One billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year and since the year 2000, 22 billion toothbrushes have been thrown in landfills.
Yes they are better than the plastic alternative. With regard to greenwashing, unfortunately the bamboo handle needs to be composted and you need to break off the head and throw that away because the bristles are not biodegradable. This might be time-consuming, but totally worth it… or you need to remove the bristles with a tweezer and throw the toothbrush in the compost and the bristles (made of plastic) in the landfill.
Yes, there are wooden electric toothbrushes but they not much better than the plastic ones. It’s better to buy an electric toothbrush that you are less likely to throw away multiple times per year, yes. And you’ll need to replace the heads every 12 weeks.
With regard to greenwashing yet agin— bamboo electric brushes say they are good for the environment but actually aren’t. They are still the same as a plastic electric toothbrush but perhaps the outside is biodegradable. No plastic toothbrush is good for the environment.
If you want to be an environmental warrior you need a compost or keep the bamboo toothbrush for cleaning purposes, or stick in in the ground to grow bamboo. The choice is yours.
TRY TOOTHPASTE TABS
Toothpaste doesn't have to be approved by the FDA. You can make your own oral care quite literally. So the awesome things about toothpaste tabs are this, anyone can make them, but there are a few reputable sources. Toothpaste tabs are a good alternative to toothpaste because they reduce toothpaste tubes. 400 million tubes are put into the landfill each year in the US. So, 88 million have been put into the landfill since the year 2000. 1.5 million tubes of toothpaste are thrown away each year on Earth. 33 million since the year 2000 have been thrown in landfills. Numbers tell it all. The good thing is toothpaste tabs can be stored in glass jars or any container. And you children will learn how to adapt if you teach them to handle them well. These tabs also come in super small jars and I am sure you can get shatterproof glass for the little ones. Some toothpaste tabs may not have fluoride, so check with your child’s or your dentist.
It’s easy to make a switch and stop pumping toothpaste out of tubes. Everyday is a new day so let’s change for the Earth.
Bite Toothpaste Bits - Zero Waste Toothpaste Tablets and More
Shop - Toothpaste 2.0 – ruut Goods
Oral Care Products | Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Down the tubes: should you brush your teeth with toothpaste tablets? | Beauty | The Guardian
TRY FLOSS THAT IS BIODEGRADABLE
There are several alternatives to traditional dental floss on the market today. These flosses are made from all-natural material and most have compostable packaging. We are trying to reduce single use plastic so change your habits, change your life. You can get this from a small business or Amazon.
Lots of Zero Waste Stores sell this biodegradable floss, usually made from fiber so it breaks down easily unlike regular floss which is nylon, made from petroleum.
Zero Waste Floss: 8 Eco Friendly Brands for a Sustainable Smile
These products might be more expensive but will definitely help the earth. There are so many varieties to choose from.
TRY DIY MOUTHWASH or buy a mouthwash from a sustainable company or one that is committed to the environment and recycle the bottle.
You can take 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. xylitol (optional), 8 to 10 drops of essential oils (optional), 20 drops of mineral drops (optional), and 1 cup distilled water and make mouthwash.
Wherever you are in the US, you can find a ZERO WASTE STORE. Shop small, support small businesses. If you continue to shop at big consumer goods stores, you will continue to wrap the Earth with plastic, and you can find anything on Amazon (which supports small businesses), but we can make choices to to help the world.
Where to Shop: A State-by-State Zero Waste Grocery Guide — Litterless
