Why You Should Be Using a Bamboo Toothbrush
The total number of plastic toothbrushes being produced, used, and thrown away each year has been continually growing since the first one was made in the 1930s.
For centuries, toothbrushes were always made from natural materials. Unfortunately, now plastic has so fully infiltrated toothbrush design that it’s nearly impossible to clean our teeth without touching a polymer. And because plastic is essentially indestructible, that means nearly every single toothbrush made since the 1930s is still out there in the world somewhere, living on as a piece of trash. It's a massive shame that it has been less than 100 years since the first plastic toothbrush was produced yet they are already littered across beaches and polluting the oceans.
Plastic bags and straws get a lot of the limelight (and rightly so!) but for an item used by everybody, every day, it’s important not to forget about the impacts of using a plastic toothbrush.
Plastic toothbrushes can take over 1000 years to break down meaning they are left to pollute the ocean or stuck in landfill long after being thrown away. Imagine knowing that the toothbrush you used today will still be around 1000 years later.
In the US alone, it is estimated that around one billion toothbrushes end up in landfill every year which equates to a minimum of 15,000 tonnes of plastic! That is a staggering amount of plastic waste produced just from toothbrushes.
On the other hand, a bamboo toothbrush can fully decompose in as little as 3 months.
If all that isn’t enough for you, here are 3 benefits of switching to a bamboo toothbrush:
- The most obvious benefit of using a bamboo toothbrush is that they are biodegradable. As mentioned above, bamboo toothbrushes are compostable thus leave no waste after being thrown away. This means you can dispose of your toothbrush knowing that it will have decomposed in a few months and is not harming the environment.
- Another benefit of using a bamboo toothbrush is that they are naturally antibacterial and antifungal making them extremely hygienic and the best alternative to plastic toothbrushes.
- Bamboo is also highly sustainable and can grow up to a meter a day without fertiliser! It is the fastest growing plant in the world. This makes it extremely sustainable, eco-friendly and the perfect solution to plastic toothbrushes.
If you've tried a bamboo toothbrush or recently made the switch, we'd love to hear about your experience! Leave a comment below or email us your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!