How "Green" is Your Oral Care?
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Do you ever think about what kind of waste your oral care is creating or how it could be affecting our planet? Do know how you should dispose of your empty toothpaste tubes and old toothbrushes?
Let me put things in perspective.
The world discards over 20 billion toothbrushes and at least 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes every year! In the U.S. alone, we collect about 50 million pounds of toothbrushes and tens of millions of pounds of toothpaste tubes. There are a few programs that have begun to accept dental products and packaging for recycling, but we know that relatively few consumers know about or use these programs. There are still millions of pounds of plastic from oral care products going into landfills or finding their way to the oceans. They can then take hundreds of years to break down and contaminate soil and water with microplastics.
(To learn more about the dangers of plastic pollution, read my blog post here. Or, check out my new e-book “Trashless” on Amazon.)
Is it time to rethink your daily dental routine?
In the next few blog posts, I’ll be sharing information about natural and eco-friendly brands that are creating better dental products with better packaging. Let me help you explore these companies that are trying to tackle the dental waste problem with innovative products and programs.
Materials and Packaging
The two main factors in waste generated from oral hygiene products are the materials used to make them and the way they are packaged and shipped. Several companies are now developing ways to help people reduce, reuse, and recycle.
For example, zero-waste toothpaste alternatives include tablets or powders sold in metal or glass containers. These containers are are both refillable and recyclable. Plant-based bioplastics and paper are now replacing plastic packaging because they can be sustainably sourced and fully composted.
Another popular example of a low-waste product is the bamboo toothbrush. However, even these toothbrushes still use nylon, polyester, or polypropylene bristles. These types of bristles are made from fossil fuels and are not recyclable or biodegradable. You must remove these plastic bristles and discard them before you compost the handle.
Natural-type bristles can replace the common plastic bristles. These options include boar’s hair, bamboo fiber, and bioplastics made from castor bean oil, corn, or tapioca. Some of these materials, with the addition of natural silk, are also important substitutes for plastic floss. All biodegradable bristles that are currently available, however, do not hold up to the rigors of daily brushing. They fray easily, so you can end up replacing these types of brushes more often and create added waste.
Recycling Oral Care Products
The answer to waste might not be as much about eliminating plastic as it is about recycling plastic. A research study published in the British Dental Journal in September 2020 suggests that recycled plastic toothbrushes may be more sustainable than the trending bamboo toothbrushes[1]. That is why we will also look at a handful of companies that operate take-back programs that can recycle your plastic toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads, etc. The more people know about these programs the more we can keep plastic out of landfills and prevent ocean pollution.
Here are four programs that can help you recycle plastic toothbrushes and other oral care leftovers.
- The Tom’s of Maine National Recycling Program through Terracycle lets you recycle any Tom’s of Maine brand products. This includes “mouthwash bottles and caps, toothbrushes, deodorant containers and caps, soap packaging, floss containers, and toothpaste tubes and caps.”
- The Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program through Terracycle lets you recycle “all brands of used or empty toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, toothpaste cartons, toothbrush outer packaging, and floss containers.”
- Oral-B’s “Brush. Rinse. Repeat.” Program lets you recycle “oral care products including toothbrushes, brush heads, toothpaste tubes, mouthwash containers, floss containers, floss string, and floss picks” from any brand, as well.
- Preserve’s Gimme 5 Recycling Program accepts a variety of #5 polypropylene plastic through their mail-in program. The plastic is melted down, pelletized, and manufactured into new products, including new toothbrushes. They also have a toothbrush takeback program for Preserve’s own toothbrushes. For every six brushes that you send in, they will give you a $6 coupon to their store.
(The Gimme 5 Program is currently paused because of logistical challenges due to Covid-19, but the toothbrush takeback program is still running.)
More Recycling Tips
Unfortunately, these programs do not accept electrics toothbrushes or batteries, though some accept the brush head replacements. If you already own an electric toothbrush, use it for as long as you can and try to recycle the brush heads. You will have to recycle the batteries elsewhere.
For more tips on how to recycle your old toothbrushes, visit Recycle Nation and Earth911. They are my go-to websites for great information on recycling.
Did you learn something new? Please leave a comment about what surprised you most!
Are you ready for part 2? I’ll be examining which toothpaste ingredients are good for your oral health and which carry risks. Click below to continue reading.
[1] Read the study on the sustainability of plastic versus bamboo toothbrushes. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200916113456.htm
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