In my Blog about Easy Zero Waste Bathroom Swaps I touched on some swaps for Zero Waste Oral Care but I thought the subject deserved a post all of it’s own. So this post is all about Zero waste Oral Care.
Reasons Why You Should Make the Switch to Zero Waste Oral Care
Did you know that we throw away around 250 million toothpaste tubes in the UK every year. If you laid them end to end that would almost reach around the whole World (40,075 KMs).
And, although squeezable toothpaste tubes are made from plastic, they are difficult to recycle and it’s unusual for councils to collect them as part of your recycling collection scheme so they usually end up in Landfill.
It’s estimated that 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used worldwide every year, with the average person using 300 in their lifetime. Unfortunately, roughly a staggering 80 per cent of these end up in the sea.
And, if that’s not enough waste just think of all that nylon Dental Floss that will also end up in landfill.
What are the Zero Waste Alternatives
1. Bamboo Toothbrush
If you use a normal toothbrush then switching to a bamboo one should be pretty easy. However, if you use an electric toothbrush then you may find it a bit harder to do. It’s all about balance and how far you want to go, the choice is yours, but the alternatives are there if you want them.
A Bamboo toothbrush is the friendliest Zero Waste option as you can compost the handle of a Bamboo toothbrush or repurpose it as a plant marker or something else creative.
You’ll need to check which bristles it has and if they aren’t natural pull them out and dispose of them properly before composting the handle.
You can buy Bamboo Toothbrushes in Adult and Children’s sizes. I love the bright colours of these Children’s toothbrushes.
If you really don’t want to switch your toothbrush or you’re using an electric one and need to dispose of the head, check out Colgate’s new scheme. They have recently announced a new programme in partnership with TerraCycle to collect and recycle Oral Care Products (check their website for local collection points) TerraCycle FAQs
2. Toothpaste
There are lots of alternatives available now. You can buy toothpaste in a jar and there’s plenty to choose from. I quite like the Georganics range but it doesn’t contain Flouride.
However, my favourite alternative to toothpaste in a tube is Denttabs, these are made in Germany and contain Flouride and are super easy to use. They also come in compostable packaging.
3. Flossing
You can switch from nylon dental floss to floss made from silk or charcoal fibres.
However, another alternative would be to invest in a Water Flosser. There is some evidence to suggest that these may be better for your teeth and gums than flossing. And, once you’ve bought one it should last for a very long time if you choose the right one.
Are you ready to make the switch?
So if you want to switch to Zero Waste Oral Care you can make these easy swaps and help stop single use plastics ending up in landfill or our oceans.
Happy brushing.
