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How many plastic toothbrushes do you use?
Sep
How many plastic toothbrushes do you use per year? And your family members? And how many including loved ones?
Reports of global warming and plastic pollution have become usual already. It is therefore worth considering how each of us can contribute to reducing environmental impact.
Did You know…
About 3000 years B.C. The Babylonians chewed twigs to brush their teeth.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, toothbrushes were considered a luxury item.
It was only before World War II that synthetic heads and handles became popular due to a shortage of craftsman’s, replacing toothbrushes made of horsehair and bone.
Replacing a plastic toothbrush with a bamboo brush is one of the easiest steps towards a sustainable routine.
Bamboo toothbrush handles are made of Moss bamboo – one of the fastest renewable types of bamboo.
The main advantage of bamboo is its ability to grow extremely fast. Bamboo can grow about a meter a day. It is the fastest growing plant in the world. Most importantly, it does not require pesticides, fertilizers or large amounts of water, fuel-intensive and noisy tractors. In addition, bamboo absorbs more CO2 during growth than is emitted during production. For comparison, 6 kilograms of plastic emits 6 kilograms of CO2.
Plastic toothbrushes are one of the most common bathroom wastes that are not sorted because they are made of different materials.
They are used relatively briefly and disposed of in landfills. The first plastic brushes, made in the early twentieth century, are still on the Earth’s surface or in the ocean. In Lithuania alone, about 11 million plastic brushes are thrown away every year, and in the world – over 29 billion. It takes several hundred years for plastic to break down, but it doesn’t break down completely – it becomes microplastic particles that enter our bodies when we eat seafood.
Meanwhile, the bamboo brush handle can be composted after use, just remove the bristles.
Nylon without harmful BPA is used to make the bristles of the brush. The bristles can come in a variety of colors, from white to pink, and the black color means the bristles have been soaked in activated carbon and have an additional antibacterial effect on your oral hygiene.
When brushing your teeth with a natural brush, you won’t feel any difference – the bamboo toothbrush can be made of soft or medium-hard bristles, handles of different shapes and different sized heads. Therefore, it is suitable for use by all family members.
And of course, recycled paper packaging without plastic.
There is no longer an excuse to use a plastic toothbrush – try the Green Whale bamboo toothbrush with activated charcoal-enriched soft bristles.
Delight children with a bamboo toothbrush for children. After all, the little ones also want to contribute to the protection of the environment.
And travelers will find a bamboo toothbrush case or a travel bamboo toothbrush and case that takes up little space in a suitcase in one.
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/story-of-plastic-toothbrushes