It’s important to be aware of the fact that even something as simple as taking care of our dental hygiene, which is typically one of the first things we do when we start our day, can have a big impact on the environment. With this in mind, I believe that every alternative that aims to reduce packaging waste and the use of disposable plastic is a step in the right direction.
Since our goal is to minimise waste, if you already have stocks of some of the traditional products that I suggest to stop using, I would recommend finishing them before buying more stuff.
Toothbrush:
Dentists suggest using a toothbrush at least twice a day and changing it at least every three or four months. At this pace, if everyone in the world followed these recommendations, 23 billion toothbrushes would be thrown away every year.
Most toothbrushes are made of plastic and cannot be recycled because the composite plastics they’re made of are difficult, if not impossible, to break apart efficiently. These toothbrushes are polluting our planet.
Fortunately, many companies and many individuals believe that something that must be changed every few months should be made of compostable or recyclable materials. Although it’s very hard to find some solutions that are completely plastic-free, there are many alternatives that are better than the traditional version. The most common ones are bamboo toothbrushes, which have compostable handles, enabling a reduction of plastic waste. Most of them, however, have nylon bristles, so at least that part has to be thrown away anyway. Among the many brands that produce them, I tried Bambaw and Ocean87.
Another alternative is the toothbrush with replaceable heads, which limits the waste to the heads, allowing us to reuse the handle. These toothbrushes are available at Georganics.
Toothpaste:
To substitute traditional toothpaste and its packaging, there are several plastic-free alternatives, which typically use natural ingredients.
There is natural toothpaste with glass packaging and effervescent toothpaste (which consists of tabs that dissolve into your mouth). These are available at Georganics and LUSH.
Dental floss:
Most dental floss, which dentists recommend using every day, is made of nylon and comes with a plastic packaging. As an alternative, there’s dental floss that is made of bio-based plastics (aka plastic that is as strong as the traditional one but that comes from renewable sources) or dental floss that is made of silk, both of which generally come in reusable glass or steel containers.
Some good silk dental floss is sold by Georganics and Bambaw. Bambaw also sells dental floss made of corn.
Mouthwash:
To avoid mouthwash that comes with plastic packaging, you can opt for mouthwash tablets, which are sold by LUSH and Georganics.
Here's where you can find all these goodies:
Toothbrushes:
- Bambaw (bamboo toothbrush with nylon bristles): https://www.bambaw.com/products/bamboo-toothbrushes
- Ocean87 (bamboo toothbrush with natural bristles and toothbrush with replaceable heads)
- Georganics (wooden toothbrush with nylon bristles and replaceable heads): https://georganics.com/collections/beechwood-toothbrush/products/beech-toothbrush-soft-bristles
Toothpaste:
- Georganics (natural toothpaste, toothpaste powder, and effervescent toothpaste, all with plastic-free, biodegradable and recyclable packaging): https://georganics.com
- LUSH (toothpaste tabs): https://uk.lush.com/face/dental/toothpaste-tablets/boom
Dental floss:
- Bambaw (dental floss made of corn and silk dental floss): https://www.bambaw.com/collections/all
- Georganics (silk dental floss): https://georganics.com/collections/floss/products/natural-floss-spearmint
Mouthwash:
- Georganics: https://georganics.com/collections/mouthwash-tablets
Sources:
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