Is it really that bad? This is just a toothbrush. Some people say. But the ocean’s plastic pollution problem is real and the toothbrush pollution is the big part of it. There’s an enormous amount of plastic in the ocean and it kills marine life.
According to National Geographic billion toothbrushes will be thrown away in the U.S. this year and 99 % of them are from plastic. Isn’t that crazy that a small item that we every single day can affect our environment that much?
A bit of history – toothbrush
The first artefacts in history known as toothbrushes come from Babylonia and China, and people started to use them about 3500 years ago. The main resources for toothbrush were the animal parts, such as handles made out of cattle bone and bristles from horsehair. For a long time in our history, we use natural resources to produce toothbrushes. Then nylon was invented and the first nylon bristle toothbrush made with nylon yarn went on sale in 1938. From that time world shift from biodegradable material to the synthetic polymer.
Since we introduce the plastic in the 1950s – 8,3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics have been produced worldwide and 8 million tons end up in our oceans per year. Really as that much! Also, considering that dentists recommend replacing toothbrush once every two months, so most of the people go through a couple of toothbrushes per year. Once running out of a product, consumers just thrown it away and replace it with countless new ones, in a neverending consumerist circle of plastic and at the same time toothbrush pollution hell.
Toothbrush pollution kills oceans and aquatic life
Used toothbrushes mostly end up in oceans and washed up on beaches. Moreover, plastic toothbrushes are consumed by marine life. Toothbrush pollution harms them badly and it´s often that simply causes deaths. Many toothbrushes are unrecyclable because the composite plastics most are now made of are difficult, if not impossible. When this happens, plastic will begin to attempt decomposition and it’s shrinking as it releases toxic chemicals into the environment. These shrunken pieces of decomposed plastic are called microplastics. Lately, we cand find this microplastic in fishes, that we used to eat. It´s really dangerous and for this reason, eco-friendly toothbrush alternatives have been on the rise!
What you can do to stop the toothbrush pollution
If you consider that plastic toothbrushes can be very harmful to the environment, you should search for the solution. And there is an alternative that can help reduce the damage being done. Toothbrushes made of bamboo are a renewable alternative that has the added benefit of being 100% biodegradable! Isn’t that amazing?
Benefits of bamboo toothbrushes
Bamboo toothbrush is made from 100% bamboo Moso. Moso bamboo is one of the fastest-growing bamboo plants in the world, because of how fast it grows it is a sustainable resource. It isn’t harmful to the panda population either! Pandas do not eat Moso bamboo. That’s why bamboo toothbrushes are perfect as a vegan gift for your loved once.
Bamboo toothbrushes are also antimicrobial, this means that your toothbrush won’t be at risk for growing all kinds of nasty bacteria. Why is that? Because of the power of Binchotan Charcoal. It helps whiten teeth as it absorbs surface deposits of the teeth and prevents the appearance of tartar. No corner of your mouth is spared! Its tapered bristles clean thoroughly interdental spaces thus leaving you with a sparkling smile.
If you think that plastic toothbrushes are a thing of the past and want to move into a greener future, buy a bamboo toothbrush right away. Don’t know where to start looking for it? You don’t even have to do it, we did it already for you. Nordics Toothbrush charcoal is an integral part of our Naturaty Boxes, perfect as sustainable and vegan gift your veggie buddy or someone who cares about our Planet.
So be part of the solution and choose a brush with a reusable handle.
