If you’re like most people, you’re probably using a plastic toothbrush, right? And, a lot of you have never even thought about what happens to a plastic toothbrush when you ditch it in the trash and replace it with a brand new, again, a plastic one.
With plastic waste becoming a growing environmental issue, we need to become more aware of our own contribution to the plastic pollution of the planet.
Although you may have thought a plastic toothbrush which you replace every 6 months or a year isn’t a major problem, it’s actually doing significant contribution to the worldwide pollution.
Plastic Toothbrushes Are Major Plastic Pollution Contributors
Similarly to plastic straws, toothbrushes are polluters of our environment.
In the US, believe it or not, more than a billion of plastic toothbrushes are thrown away into the landfills, on a yearly basis.
This equals 50 million pounds of waste which is sufficient to circle our planet Earth 4 times!
In the past, basic toothbrushes were made from natural materials; however, in the early 20th century, when plastic innovation was flourishing, manufacturers began using plastics into the toothbrush design.
It’s definitely a shocking knowledge that since plastic is indestructible; every single toothbrush made from the 30s onwards is still out there somewhere, lying in a landfill or worse, in a marine creature’s mouth.
Every person on this planet will use approximately 300 toothbrushes in our lifetime or 12 pounds of plastic waste. So, we need to do better and choose eco-friendlier variants.
One way to do this is to replace your plastic toothbrush with an eco-friendly one, like the bamboo options.
Bamboo Toothbrushes Are Good for You & for the Environment
Since bamboo is biodegradable and one of the fastest growing plants in the world, it’s an excellent sustainable and environmentally-conscious choice for a toothbrush material.
Moreover, as it’s antimicrobial too, it will prevent bad bacteria on your toothbrush.
If you have old plastic toothbrushes, don’t dispose of it just yet- make sure you repurpose it first.
You can use it to clean your tiles, polish jewelry, and remove hard-core stains from apparel. Or, if you don’t want to use it for these things, just recycle it at your nearest recycling station.
When choosing a toothbrush which is eco-friendly, make sure you opt for one with a reusable handle or maybe talk with your favorite company about developing options that are plastic-free.
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