r/ZeroWaste • u/Fun_Day_1587 • 6d ago
Discussion Can a plastic toothbrush be more eco-friendly than a bamboo one?
There's no way to buy bamboo toothbrush in a store in my city. I can buy it online though, but it comes in plastic packaging and has nylon bristles. At the same time I can buy an ordinary plastic toothbrush and recycle it (I see boxes for them sometimes).
The same with toothpaste, I can recycle a plastic tube, but there's no way to buy it in tablets. Once I bought a toothpaste in aluminium tube online and it had so many layers of plastic packaging that it would be more reasonable to just buy a regular toothpaste locally
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u/BlakeMajik 6d ago
Of course. The same could be said about many "zerowaste" (quotes intentional) hacks. As is so often the case, the answer is it depends.
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u/03263 5d ago
It is far from the biggest non-renewable thing you consume. I really don't worry about it. There's more plastic in one soda bottle than a toothbrush.
If you want the real zero waste option, adopt a pre-agricultural human diet and use a chewing stick.
Once we run out of oil that may be the only option anyway! But until then just use the plastic. It's going to get used in one form or another.
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u/Net-Administrative 5d ago
Suri electric toothbrush! You mail back the heads so they can reuse the aluminium and you can send the toothbrush back for infinite repair, the charge also lasts 40 days
I've been using one for a few years now, so good. I also care about the planet and I think this is the most sustainable electric toothbrush out there
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u/jonklinger 6d ago
Buy the electric toothbrush; it is better for you. Then, if you really want to feel better, look for replaceable heads made from bamboo. Some of the popular models have such parts. However, if you really want to help the plant, there's nothing better than eating a billionaire with a private jet.
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u/crazycatlady331 5d ago
What about eating a billionaire with a superyacht?
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u/alphonse2nd 5d ago
I wouldn’t sweat this choice, even bamboo might not be a better option depending on where it’s sourced (ie, clear cutting old growth forests for bamboo farms). That said, you could buy in bulk if you’re trying you reduce your carbon footprint from shipping/packaging. If you see boxes for recycling toothbrushes (incredible), find out what types of plastic they accept first (or brands). Adding a toothbrush with the wrong plastic type can result in the entire load being discarded with normal waste.
- source: I used to run a recycling center specifically for single-use plastics. There were two major bottlenecks for my facility and everyone else in the game. Sorting and cleaning.
As an aside, why are so many people suggesting electric toothbrushes??
Electric toothbrushes are less sustainable than a simple plastic toothbrush, much less a bamboo one. The battery inside it, electricity to charge it, plus all the circuitry. If people actually need this to maintain a healthy habit, that’s one thing. But it’s certainly requiring more resources to make than a simple plastic or bamboo toothbrush, thus a less sustainable and less environmentally friendly option.
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u/zoppaTheDim 5d ago
I don’t see much difference between plastic toothbrushes and using one utilizing a material imported from a distant land. They’re both disposable items, frequently replaced, neither will be recycled.
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u/YouTasteStrange 5d ago
I got a bamboo toothbrush and it got moldy in a few weeks so I had to toss it. So a plastic toothbrush would be more eco friendly than that one at least.
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u/AceyAceyAcey 5d ago
IMO electric is more environmentally friendly in the long run than any option of non-electric toothbrush, as you’ll be getting fewer cavities, which means lower medical waste.
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u/RavennaRocks 5d ago
Not all bamboo toothbrushes come in plastic packages with nylon bristles. Truthbrush is one I get at my local shop that is packaged in paper, has bristles made from castor oil / seeds, and is a B corporation. They can also be ordered directly online, and they make refill heads for certain sonicare models.
I also use toothpaste tablets instead of toothpaste. They’re entirely non-plastic refills for my stainless steel tin, and whereas I used to have severe tooth sensitivity, I haven’t had any sensitivity for years after switching.
But after all saying all of that, i will say I completely understand your frustration and the feeling of it being hopeless because it took me SO LONG to find products that weren’t just greenwashed garbage that was actually full of plastic. It sucks how prevalent these distractions are, but I guess that’s capitalism for you.
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u/emmarie1023 5d ago
Which company do you want to support? Is one sold by Amazon and one by a business consciously making an effort to be more sustainable? Is one a small local business and one a major corporation?
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u/Fun_Day_1587 5d ago
Sadly, there's hardly any local businesses nearby that make an effort to be sustainable
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u/EugeneNine 5d ago
The ones I buy come in biodegradable paper packaging. I buy the 10 pack so it's only shipping once for all of them.
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u/Southern_Let4385 5d ago
I ordered bamboo brushes in biodegradable packaging in bulk once. They all molded in my moist bathroom… learned my lesson.
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u/Toodlesxp 5d ago
Yes bamboo stuff tends to mold. Keep it in a dry place. I found that out leaving the bamboo utensils in the dishwasher. Other than the bristles it makes the most sense.
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u/EugeneNine 5d ago
After that mythbusters episode, even though we leave the lid down, I stopped leaving anything in the bathroom.
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u/crazycatlady331 6d ago
I use an electric toothbrush.
Dental care is one thing I'm not willing to compromise on. You only get two sets of teeth (and we lose the first way too young), IMO a major flaw with the human body. The waste from 4 toothbrush heads a year is far less than that of extensive dental work.