Sustainable smiles

Conscious

Brushing teeth is a daily ritual, one that is necessary to maintain a healthy and attractive smile. A by-product of oral care are the numerous negative environmental impacts caused by traditional and common toothbrushes. Some numbers to help illustrate this: 1 billion toothbrushes in the US alone are thrown away yearly, about 50 million pounds of waste and the effects continue to mount as the non-biodegradable waste enters numerous environments.

(photo: thehumble.co)

With problems are opportunities for creative solutions, which two companies The Humble Co and The Giving Brush have developed. They both saw this problem and responded with sustainable toothbrush options for consumers to minimize the waste associated with cleaning teeth, such as bamboo replacing plastic in the toothbrush industry and effective natural solutions to toothpaste.

(photo: givingbrush.com)

The Humble Co offers a toothbrush using a bamboo handle made from sustainably grown bamboo, which also has antimicrobial properties. Also the specific type of bamboo used for the brushes, Moso is not used by Panda’s as a food source. The bristles are made out of Nylon-6 from Dupont, which is free of the toxin BPA. Beyond that Humble Co also donates toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a portion of profits to the Humble Smile Foundation yearly, who conduct oral outreach programs in areas such as Nepal and Zambia that are in need of it.

(photo: thehumble.co)

The Giving Brush also use Panda friendly and antimicrobial bamboo, along with special nylon bristles. The Giving Brush kindly offers a free toothbrush with vibrant rainbow bristles for consumers to be swayed into the sustainable option.

(photo: givingbrush.com)

To compliment a sustainable bamboo toothbrush, you should also use environmentally and body friendly toothpaste. With many options on the market from flouride free, to activated charcoal, and natural fennel there is abundant choice for individual tastes.

(photo: www.kingfishertoothpaste.co.uk)

One company with abundant offerings, Kingfisher’s toothpastes does a great job of giving consumers guilt free choices. They do so by never partaking in animal testing, vegan, and of course with dentist approved effectiveness.