Boy, it has been ages since I last wrote about sustainable toothbrushes. My dear Instagram followers know that I went really far down the rabbit hole on my quest to find the most sustainable toothbrush ever since. I thought all I had to do was to read the product information and compare the different bamboo toothbrushes on the market, but oh, was I wrong...
The Truth about "100% compostable" or "100% plastic-free" Toothbrushes
Well, just like many people's Facebook relationship status, it is complicated. There is no perfect toothbrush, but some choices are better than others. Do not get me wrong, most manufacturers I know of do strive to make their toothbrush as sustainable as possible. They are a passionate bunch, trying to make this world a better place. But it just isn't an easy task they took on.
Most of these toothbrushes have a bamboo handle. This makes a lot of sense, because bamboo is antibacterial by nature and a ridiculously fast growing plant. Some, but very few, stick to local wood. Both are great options. However, this is the easy part.
Pig Hair
What's tricky is the material of the bristles. There is always the traditional option of using pig hair. Yes, 100% natural and compostable, but not quite cruelty-free. What's more, pig hair is hollow inside, making it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. You can still find wooden toothbrushes with pig hair if you want to, especially in Germany and Austria, where the traditional craft of making brushes from natural materials is still very much alive. If you do want to go for this option, I would recommend you to sterilize your toothbrush with boiling water every couple of days.
Nylon-4
A while back, nylon-4 was all the rage. Nylon-4 is a petroleum (= fossil fuel) based plastic that is said to biodegrade within months. Long story short: Nylon-4 seems to be biodegradable (≠ compostable), as studies like this one suggest. Sadly, in reality, all is not gold that glitters. True nylon-4 is hard to come by due to a lack of manufacturers, and many suppliers sell fake nylon-4. So many sustainable toothbrush companies thought they were making truly 100% bidegradable toothbrushes, followed by a rude awakening.
100% Bamboo Viscose
Recently, I have seen several new toothbrushes popping up, claiming to have completely plastic-free bristles made from 100% bamboo viscose. These toothbrushes are said to be 100% biodegradable. This is weird, because as of now, there was no way to produce bristles out of bamboo viscose without adding plastic. The material would break while being formed into bristles. Bristles made from 100% bamboo viscose would be a huge break through—and yet there is no patent and no news surrounding this groundbreaking innovation.
Well, a simple way to check is by burning it. Synthetic materials like plastic will smell really bad, the smoke will be black and the material will melt as opposed to burning clean. (Detailed table here) So far I haven't seen or heard of any of these bristles burn clean like 100% "natural" material would. I believe it is the same issue as with the nylon-4 suppliers, and it seems like many toothbrush brands were not aware of it when I told them about it.
You can read more about this issue here and here.
So what is the best choice?
In the end, it is always up to each and everyone of us to decide. Pig hair is definitely not something I would personally want to brush my teeth with. So for me, Brush with Bamboo is the best option, because they have managed to minimize the amount of plastic in the bristles to 38%. The other 62% are Castor Bean Oil. The plastic is regular plastic derived from petroleum.
This new bristle that we are now using is the best available option. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction. (Brush with Bamboo)
The entire toothbrush is chemical-free and BPA-free.
Brush with bamboo is eager to try to find solutions to ultimately make the toothbrush completely plastic-free and compostable, while keeping it vegan. Right now, they are testing different bioplastics in their machines and are also searching for all-natural materials. Really, you just have to admire this kind of dedication!
The handle is organic and from wild grown bamboo. It is not a bamboo species that pandas eat. What I really admire is the fact that they have a full-time American-managed team on the ground in China ensuring worker safety, cleanliness, and good working conditions.
The packaging is fully compostable. The outer box is made from recycled paper–no glue or tape–and can be put into the paper recycling or be composted. The wrapper is derived from corn starch and compostable in commercial/city composters within 30 days. It would probably decompose in a backyard composter or a worm bin as well, but would take considerably longer because of the lack of heat (at least 130ºF/55ºC).
Corn production is controversial, so I asked Ro from Brush with Bamboo if a paper sleeve would be an option. The German toothbrush hydrophil uses a pretty low tech paper sleeve. Unfortunately, in the US, the wrapper needs to be sealed, or they might get sued. However, they are very aware of the problems with corn production and do not support the practice. This is the reason why they are working on a new cellulose wrapper made from FSC certified wood cellulose. It is still in the testing phase, so fingers crossed!
I had had my eyes on their toothbrushes for a while now to be honest! But until recently I was living in Germany and so I stuck to my bamboo toothbrush with BPA-free nylon (= plastic) bristles that I could buy in the vegan health food store just a ten minute walk from my home. When my husband and I relocated to Vancouver, Canada two months ago, I knew this was the toothbrush we would have to get our hands on!
However, if you are not set on having a toothbrush and open to exploring other options, you could consider miswak or neem chewing sticks as 100% natural options! I have tried miswak, but have yet to try neem sticks. Both miswak and neem are used very similarly. If you live in the US, lucky you! Brush with Bamboo sells neem sticks from a farm in Florida in a paper-only packaging! Unfortunately, they cannot ship neem sticks to Canada due to some stupid regulations for agricultural products. It is quite difficult to get both miswak or neem sticks without plastic packaging. Trust me, I have tried. If you do, however, these are the most natural and eco-friendly options! They do take some getting used to and of course practice. I myself have not mastered the technique yet, but even with my poor fine motor skills my teeth felt very clean afterwards.
Giveaway*
You can win one of six 4-pack of Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes. Winners can choose whether they would like a 4-pack of adult toothbrushes, kids' toothbrushes, or two of each.
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on either this blog article or on my Instagram post. What toothbrush do you currently use? Have you ever used a bamboo toothbrush? Are there stores that sell bamboo toothbrushes where you live or do you have to order them online?
The giveaway is open to blog readers and instagrammers from the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Please keep in mind that all orders are shipped from the Los Angeles office in Diamond Bar, California.
This giveaway ends on Sunday, May 7 at 11:59pm PST. The six winners will be chosen by random and announced on Monday, May 8. Please make sure you leave your email address when you comment on the blog post. Only I can see your email address, and I will only forward it to Brush with Bamboo if you win.
Marguerite Huber says
I have been using Brush with Bamboo for about a year now and I have zero complaints. I ordered a pack on Amazon, but I have seen them in stores in the Chicagoland area. I do end up composting basically all of it!
Rob Alberts says
Nice info
I will sort out if I can buy this in the Netherlands.
Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards,
Katie B. says
I use Brush with Bamboo as well. I order them straight from the website because I live in a place where things like that just don't exist. I also try to use them for as long as possible before I compost/recycle. I use the old ones to clean my grout and other hard to reach places in my house.
Coccinelle says
I use pig hair toothbrush but I totally didn't know that it was hollow and it could be bad on the bacteria front. I was already thinking of an alternative though because the price soared and it's now too expensive for me.
Clare B says
I currently use a bamboo toothbrush and get on really well with them. I have no plans to switch back but have trouble convincing others to give them a try. I haven't found anywhere local that sells them to have to order them online currently unfortunately.
Carly says
I've just become aware of alternative toothbrushes and the bamboo seems like the best option! It would be awesome if they could distribute them more widely so more people would have access to them! I'll definitely share this!
Brush with Bamboo Team says
Thank you for the feedback! And we do hope that wooden and Bamboo toothbrushes start catching on everywhere. 100 years ago wooden and Bamboo toothbrushes were common. There are other interesting options as well such as neem sticks and miswak sticks
Polly says
Thanks so much for this post - it's a really great look at all the options, which I honestly didn't know too much about.
Kelso says
I have always wanted to try these bamboo brushes! I am happy to say I have started seeing them pop up at big grocery chains as well, happy to see sustainable products at these bigger companies !
Sarah says
We use Bamboo toothbrushes that I get from Amazon but they started selling them locally at our Natural coop!! Next time we will get our bamboo toothbrushes locally
Tracy says
I just recently started on my zero ways journey so I'm still using a plastic toothbrush. I have never used a bamboo toothbrush although I will once the current one is no longer functional. I live in a very small town in the south and sustainability does not seem to be on anyone's mind. I've never seen a bamboo toothbrush where I live although they may exist in the nearest city. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Tracy says
Darned spellcheck! My post should have said, "zero waste journey..."
Leah says
Re miswak- reach out to local middle Eastern stores or organizations for direction on where to get Unpackaged miswak.
Judith CP says
I use a brush with bamboo bought on well.ca
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Kristen Andrews says
Thank you for this post! I'm still using plastic and just looking into bamboo options. There is a health food store in my city that sells them so I'll be switching asap!
Michelle says
Hi,
I recently learned about you and your work! Thank you so much for all of this information.
I have bought bamboo toothbrushes through Amazon--I'm on my fourth one right now (they only seem to last less than a month...) and have been looking for a better source! I'll be trying out this toothbrush. I live in a hip, eco-friendly town in New York, but even my local co op doesn't offer bamboo toothbrushes! I think the new hype that they sell is the recycled plastic yogurt container toothbrushes. I wonder how you feel about these since these are basically disposed immediately after use.
Thanks and keep up the wonderful work that you do! I seek to follow in your footsteps. 🙂
ET Pruitt says
I haven't tried a bamboo toothbrush yet, I currently use a plastic toothbrush
Acadia says
I use woobamboo
Sam Clarke says
I can't find bamboo toothbrushes anywhere and I'm from Ontario. My fiancé and I make our own toothpaste, but still have to use the plastic ones 🙁
Marie Miclat says
I've never tried a bamboo toothbrush before but I'm trying!! I'm still a student who is still leeching off of my parents so it's a bit hard when they buy plastic toothbrushes in bulk
🙁 I've tried looking online because I'm not familiar with any stores near me that sell bamboo toothbrushes.
Wendy says
I have never used one, They Are expensive at the health store, I would love to try them
Shannon says
I still use a plastic toothbrush. There's one store where I am that says online they have brush with bamboo, but I can't reach them by bus and I have no car. Since my toothbrush is nearing the end of its life I've been looking at options online, but I'm worried about buying a big pack and not liking them, but also don't want to pay for shipping for just one toothbrush.
Desiree says
I visited the Package Free Shop today in bK and they had plenty of Brush with Bamboo brushes to shop from. I want to finish up the use I have with my current toothbrush and then make the switch
Alex says
I currently have been trying out different forms of recyclable toothbrushes and bamboo brushes. I've been looking for my affordable and cruelty free bamboo brushes. I'm excited to try these out.
Kennedy watt says
Never have used a bamboo brush! Dying to try 🙂
Marley says
I'm currently trying my first "brush with bamboo" toothbrush! I love how a simple change can bring so much happiness! I'm hoping we can convince dentists to start giving them out instead of the plastic toothbrushes!
Strawlary says
Hallo Shia! 🙂
Ich hab ehrlich gesagt noch gar keine Bambus Zahnbürste ausprobiert, weil ich immer noch recht viele plastik zahnputz Köpfe übrig habe und die aufbrauchen will. Aber die Bambus Zahnbürste wäre perfekt zum reisen 🙂
Liebe Grüße,
Strawlary
Emilie-Johanne Sølbæk says
I currently use a toothbrush from Hydro Phil, but I do need a New one within the next month. I try to be fully Zero Waste, but oh my It's a Challenge.
- Do You have any ideas What kind of toothpaste to use?
Btw, It's an amazing giveaway
Richard says
I use the environmental toothbrush (the one with the panda one the box) and love it. I live in Vancouver also and usually get mine for the soap dispensary, but I didn't really think too much about the bristles. This toothbrush has nylon bristles but I'm glad that you have explained the differences in the post!
Cyd says
I've just begun to transition into circular living and am still using a plastic oral-b toothbrush. I'm looking forward to trying a bamboo toothbrush, and maybe even the neem sticks! I just learned about them through clicking the links. Someone posted a really interesting research article about their effectiveness compared to the manual brush. Definitely seems like the most sustainable option! The research is linked below! 🙂
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4114011/
online learning says
Greate post. Keep posting such kind of info on your blog. Im really impressed by your site.
Brie Pedro says
Hi! Thank you for this helpful post!
I currently use a plastic regular old toothbrush but have been researching companies for a couple of weeks. I live in Arizona and still haven't been able to find any in the stores here, even Whole Foods.
I want to switch over because I find them to be safer and better for the environment. I'm also plant-based and own a vegan h+w business. I try to make the smarter choice when I shop.
Thank you again!!
esther says
hi. i just saw this on kickstarter and then googled and found your blog to compare. maybe its another toothbrush you could check out?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goodwell/be-the-first-battery-free-powered-toothbrush?ref=checkout_rewards_page
Jame says
Quite the extensive review, thanks for putting that much time and effort into it. I actually own a couple of brush with bamboos toothbrushes and love them. Like most bamboo brushes though I can't leave it in my toohtbrush holder because then the bottom of the handle never dries so I had to get a different holder. But in the end I'm helping reduce my impact one toothbrush at a time =D
shia says
I had the same issue at the beginning! Now I wipe the handle of my toothbrush with a towel before I put my toothbrush back into the jar (= our version of a toothbrush holder LOL). This simple step really took care of that :).
Richard D Bonaduce says
Hello! I use standard plastic toothbrushes, and I suppose I always have (I'm not super picky, I usually end up buyng whatever is on sale at the time I'm looking to replace my brush, although I do like the tongue-scraper on most plastic brushes these days).
Anthony says
Currently, I use whatever brush seems is labeled soft and is cheapest at my local grocery store. Currently, I'm trying to slowly make some lifestyle changes that are more sustainable, vegetarian, and overall green. One of my quests involved finding a sustainable toothbrush when I found your blog. I really appreciate your break down. Not only did it inform me of the product, but taught me useful information that I'll use going forward.
Miran says
I was looking for a toothbrush plant based and soft nylon (if there is better alternative than nylon... please someone let me know) I use a lot of them, specially BWB but I've just bought this one, that looks a bit special 🙂 https://www.amazon.com/ALMA-ECO-FRIENDLY-Toothbrush-Biodegradable/dp/B079BZHTBL/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523012329&sr=8-2&keywords=bamboo+toothbrush
Let's see how it works!
Caitie Bee says
Hi! I'm glad I ran across your blog. I'm slowly trying to switch to a zero waste lifestyle, and right now I'm working on getting my bathroom needs, like a toothbrush! I found your blog by doing a google search to find the best zero waste bamboo toothbrush. There's so many options out there, and idk which one to choose 🙁 as of now, I just use whatever the cheapest toothbrush is available, that looks like what I like. I've never used a bamboo toothbrush, but I'm excited to get one soon! From my knowledge, there isn't any place near me that sells bamboo toothbrush ( still looking), or much zero-waste living products( I live in homosassa,FL. Visit Clearwater, FL area often). I would so much rather purchase locally for these kind of items than online, but for now, I have to order online. Thank you for your information!
Cathy Cole says
I am so pleased I found your article because we are working on making the switch from plastic toothbrushes in our family. I am just about to click "order" on a Brush with Bamboo order. Keep up the good work!
Ellen Richardson says
Wow Shia, this is such an informative post and has all the answers I was looking for. I'm starting to introduce zero-waste methods into my lifestyle and the next product to replace is my toothbrush. I watched the Brush with Bamboo video and am shocked to learn that ALL plastic toothbrushes ever made are still on the planet!
I'm in desperate need of a new toothbrush and but can't find one that doesn't contain pig hair or plastic packaging where I live, so I'd love to start using a Brush with Bamboo one - Their company sounds incredible, I'll be fully supporting them from now on!
Sal says
I am also just new to my less wasteful and more conscious decisions so I am finishing off my plastic toothbrush before browsing the plastic alternatives. I have never used a bamboo toothbrush nor have I seen one sold in a shop near me.. I would have to get mine online.
The way the tide is turning (pun not intended) on the plastic waste front recently though I might start to see them creeping into some local health shops soon.
Sal says
oh my gosh *before browsing the non-plastic alternatives* that should have said!
shia says
Haha, loved the pun XD! You can ask your local health food store to carry bamboo toothbrushes! They might not be aware that there are better alternatives to plastic toothbrushes out there! As far as I know, small stores are always happy about customer feedback. After all, a happy customer is a returning customer ;).
Theresa says
I use an electric toothbrush because my doctor said I needed it, given the anatomy of my teeth and tartar production rates. I'm looking for sustainably-produced toothbrushes for the rest of my family. I've looked in to Goodwell subscription toothbrushes, they claim to use binchotan bristles and I'm waiting for a reply about whether these are actually nylon infused with binchotan. Truly Eco Friendly on Amazon claims their bristles are made of heated activated charcoal and bamboo fiber, but I can't find a website for the company or ask a question at Amazon so am skeptical. I've just come the website for Radius, I don't know what to make of their marketing but suspect I'm being bamboozled - they claim to use "vegetable-based nylon shipped all the way from Europe to our specialist bristle manufacturer." I'm thinking of going with Gaia Guy's bamboo and boar bristle brush to be assured there is no nylon or plastic, and feel the tail-to-snout earth friendly philosophy is best here, but also supporting efforts to make animal treatment more humane. I'd like to go with LifeWithoutPlastic's brush but it's just too expensive; same is true with the Cebra brush.
Viktorija says
I know it would be sad to hear, but I use simple plastic toothbrush and actually never tried any bamboo brush and I don't know why :/
Saralookingglass says
I am using a bamboo toothbrush now. The bristles are softer than other plastic toothbrushes. Excited to try this brand! Thanks for the giveaway!
Laura says
Hello! My name is Laura. I am currently a College student in the US. I have just started my zero waste journey and thought toothbrushes would be a fun place to start. I've been working on making environmentally consiouse decisions in my every day life. Now that I've established some good everyday habits I would love to start shifting my purchasing habits as well. Being a college student and doing this can be tough. It can be a challenge managing the upfront costs. Thank you for tour a very informative article.
Much love,
Laura
William Davies says
70% of all every toothbrush we have ever used (for me thats hundreds.....hotels one-time use etc) are rotting away in land-fill and will be for 1 thousand years. What will our descendants think of us. Now we are aware of such things there is no excuse to continue. Lets put the planet first and not ourselves first any more! Thank you for this article and drawing attention to the situations.
Toothbrush says
We also offer other oral care products such as dental floss and toothpaste. Contact us for more catalogue and price details.
Kelly McCarthy says
I have been brushing with bamboo, but I still haven't adjusted to the texture. I'm hoping to find a kind that I love.
toothbrushcn says
I have appreciate with getting lot of good and reliable, legislative information with your post.Thanks for sharing such kind of nice and wonderful post..
Louise says
Hi - excellent post! After trying a few of these bamboo toothbrushes out there, I finally settled for the ones sold by Hippee Bee. I bought them on their store, I think hippeebee.com if I'm not wrong and they are great. They come with activated charcoal bristles which is what I was looking for, and also they don't use plastic when packaging it!!
I tried Brush with Bamboo before but not as nice feeling on the gums as the Hippee Bee ones - but that's just my opinion!
Great post anyway!
Heather says
I wonder if any brands of bamboo toothbrushes are better than others? I tried one but I got splinters in my mouth from the handle. The bristles were nylon. Bambo can be very splinterey, and the handle itself could be processed as bamboo flooring etc is. I tried one of those german pig bristle brushes( I am not vegan) but it was awful, the hairs were always coming out. I just recycle my plastic ones or use them for cleaning things until they have been ruined and recycle the handles.
JP says
Hi,
Have you reviewed OLAS or Tranquilo (found on Amazon) brands? Both claim a "natural" bristle, Tranquilo claims it is boar bristle, OLAS only says "natural"--I've written them to ask.
Dominique Taylor says
This was so helpful and insightful! Thanks so much for the time you put into this research!
Angela says
Currently I am using a plastic toothbrush, but I want to live a more zero-waste lifestyle and the Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes sound like the best option so far (based on the research I have done). I have a question though: once you are done using the toothbrush, where do you dispose of it? Also where do you dispose of both parts of the packaging? (In a personal compost bin, a community one, the trash, recycling, so I need to bring it somewhere else?)
Please let me know! Thank you!
Gerald Cuccio says
I have yet to try Bamboo toothbrushes...I am looking forward to buying this more eco-friendly option. Thank you for the article.
James says
Very interesting article ! thanks for sharing with us. Thanks alot.
activated charcoal powder says
Thanks for sharing this information.
Hannah Gorosh says
I have never used a bamboo toothbrush. I’ve used a plastic toothbrush my whole life so it’s habit but I am super eager to make the switch to bamboo! I’ve seen a couple bamboo toothbrush options at target but wanted to do more research before I made the purchase. Brush with Bamboo seems like an unreal option!!
anch says
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it's nice articles or reviews
Alyssa says
I tried a bamboo toothbrush from Target. I forget what brand it was. The head of the toothbrush was huge and I felt like I couldn't get to the back of my mouth well enough. I switched to a plant-based toothbrush from Trader Joe's, but after reading this I am skeptical of it. Great article :).
Lucy says
I found your site because I’d like to change my whole family away from our plastic toothbrushes and this article got my attention and kept it (not an easy task!).
My family (of four, funnily enough) would love to win the toothbrushes. I am full of guilt and second guessing with everything I buy and having this well thoughtout environmentally preferable product sent my way would help free my time on researching toothbrushes and move on to shampoo.... do you have any tips on that? Anyway if we don’t win, I’m still a new fan of your writing and your passion for being gentle on the world. Thanks Lucy In Sydney x
Patricia says
Hi. Found this post as I was searching for toothbrushes without plastic bristles for my family. I currently order bamboo handled toothbrushes on amazon - Avistar: 20 Eco-Friendly Bamboo Toothbrushes, BPA Free Nylon Bristles, 4 Colors and Individually Packaged. I have natural food stores in my area, and a Whole Foods, but their prices are quite high so ordering online is a better option for us. I would love to try the bamboo brushes you highlight - an innovative company that seems much more invested in keeping its product earth friendly.
Jen says
Hi, like others I have ordered bamboo toothbrushes online and am trying to get my whole family to use them. We can get them at any health store in Canada but I have never tried Brusg with Bamboo.
Willem says
Thank you so much for writing this deep dive into more sustainable toothbrushes! I've been wanting to switch to a bamboo brush for a long time, and I've never known where to start. I greatly appreciate your research and dedication to this, I'm so glad to have found a good brush that I can get directly from the company instead of on Amazon. Thank you!
SueEllen says
I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I LOVE my Phillips Sonicare toothbrush and REALLY WISH someone would make biodegradable replacement heads for it. I haven't been able to find them, but it should not be a terribly difficult thing to do, as the permanent part is the complicated part. The head is just basically a toothbrush that the lower part vibrates. It might need a small piece of metal, but the rest that is currently plastic could definitely be made of bamboo.
Joshua Howard says
Now this is what I call fine material. This lets you know that there are still good subject material publishers on the web. Thank you for posting this! My favorite is also a bamboo one.
Leah says
Hi! I'm interested in trying the bamboo toothbrush that you recommended. I'm just wondering -- since the bristles aren't completely natural, what do you typically do with the bristles so that the rest of the product can be composted? Do you usually remove the bristles and put them in the garbage, or can they be put in my recycling bin? Thank you!
David Urban says
It's odd to me that bamboo can be considered eco in the Western Hemisphere. Ostensibly, I understand the nature of it but practically, it's produced in Asia. Two problems with that. First, as we've seen with palm oil (and to some extent with coconut oil), the concentration of production like that tends to decimate the local indigenous environment regardless of how "eco" a given plant is.
Second, the shipping. The sulfur spewing, diesel ships, some of the worst polluters on the planet, which also pollute with low frequency sound, that travel thousands of miles to bring that bamboo products to market.
I guess there's a third, too, which is that in Western countries, labor is more expensive because it sustains worker protections, environmental protections... all the things that we've fought so hard for, for over a century.
In this way, wood has a distinct advantage, unless we can source bamboo from Florida, South America or something.
Olivia harbison says
What about BrushNaked bamboo + tapioca/corn bristles which are 100% compostable but They fray very easily. I have a little boy and I would be willing to pay for them if they were cheap enough to replace more often than usual!!!
Seb says
One of the bamboo toothbrush brands that i've really liked is F.E.T.E (From Earth to Earth).
I prefer the round handle they offer compared to the handle of the Brush With Bamboo toothbrushes and they also have a lot of colours to choose from but one of the main things is that you can choose soft, medium or firm bristles which not all other brands seem to do.
Either way, it's good to see so many people switching to bamboo and ditching the plastic.
Ariana Bates says
I have tried several bamboo brushes and am looking for the right one that isn’t too soft. Hope these are the ones!!!
Paul Flanigan says
I have never used a bamboo toothbrush as they aren’t available near me. I recently started looking into the economical impacts of toothbrushes and I want to change to a more sustainable option. I usually use Reach or Oral-B disposable brushes.
Bethany B. says
The problem I'm coming across is that our compost pile is too "cold" to breakdown my bamboo toothbrushes. We already have a problem with sticks in our compost and I have been asked (by the family compost-guru) not to put them in the compost anymore. So what the next best solution?
I'm really, really far from being zero waste, but I'm currently trying to make small changes, and I thought toothbrushes would be a good place for me to start. (I'm hard on my bristles. I'm not sure what I'm doing; I don't think I brush that hard, but I've found myself going through toothbrushes at an alarming rate.)
But is buying bamboo toothbrushes just to trash them worse? (Because of trapped methane gas?) Is there an option that might last longer? Or something that might breakdown in a "colder" compost? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
shia says
Hey Bethany!
We have had the same issue in our worm bin. Sticks just take forever to decompose. We've got a Vitamix, so we collect the handles and then literally shred them before we add them to our worm bin.
And no, bamboo handles do not trap methane gas. The material itself is in fact CO2 neutral. Yes, it does release the CO2 it has trapped while growing when decomposing (or burned), but unlike plastic made from fossil fuels that we dug up from the ground, it does not technically add to the greenhouse effect. What does add to it are the indirect emissions any product causes: the resources required in the production process (electricity, water, etc.), packaging, and shipping.
I'm afraid I cannot tell you why the bamboo toothbrushes don't seem to last as long as regular ones in your case. I myself do not have this problem, and neither do any of the people I know IRL using bamboo toothbrushes have. However, I have gotten a few messages telling me that it happens to them, too. I guess it depends on the brand you used before and the brand you are using now. Bristles usually come in soft, medium, and hard. A toothbrush, regardless of whether it is a plastic or bamboo one, should be able to last you 3 months. If it does not, you're most likely brushing too hard. I had the same habit when I was a teenager (I used hard bristles bc I felt I went through too many toothbrushes) and didn't notice until my dentist warned me that it had made my gum retract! A little trick to break this habit is to only hold your toothbrush with two fingers (thumb and index finger). This will make it impossible to apply too much pressure. Eventually you'll learn what pressure is appropriate and you'll be able to not brush too hard while holding the toothbrush the way you are used to.
Hope I could help a little!
Shia
Gin says
Check out orawellness.com! They have just started selling bamboo toothbrushes! They're very affordable imo for what these sorts of products usually cost. They have a sale right now where if you buy their HealThy Mouth oil blend, you can get the bamboo brush for free! So I just got 7 bottles of it with 7 junior sized bamboo brushes for about $85 (US). Proceeds of the brushes I think they're giving them to an org working toward sustainability. They had 15% off for cyber Monday but it's over for the year ;'( still the tooth brushes would be worth it even without the discounts. I'm not a partner for them, just a super fan. Btw the oil does have a plastic cap but the bottle is glass. I *think* they ship internationally.
Donna L. Seaman says
Hi! Where are the toothbrushes made and how do I order?!?! thank you!
Lily Colkins says
Hey Shia! I've been enjoying your blog posts so hard, you're my go-to website to read. I've been using Greenzla (Or however you spell it, I'm not looking at the packaging) bamboo toothbrushes. However, it doesn't say exactly what's in them and I have to purchase them on Amazon. Not to mention the individual cardboard packaging it comes in. If you or someone else knows what they're made of, that'd be great. I'd love to try out the sponsored brand, but I'm also on the market for removable heads. And, you know, fully compostable toothbrushes. Thanks a lot ya'll. 😊
Clara says
Thanks so much for making this list!! I think it's great that so many people are concerned about the environment. My favorite toothbrush is from Not to Die For (https://nottodiefor.us/product/premium-bamboo-toothbrush/), because of how easy it is to separate the bristles from the handle when it comes time to compost them!!