Why choosing bamboo?
Did you know that plastic toothbrushes are part of a global waste problem. Plastic is in many ways irreplaceable material, it is cheap, versatile and resistant. But as the amount of plastic grew and it became more and more common, it started to courage us into single-use lifestyle. And this lifestyle is a real danger our environment and to our future.
” Think about it. Why would you make something that you’re going to use for a few minutes out of a material that’s basically going to last forever, and you’re just going to throw it away. What’s up with that?"
Jeb Berrier, BagIt movie
Yhteen lauseeseen tiivistettynä tulee todella selväksi, että kertakäyttöisen muovin tarkoitus ja käyttö on järjetöntä. Jopa puolet valmistetuista muovituotteista ovat kertakäyttöisiä ja heitetään pois käytön jälkeen.
Taken down into one sentence, it really comes clear that purpose and usage of single-use plastic is absurd. Even half of produced plastic items are used ones and then thrown away.
Plastic toothbrushes
Plastic toothbrushes are made of polypropylene plastic and nylon bristles. They are packed into plastic wrappings. Materials used are sourced from non-renewable fossil fuels. It takes 500-1000 years for a plastic toothbrush to decompose. This means that all the toothbrushes you have used during your lifetime, including your very first baby-toothbrush are still lying somewhere waiting to decompose. This problem probably wouldn´t be so alarming if it would considere only your toothbrushes, but there are 7,6 billion people in the world, and large part of them use plastic toothbrushes. And all those toothbrushes used are thrown away, every few months. It has been evaluated that yearly 4-5 billion toothbrushes are thrown away after only a short usage. Due to material, used in these brushes, they won´t end up being reused, but their final placement is in the landfill or they are burned, in which case they add the greenhouse gasses to our atmosphere.
Environmental damage can be avoided
Steps towards better tomorrow are so small that sometimes we just don´t notice them. It is so easy to crab the familiar plastic toothbrush on our local stores shelf. But next time, you need a new toothbrush, why wouldn´t you consider changing your plastic brush into ecological one? You surely wouldn´t lose anything by trying. This could be your first step in more ecological lifestyle.
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
Reduce
Reduce buying plastic. Avoid buying products that are made of, or wrapped into plastic, choose more sustainable option every time it is possible.
Reuse
If you have possiblity to reuse some of your products elsewhere, after those have served their time in the actual use, try to find another purpose of usage for those ones. Hint, Old toothbrushes are good tools to clean really tiny corners.
Recycle
Recycle everything you can. Though in recycling, remember that PVC plastic (e.g. plastic toothbrush) is not recyclable and actually these thin plastics e.g. covering and preserving foodstuff are the only plastics that are recyclable. If possible it is always good to check from wich material pruducts are made of and choose the ones that manufactured from recycled materials.
Will bamboo toothbrushes save the world?
The answer is, not alone. But by swapping your plastic toothbrush into bamboo one, you are choosing more ecological choice. Bamboo is a natural plant, and this is why it is 100% bio-degradable, renewable and sustainable source of material. Read more of fabulous bamboo from here. Small things lead into great realizations, and before you know it, ecological choices are the only choices for you too.
Start greener life today
Not much is needed for the first step. Swap your plastic toothbrushes into bamboo toothbrushes. Choose ecological swabs and straws over plastic ones. Question your buying habits. This is the beginning, and we will ease our mother nature’s plastic burden.
100K Challenge
Be part of the solution, join our family and take part in our 100K challenge. If we reach 100 000 people who will swab plastic to bamboo, we will donate 20 000 to WWF to support their valuable work.
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