Where Does Your Toothbrush Go?

     You brush your teeth? If you don't, you might want to buy a toothbrush. But what kind? There are so many to choose from. Colgate, Oral-B, Reach, Sonic Care. Much like the cereal isle at the supermarket, the choices afforded us just for a freaking toothbrush are mind boggling! Straight or angled head, sound waves or high-pressure water, soft bristles, medium, firm...I'm just trying to clean my teeth for christsake! Why does it have to be so complicated? Did you know that you are only supposed to use a toothbrush for a few weeks before it is recommended we buy a new one? The toothbrush companies say it can prevent bacteria from growing, or to prevent the bristles from wearing out or because the corporations that make toothbrushes need to increase profits for the fiscal year. When you consider the number of people brushing their teeth, multiplied by everyone getting a new toothbrush every month or so, year after year, well that's a lot of toothbrushes! What happens after you pitch them?

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They end up on the beach and in the ocean.

     I didn't think about where all those toothbrushes went. I think back on it and I know I went through  at least 4 toothbrushes a year over the past 30 years. My Dad, the king of Christmas stocking stuffing, always made sure we had a couple of spare toothbrushes every year. When the bristles started to fray, I just tossed it and grabbed a new one from under the sink. I never really thought about where my old one would end up. Back then, I thought when you recycled something, it, you know, got recycled! Unfortunately, that is not the case. The majority of plastic items we purchase every year are un-recyclable. That's right, they are made from plastic that is unable to be or is too expensive to be recycle. So they are tossed into landfills. Inevitably, some fall off the truck or ship or barge and make their way into rivers and streams and the ocean. There, they threaten sea life by absorbing toxic chemicals and leak those nasty things out in other places, or are ingested by animals, which can kill them. That's not good.

     Over 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. That is the equivalent to 8 garbage bags per 1 foot of coastline. And to think, I contributed to this mess! Thank God there are people out there like the Sea Shepherd Marine Debris Team, who go out and clean up whats out on our beaches. Its a tall task which will take a LONG time to clean up. But in order to stop this plastic pollution, we need to change our behavior when it comes to something as simple as brushing our teeth.

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      My wife found a website here in Germany where one can buy a fully compostable toothbrush. It comes in a completely compostable package. When these babies wear out, you can burn it in your fireplace, or throw it in the compost, or if you have a chipper-shrewder, you can mulch that baby. Totally natural, made of bamboo and just as good as those colorful plastic fancy things. Bamboo is such a fast growing plant, that it is a much more sustainable material than other wood items. And unlike plastic, they easily can be recycled or allowed to decompose naturally. You can also re-purpose them in many creative ways.

Brush With Bamboo in the USA.
Hydrophil in Europe.

     Here are the websites to purchase the bamboo compostable toothbrushes. Take a look. If you never thought about where your toothbrushes have been ending up, now you know. You can switch without changing your daily routine or sacrificing quality dental care. You can help clean up the planet and keep your beautiful smile.