Almost 2 Billion plastic toothbrushes end up in our oceans and landfills every year. While I am a massive fan of dental hygiene, there must be a better way, right? Simply and easily replacing your current toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss with their non-plastic counterparts can help ease this problem of pervasive plastic.
In the video below I share my favorite recipe for homemade toothpaste and break down the costs (it's a lot cheaper and no chastisement from my dentist yet). I also share my replacements: a toothbrush by Brush with Bamboo (even the box it comes in is compostable and recyclable) and organic, silk floss by Radius.
Radius does come in a plastic container, which is recyclable. I recently contacted them and asked them about replacing the plastic container. They declined to do so but I plan on emailing them again in a few months just to make sure they know we are watching. Although I have not used it, I have also heard good things about Dental Lace- another silk floss but it comes in a metal, refillable container. Their floss isn't organic, though. I honestly don't know which one has less of an environmental impact- the plastic container or the harmful pesticides dumped into the earth when not going organic. I suppose like all things, it's a work in progress and all of these little steps add up. Let me know if you have any thoughts on the subject!