Sustainable oral health care If you’re brushing your teeth twice every day, as recommended by dentists. The products you are using could affect the environment. If you’re looking to make positive environmental changes through your daily dental hygiene routine, then continue reading!
Much more than a toothbrush made of plastic
A regular plastic toothbrush is a mixture of biodegradable plastic (made by consuming petroleum oil) along with rubber as the handle and bristles, nylon, and a mixture of cardboard and plastic for packaging. A typical toothbrush produces 1.5 tonnes worth of “hidden waste” when you consider the making of the toothbrush. Consider that more than thirty million toothbrushes get used, and are disposed of every year. That’s a total of 1,000 tonnes of waste every year from just toothbrushes. The toothbrushes we use can take anywhere from 1,000 to 100 years to degrade. If your toothbrush doesn’t get thrown away in the garbage landfill, it could end in the ocean or even be consumed by marine animals in the ocean. There are ways to make it easier for you to dispose of your toothbrushes.
Program for recycling of oral care materials from Terracycle
The majority of toothpaste tubes and floss bottles. Cannot be put into the household recycling bin which is empty by local councils. However, they can be reused by recycling programs such as the oral care TerraCycle Recycling Program.
TerraCycle provides free recycling programs sponsored by manufacturers, brands, or retailers. They help in collecting and recycling materials that are otherwise difficult to recycle. This Oral Care Recycling program is sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. Toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, floss containers, and packaging are recyclable through this program.
TerraCycle “drop-off” points are found at health clinics that are registered as well as businesses. Utilize the map of TerraCycle to locate drop-off sites for the public to locate a place near you where you can recycle your dental hygiene products.
How can you recycle toothbrushes at your home?
Bamboo toothbrushes made of biodegradable material are sold in grocery stores and pharmacies. They have a handle that toothbrushes made from bamboo can be thrown in an organic garbage bin or used in the compost. Before disposing of the handle, bristles from the brush’s head have to be removed. The company that manufactures the toothbrush could provide instructions on how to dispose of the bristles as well as the handle on their own. If bristles are not able to remove from the handle, cut the toothbrush head free from the handle, and then throw the two pieces of equipment away in a separate manner.
Dental clinics
Guard your teeth
One of the most effective ways to reduce the number of dental tools. Used in the dental clinic is to maintain healthy oral health at home. Dental health is a factor that will reduce the possibility that dental treatments beyond general preventive care are required. Make sure you take care of your teeth every day by brushing twice and cleaning your teeth at a minimum of once each day and eating a diet that is low in sugar added. Get a dental exam every year at least to ensure that any issues like tooth decay can be identified and treated before they become serious. If you’re in the need of a dentist locate one close to you. Find-a-Dentist searching tool.
