Non plastic alternatives for bristles are animal hair, which relies on animal farming. This is not an option for people with concerns about animal welfare. There is also some evidence to suggest that these “natural” bristles store more bacteria. Whilst many materials are biodegradable, not all of them are compostable. All compostable material is biodegradable though. The claims also contradict the company’s own environmental and sustainability practices, which are not environmentally friendly. biodegradable plastics : either fossil fuel derived plastics or bio-based plastics, but which biodegrade. This means they break down with the aid of microorganisms. The broken down material may include water, smaller bits of plastics or toxic residues. Bio-based plastics have less of an impact than plastics made from conventional fossil-fuel sources. That is because bio-based plastics use a renewable source for the material.

That is, as long as you have the right technique for cleaning. If you have higher clinical needs, using an electric toothbrush to help you avoid needing dental treatments would still be better than switching to a manual brush. This is because dental treatments have a very high impact on the environment. This differs from other bioplastics, those labelled as biodegradable or compostable plastics. These types of plastics can be fossil fuel derived plastics or bio-based plastics. The difference is that the structure can be broken down, with the aid of microorganisms or under specific heat and pressure conditions.This poses a problem to the environment because the plastic is normally created from fossil fuels. Fossil fuel based plastics use up a finite resource.

Swapping out one type of plastic for another does not encourage a change in society to reduce the overall amount of waste produced. We will still have the same problems with either detrimental production processes and/or waste ending up in landfill and our oceans. The term ‘eco-friendly’ is not regulated at present so manufacturers are free to use it as they wish, but from our understanding of the definition, it is an inaccurate way to describe an electric toothbrush. Bambooi advertises its toothbrush as ‘good for the planet’ If brushing with part of a boar turns you off, we tried to include vegan options such as plant-based cellulose bristles and bamboo bristles. Prolong the life of your makeup brushes by regularly and gently washing them to avoid product and bacteria buildup. Do not submerge the entire brush in water as the glue may come off. And ensure you dry them flat or hang them upside down to dry. Only Buy What You Need Barnaby’s Brush: stainless steel handle, bamboo replaceable head with charcoal infused nylon bristlesAfter you have considered the material of the handle, you should also consider whether a toothbrush with a replaceable head is an option. However, the authors of the paper do again state that the ability of a plastic to be broken down depends on both its physical and chemical properties. Because of this, it is important that individual products be tested independently. There is not a simple answer here, but our advice below is guided by the studies that are available. They found that toothbrushes made from recycled plastic from a toothbrush recycling scheme had the lowest carbon footprint and the overall lowest effect on human health. Pros This means that a handle material made of recycled and recyclable plastic may be better than a bamboo handle (e.g. if you don’t have a garden waste collection).