What Toothbrushes are Recyclable?
On average, a person uses a toothbrush for six months. After six months of use, the best thing to do is recycle your toothbrush instead of throwing it in the trash.
Recycling your toothbrush helps you and our environment. Toothbrush recycling conserves energy and natural resources that would have been used to make new plastic or wood products from scratch. Also, recycling reduces air pollution because fewer raw materials need to be extracted from nature.
There are many types of recyclable toothbrushes available on the market today. Below is a list of the most common and what you need to know about them.
Bamboo toothbrush
The first type is toothbrushes made of bamboo. These are usually advertised as eco-friendly toothbrushes.
Bamboo is an eco-friendly material because it proliferates. It reaches maturity in three years, and its root system is almost impossible to remove once established. Because of these reasons, some people believe that using bamboo instead of trees makes sense. This is true, especially when considering that most toothbrushes are made from virgin plastic, making the brands unnecessary.
Toothbrushes made of bamboo can be recycled or upcycled. Instead of sending them to the landfill, you can reuse your toothbrush by replacing its head with a new one and giving it to someone in need.
Toothbrushes with nylon bristles
Toothbrushes with nylon bristles are made from recycled plastic bottles such as water and soda bottles.
Recycled plastic toothbrushes usually have nylon bristles that are very soft for the user’s comfort.
These toothbrushes can be recycled by throwing them into recycling bins at home. When thrown in the recycle bin, these toothbrushes won’t end up taking up space in a landfill. They won’t be contaminating soil and groundwater with plastic waste.
This type of toothbrush can be recycled just like regular toothbrushes because they are made of similar materials. So, it is best to recycle them with other plastics instead of throwing them in the trash.
Toothbrushes with boar bristles
The third type of recyclable toothbrush is made from boar bristles. Brushes with boar bristles are very soft and gentle on the user’s gums.
Many users prefer boar bristle toothbrushes. Boar bristles are gentler than nylon bristles, which can irritate the gums. People prefer them because they are soft and can remove plaque very effectively.
People have been known to make their boar bristle toothbrushes by removing the bristles from a used one with pliers and gluing the bristles onto a new stick. However, it is not recommended to do this because you can damage your gums and lead to gum disease.
In addition, recycling or reusing the bristles by removing them from an old toothbrush can be difficult to do.
Bristle brush with recycled paper handle
Nowadays, there are also toothbrushes made from recycled paper. This type of toothbrush comes with nylon bristles. You can recycle these by throwing them in your recycle bin, like regular plastic toothbrushes.
However, these recyclable brushes should not be used for longer than six months. This is because the bristles will become soggy. If it happens, it will decrease the toothbrush’s effectiveness. Also, recycled paper products are not as strong as regular paper, so you should not use this type of brush to scrub your teeth very hard.
Toothbrushes made of recycled paper have become popular in recent years. Their popularity is because they are very affordable and biodegradable. Since they are composed of recycled paper, these toothbrushes can be recycled with other paper or simply thrown away.
It is a good thing that toothbrushes made of recycled paper are recyclable. But they come in a cardboard box that cannot be recycled because it is not strong enough to hold any more paper. But, the package can be reused by adding handles or holes to turn it into a carrying case for your toothbrush.
Toothbrush with nylon bristles and recycled plastic handle
Another type of recyclable toothbrush is one with both nylon bristles and a recycled plastic handle.
Toothbrushes with recycled plastic handles and nylon bristles can be found in many stores and come in various colors. They are also affordable and eco-friendly since they can be used for longer than six months.
However, like recycled paper brushes, these brushes should not scrub very hard because the bristles can break off.
This type of toothbrush can be recycled or upcycled, too. However, it’s essential to remember that recycling this type of toothbrush will not produce new toothbrushes since it’s not made entirely of recycled materials.
Instead, recycling this type of toothbrush will keep it out of the landfill and prolong its life. They can be used again to replace its head.
Silicon Toothbrush
Silicon toothbrush is not made out of recycled materials, but it can be recycled because it is made of silicon.
Silicon is an excellent material for making toothbrushes. They are flexible, biocompatible with the human body, and have good mechanical properties. They’re also usually cheap to manufacture.
This type of toothbrush is not made out of recycled materials. But you can recycle it can by sending it to a recycling center that accepts silicon.
Yet, this type of toothbrush is rare because most people prefer nylon or boar bristles.
Electric Toothbrush
You can also find electric toothbrushes that are recyclable. But this depends on the brand.
If you have an electronic toothbrush, you may check if it has replaceable batteries. That’s because they can still be used after they run out of power. If so, then your toothbrush should be recyclable.
But, if the batteries are irreplaceable, your toothbrush is not recyclable. That means you should simply throw them away after months of use.
Final Thoughts:
Choosing the right type of toothbrush is important for the environment. This goes the same for your health.
If you’re unsure which type of toothbrush will best suit your needs, it’s a good idea to talk to your dentist. They can help you choose a toothbrush that meets your needs.
Recyclable toothbrushes are a great way to save money while preserving our environment at the same time. So, remember always to recycle your used toothbrushes!