Plastic Toothbrush vs Bamboo Toothbrush
Which is better? Comparing the environmental and CO2 emissions of plastic toothbrushes and bamboo toothbrushes
FACTS AND DATA
Greenly World
12/19/2023
Conventional plastic toothbrushes are still widely used but causes problems for our ecosystems and more. Other alternatives such as a bamboo toothbrush is a more eco friendly option for people and the planet. We'll look into basic facts about the plastic toothbrush and the bamboo toothbrush and make a pollution comparison and energy requirement comparison as well
Table of contents
Brief history of toothbrushes and facts about plastic toothbrush
Facts about the bamboo toothbrush
CO2 analysis comparison
Energy analysis comparison
Summary
Brief history of toothbrushes and facts about conventional plastic toothbrushes
History of Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes have existed in some form for thousands of years. Early humans would chew one end of a stick until it was frayed, using it to clean their teeth and the other pointed end as a toothpick. Archaeological evidence shows Egyptians used chewed twigs or sticks as early as 3500 BC. By 1600 BC, Chinese records described chewing one end of a stick until brush-like while using the pointed end as a toothpick.
The First Modern Toothbrush
In the late 1400s, the Chinese emperor Hongzhi designed what resembled the modern toothbrush - a short, dense pack of boar bristles set into a bone or wood handle. This basic design would be used for centuries.
Rise of the Plastic Toothbrush
In the 1930s, companies began experimenting with new materials. In 1938, Dr. West's launched the first nylon-bristled toothbrush with a plastic handle, making toothbrushes more durable and waterproof. Shortly after, plastic became the dominant material for toothbrush handles and bristles.
Facts about Plastic Toothbrushes and Pollution
Billions of plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills every year.
Plastic toothbrushes are difficult to recycle due to their design. Most end up in landfills where they take over hundreds of years to decompose, polluting the environment for centuries.
Each plastic toothbrush requires fossil fuels to produce, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Plastic toothbrush bristles and handles break down into microplastics over time which get into the food chain and cause harm to wildlife and humans.
It is estimated that over 50 billion pounds of plastic toothbrush waste has ended up in U.S landfills since plastic toothbrushes were invented, and the ones since the 1930s still exist either in landfills or oceans. Plastic toothbrushes represent 1% of the waste in our oceans
Over 5 billion plastic toothbrushes are disposed of worldwide every year.
The weight of one plastic toothbrush is around 20 grams
Through a human lifespan roughly 200 toothbrushes are used and replaced
99% of all toothbrushes in the world are made from plastic. So the vast majority of toothbrushes today, including the handles and bristles, are made from various kinds of synthetic polymers and plastics.
Plastic toothbrushes are made from a mix of plastic materials that combine elements of rubber, crude oil, and petroleum. This suggests that plastic toothbrushes utilize a combination of plastics derived from oil and gas (like nylon) as well as plastics derived from rubber.
Facts about the bamboo toothbrush
As early as the 8th century AD, bamboo was commonly used for crafting natural toothbrush handles in Asia due to its hardness and flexibility.
Facts About Bamboo Toothbrushes:
Gentle yet effective: Bamboo toothbrushes clean teeth just as well as plastic while being softer and more flexible for gums. The bristles feel great without abrasion.
Environmentally friendly: Both the bristles and handles are made from a fast growing grass. No fossil fuels are needed for production and bamboo sequesters carbon from the atmosphere as it grows.
Sustainably sourced: Bamboo replenishes quickly without fertilizers or pesticides, allowing long term harvesting. New stalks replace old within a couple years, preventing shortages.
Naturally antibacterial: Bamboo's silica content gives it inherent antifungal and antimicrobial properties, keeping the toothbrush handle cleaner for longer without germs.
Easy to dispose: The entire brush will break down within 6 months to a year when composted, returning nutrients harmlessly to the earth. Nothing is left as plastic waste clogging oceans.
Helps oral health: Chewing on a natural bamboo handle massages gums for improved circulation.
Affordable luxury: Bamboo toothbrushes represent simple eco-friendly living without a big price tag. Opting for one supports sustainable practices everyone can feel good about.
Nicely designed: Craftsmanship results in an attractive shape and colour that enhances any bathroom without looking cheap or messy like discarded plastic.
Customizable option: Companies let you pick unique handle designs and bristle types to match esthetics or cleaning needs at little extra cost.
Weight: The weight of a bamboo toothbrush is between 7 - 15 grams
CO2 and emission analysis of plastic toothbrushes and bamboo toothbrushes
The amount of plastic toothbrushes each produced globally is around 4.7 billion toothbrushes. The amount of bamboo toothbrushes only covers 1 %(year 2023) of the total toothbrushes made each year. With this information we were able to estimate how much CO2 both the plastic toothbrushes and the bamboo toothbrushes are emitting (see graph below)
As seen from the graph, there are 94 mio. tons of plastic toothbrushes produced each year globally, and the total CO2 emissions from the plastic toothbrushes are roughly 211.5 mio. tons of CO2 pr year, assuming the same rate continues.
Looking at the total bamboo toothbrush production it equates 940 000 tons, with a CO2 emissions of 3.67 mio tons (as seen on the table below)
However, it is important to note that the total amount of bamboo toothbrushes is much lower than the production of plastic toothbrushes, therefore the difference in CO2 emissions is much larger than the bamboo toothbrushes. Nevertheless, assuming the amount of bamboo toothbrushes grow with time and all plastic toothbrushes are replaced, the total amount of CO2 emissions would be significantly higher, similiar to plastic toothbrushes (at first glance). But the major advantegous bamboo trees which makes a significant difference, is their ability to absorb CO2.
Thus, the overall CO2 emissions in a hypothetical scenarino where all toothbrushes where from bamboo trees and at the same production rate as plastic toothbrushes, gives a much lower CO2 emissions than plastic toothbrushes. Because, to make more bamboo toothbrushes, more bamboo trees need to be planted which in return absorbs CO2 (5 times as much as one regular tree).
In addition to bamboo being one of the fastest growing plants, it also demonstrates how sustainable bamboo harvesting can be.
They produce Oxygen, absorb CO2, grow fast, and products from bamboo are biodegradable (and degrades much faster than plastic toothbrushes, 3 - 6 months vs hundreds of years). Moreover, bamboo toothbrushes can also be recycled much easier compared to plastic toothbrushes, where most are either in landfills or in oceans polluting and killing animals, such as birds and fish species.
Moreover, the amount of energy to produce plastics are much higher than sustainable resources such as bamboo, making another case to why there needs to be a transition away from plastic toothbrushes. Plastic used orally such as plastic water bottles is also a concern, since it can lead to the ingestion of microplastics, that be disruptive to the endocrine system in our bodies and lead to inhormonal balances, among other downsides of microplastics.
Financially, plastic toothbrushes are cheaper at the moment, but with an increasing demand of bamboo toothbrushes and replacement of plastic toothbrushes, the norm will be bamboo toothbrushes, which in return will drop the price for a single bamboo toothbrush.
Sorry the blog is under construction for new updated data sets.
Most Sustainable Electrical Bamboo Toothbrush
Sustainability practices
Made of FSC bamboo
Their Cornstarch center can be recycled
Their plant based Binchotan charcoal soft bristles are made of castor nuts oil
The materials mentioned can be home composed in 6 months
Shipping
They offer a 30 day guarantee and ships to more than 100 + countries.
Review/Ratings
Real White Sonic Toothbrush: 4.9/5 - (51+)
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