Your dentist would ideally like to see you change your toothbrush every three to four months.
That’s a lot of plastic waste.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, around 3.5 billion disposable plastic toothbrushes – usually made from polypropylene and nylon which can take up to 500 years to break down in landfill – are purchased each year around the world.
The vast majority will end up as plastic pollution.
Several more sustainable alternatives are emerging, particularly toothbrushes made from bamboo and cornstarch, or others that have replaceable heads to minimise plastic waste.
So how sustainable are they?
For more information:
Eco-friendly alternatives to plastic toothbrushes | CHOICE
Felicity Maher,
Sustainability Officer
