First: The Problem With Plastic Toothbrush
Fun Fact: 99% of all toothbrushes in the world are made from plastic, and about 5 billion of these plastic toothbrushes are being thrown away every single year around the world. did you ever think of the impact these plastic toothbrushes have on our environment? From ending up in landfill to becoming part of giant islands of floating plastic, these everyday items can cause a lot of damage.
Summary: Plastic waste is one of our planet's biggest environmental crises. This is because plastic takes too long to degrade, and we're creating so much of it. Plastic toothbrush is obviously made out of plastic, which takes about 1000 years to degrade. It often remains in the landfill forever, but when a plastic toothbrush makes its way into our environment, it doesn't decompose. It can break down into a smaller piece of plastic, and often animals mistake them for food.
Plastic toothbrushes are not biodegradable
Plastic toothbrushes are not recyclable
Plastic toothbrushes are harmful to the environment
More plastic for the packaging around the toothbrush
Second: Immediate Effects of Swallowing Plastic
Swallowing plastic may not cause immediate harm, but the long-term consequences can cause several lethal issues.
If tiny plastic particles go in contact with our brain or blood circuits, they can leach harmful chemicals into our bodies. when we accidentally eat plastic or consume food contaminated with microplastics, these tiny particles enter our digestive system, once inside, the intestines can absorb microplastics and travel to other body parts via blood circulation.
Microplastics can go through cell membranes, potentially causing damage at a cellular level.
Gastrointestinal issues
Consuming larger pieces of plastic might lead to stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or constipation as your body tries to expel it.
Allergic reactions
Some people might experience an allergic reaction after ingesting plastics due to certain additives used in their production.
Toxicity symptoms
If you accidentally eat toxic plastics like PVC (polyvinyl chloride), you could experience dizziness, headache, respiratory problems, or even poisoning symptoms, depending on the amount consumed.
How Much Plastic Is Ingested?
An average person could ingest approximately 5 grams of microplastics per week, equivalent to the weight of a credit card.
Third: Long-Term Health Risks Associated With Consuming Plastics
Consuming plastic particles, whether accidentally or by eating food and drinking water contaminated by microplastics, poses long-term health risks.
These dangers stem from the chemicals released by plastics when they break down in our bodies.
Link Between Consuming Plastics and Serious Health Conditions
Research shows that consuming plastic constantly, even if inadvertently, has extremely serious health conditions:
Premature births
Phthalates is a chemical compound used in plastics to make them more durable. If pregnant women get exposed to it, they will be at a higher risk of a premature birth.
Asthma
Unrelated to premature births, children who are in contact with phthalates have a higher risk of developing asthma.
Cancer
Breast cancer and prostate cancer are the most common cancers that stem from consuming plastic. That is because phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.This means they can interfere with hormone functionality which leads to the development of cancers
Miscarriage
People exposed to high levels of BPA have a higher risk of miscarriage.
Male infertility
Research suggests that exposure to plastic-derived chemicals like BPA may contribute to male infertility by reducing sperm quality.
Premature breast development in females and abnormal male sexual development:
BPA and phthalates have been linked to early puberty in girls and genital abnormalities in boys.
Hormonal Disruptions Caused by BPA and Phthalates
When ingested, BPA can interfere with hormones that regulate essential bodily functions.
Bisphenol A is a chemical that polycarbonate bottles and epoxy resins use to coat products like cans of food.
On the other hand, to increase the flexibility of the plastic, manufacturers add phthalates. Both chemicals are linked with severe hormonal changes.
An increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodevelopmental disorders has links with BPA, while reproductive issues like decreased sperm count in men and endometriosis in women are more linked with phthalates.
fourth: Natural Alternatives to Plastic Toothbrushes
Why BPA-free isn’t enough
We’re often lured into buying plastic products labeled as BPA-free (as many toothbrushes are) because we assume that’s a measure of safety. But the aforementioned study found that in some cases, BPA-free plastic products release more estrogenic chemicals than plastic products that contain BPA.
This is because BPA-free products often contain phthalates, which is a family of plasticizers that keep your toothbrush bendy, so you can clean those hard-to-reach places. Unfortunately, phthalates also leach estrogenic chemicals.
Bamboo toothbrushes
Returning to the Facebook forums that I mentioned earlier… what advice did the longtime chemically sensitive end up sharing with the newbies? A few folks had solved their problem by switching to a metal toothbrush, though most switched to bamboo.
Nylon vs. boar’s hair toothbrush bristles
Bamboo toothbrushes typically come with nylon bristles. Even though nylon is a type of plastic, it does not seem to trigger a reaction for most chemically sensitive folks. Those who did have an issue with nylon bristles often opted for boar (pig) hair bristles.
Boar hair is a by-product of the meat industry, which can be both inhumane and chemical-laden. The hair itself is harvested after the boar has been slaughtered, but there is no telling how the animal was treated when it was alive or what kinds of growth hormones, antibiotics or other contaminants it was fed. It’s also worth noting that contaminants may make their way into their hair follicles, possibly triggering a reaction for the acutely sensitive.
I’m vegetarian, but I wanted to test boar hair toothbrushes to see whether I’d feel comfortable recommending them for those who couldn’t handle nylon bristles. So far, I’ve only tested one brand, but despite their high ratings on Amazon, I thought they were just ok. I had the same problem that others reported in their reviews, which is that the bristles fell out pretty easily. But not everyone had that experience, so who knows.
After giving it a shot, I went back to a bamboo toothbrush with charcoal-infused nylon bristles.
Charcoal bristles
Some bamboo toothbrushes are labeled as having “charcoal” bristles without further explanation. Just a head’s up, these are actually nylon bristles that are infused with charcoal… not pure charcoal.
Some manufacturers are transparent about this and some fail to mention the nylon part, presumably to sound like they’re completely plastic-free. Don’t be fooled.
Biodegradable bristles
Some brands say their bamboo toothbrushes are biodegradable. The bamboo handle definitely is, but the nylon bristles are questionable. Nylon bristles can be made from nylon-4 or nylon-6. Supposedly, nylon-4 can biodegrade, but nylon-6 cannot.
Some manufacturers claim their nylon bristles are biodegradable without specifically saying they are nylon-4. One plastic-free blogger had her toothbrush tested to see if their claims were true, but they were not. Their bristles turned out to be nylon-6, not nylon-4… which meant their “biodegradable” claims turned out to be false.
The offending brand, The Environmental Toothbrush Company, has since updated their website and claims that, despite what other brands may say, they know of no bristles on the market made from nylon-4. They also say their nylon manufacturer misled them into thinking otherwise. (I wouldn’t be surprised to find that’s true.)
To compost a bamboo toothbrush without worry, simply grab a pair of pliers and remove the bristles, along with the staple that holds them in place. Nowwwww you’re free to toss the bamboo into the compost bin.
Good to know
While plastic toothbrushes tend to be packaged in even more plastic, bamboo toothbrushes usually come in recycled or recyclable cardboard. Some use a small amount of plastic, so you can see the toothbrush. But it’s far less plastic than the large commercial companies use.
Swissco wooden toothbrush with natural bristles: The toothbrush itself is plastic-free (although not vegetarian) but it comes in a hard plastic case.
Acca Kappa toothbrush with natural bristles: The Acca Kappa handle is made from cellulose acetate, which is produced from wood and cotton byproducts. The bristles are not vegetarian. And sadly, the toothbrush comes in a plastic container.
Neem Chew Sticks
And now, for a completely different alternative, I’m considering skipping the toothbrush altogether and chewing on sticks.
In researching toothbrush options for this post, I discovered something called Miswak sewak, used in the Arab world for natural toothbrushing. You peel off the bark at the tip and then chew the end to separate the fibers. Then you use the fibers to brush your teeth, and when they wear out, you cut off the tip and work your way down the stick. I thought it sounded like a neat idea, except all the miswak sticks come sealed in plastic.
Then Jay mentioned they are similar to Neem sticks which have been used for centuries in India. And today, I discovered a company called Neem Tree Farms in the United States, which ships Neem Sticks fresh the same day they are harvested. I was assured they can be shipped without plastic packaging (in fact, the web site recommends not storing them in plastic), so I ordered a batch today to try.
Neem Tree Farms has farms in Florida and Mexico. The company also sells seedlings so you can grow your own, but I have to see how I feel about the sticks first. That will be a post for another day
And my next oral care dilemma will be finding a good plastic-free toothpaste replacement, now that Tom’s of Maine has switched to plastic tubes. I’ve gotten lots of advice from people, but I can always use more.
The Links
https://ecopify.com/blogs/news/the-problem-with-plastic-toothbrush#:~:text=According%20to%20National%20Geographic%2C%20every,which%20scientists%20name%20them%20microplastics.
https://www.anchenggy.com/blog/what-happens-if-you-swallow-plastic-risks-and-prevention.html
https://greenopedia.com/bamboo-natural-toothbrush-alternatives/
https://greenopedia.com/bamboo-natural-toothbrush-alternatives/
https://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/05/eco-friendly-toothbrush-review-and-giveaway/
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