When we buy a plastic toothbrush, we don’t often think about what they’re made of or how they are disposed of. From the various selections available at the stores, we pick out what we need without any thought as to how our choices can impact our environment.
Retail stores give us a large selection of toothbrushes with various handle designs, colors, sizes and styles at affordable price ranges. But what you may not have noticed is that the selections are all made of plastic. Three and a half billion (with a “B”) toothbrushes are sold every year worldwide and millions of plastic toothbrushes are disposed of every year.
Many of us are unaware that our limited choices corner us into buying from the selection of plastic toothbrushes that contribute to the plastic pollution that is causing climate change. This is serious stuff.
Plastic Toothbrushes Contribute to Climate Change
According to Statistics Canada, just over one-third (37.5%) of Canadians brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. The average person buys a new toothbrush every 3 – 4 months. This amounts to millions of plastic toothbrushes disposed of every year. But why is plastic used for toothbrushes and do we know its impact?
Plastics are durable, versatile and cheap and for this reason, they are widely used in many household products such as toothbrushes, floss casing and dental picks. Unfortunately, plastic is hazardous to our planet from the beginning to the end of its lifecycle. Nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted at each stage of its life: 1) fossil fuel extraction and transport, 2) plastic refining and manufacture, 3) managing plastic waste, and 4) its ongoing impact in our oceans, waterways, and landscape
We are treading on dangerous territory if we continue to consume at the rate we are going. Even if growth slows after 2030, plastic production and incineration could emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year by 2050 and accumulate in the atmosphere over time. Projected growth in plastic production and incineration will consume more than ten percent of the earth’s remaining carbon budget and this needs to change.
Hello,
A very fruitful experience to read one of your articles! Humans need to rethink their choices, albeit big or small. It’s good if the states in North America also start taking baby steps towards environmental sustainability, just as the Canadian government has.
Keep doing your best!
Wow, all the reason why more people need to change from plastic to ecofriendly brushes. We all need to do our part.
Hi,
A nice perspective!
The world’s environment is rapidly changing, and natural disasters are also becoming frequent. Covid-19 and other forest fires indicate that humans need to change lifestyles and move towards a sustainable environment through biodegradable materials.
A must-share post!