Tag: Zero Waste

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.

Changing our Lifestyle and Choices

A transition toward a “zero waste” lifestyle which involves the conservation of resources from responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of materials without incineration or landfilling – is the best path to reduce emissions and slow down the pace towards climate change.

Knowing what impact plastic products have on our environment and its implications on our health now and in the future, we need to consciously make the right decisions. In our everyday life, we need to look at the various plastic products that we use and start replacing them with eco-friendly alternatives. It may seem like your impact will be small just by replacing your plastic use for biodegradable products, but your contribution will influence others to make changes in their choices as well.  

Practical Implementation of Zero Waste Living

Our path to a zero waste lifestyle means being eco conscious. Here are rules to consider when trying to live a zero waste life:

1. Refuse – do not buy plastic products
2. Reduce – get into the habit of not buying things you don’t need
3. Reuse – repurpose used products or buy products you are reuse versus dispose
4. Recycle – separate your waste so it can be disposed efficiently including composting organics

You can start by choosing biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones. You can also offer the gift of biodegradable products to people on your gift list so they can be introduced to a new way of life that will be better for future generations.