Why do BrushFresh sell Toothbrushes made from Bamboo?
A brief history of toothbrushes
Toothbrushes have been around for over 5000 years, there's a history of toothbrushes going all the way back to 3000BC. They've come in many forms and materials including wood, bone and even twigs.
Bristles surprisingly were not added until the 15th century in China. And for a few hundred years, these were made from Boar Hair! In fact, they were used until 1938 when these were replaced by nylon which is when plastic toothbrushes became the vogue.
For over 80 years, plastic toothbrushes have become the norm, and accounts for nearly all of the 3.5 billion toothbrushes that are sold every year globally.
That's a huge number.
Only 9% of plastics are recycled. This means that the rest goes to landfill. The first plastic toothbrush ever used still exists to this day.
Why we are committed to sustainability
As dentists, we saw the impact that this was having. Our team are truly passionate about the environment and we questioned whether we could do anything to reduce the waste that is caused by our industry. Not only in toothbrushes, but also in toothpaste.
The first obvious step was to replace the plastic brush with some that could be recycled much easier and something that came from a sustainable source. After extensive research, we found that Bamboo was a logical replacement. Bamboo has some amazing properties, including:
Bamboo can grow without fertilizers or pesticides.
Bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
Bamboo can regrow to adult size to be harvested within 3 to 5 years.
Bamboo can grow in many different kinds of environments (China, Africa, South America, USA).
Bamboo is biodegradable.
Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen compared to similar plants.
Bamboo naturally helps rebuild eroded soil.
Bamboo almost never needs replanting.Bamboo is an extremely durable material.
Bamboo requires far less water than similar plants, therefore often requiring no irrigation systems.
So our team got to work to create a truly professional toothbrush using bamboo. Our aim was to offer the same performance as you would expect in a plastic brush, therefore brush quality was essential.
We therefore created our ergonomically designed brush. The handle is 100% bamboo which is biodegradable and completely compostable. With it's nylon-6 bristles which are blunted at the tips to ensure they do not cause toothwear and abrasion related gum recession with over eager brushing!
Bamboo Toothbrushes - Environmentally and Eco Friendly, as well as Cruelty Free!
Once we'd designed our toothbrush, we then had to source it. It was our goal to ensure that all of our products come from locations which do not use slave labour and are tested cruelty free. All of our products are guaranteed by our manufacturing partners and are BPA free.
We are proud to offer this guarantee to you - we spent a great deal of time ensuring that our products came from trusted and respected suppliers and we are continuing to work with them to ensure that the bamboo we use is replaced with new bamboo plants for future use.
As dentists, it's our aim to educate not only consumers but also the future of dentistry to start using products from sustainable sources. If we can change the thoughts and ideas of new dentists, then perhaps in years to come our goal of providing products that have materials that come from a completely sustainable background can become a reality.
Want to find out more about how we're changing dentistry for the future? Why not contact us or visit one of social media pages and get in touch? We'd love to discuss this in more detail with you and advise our goals for changing the industry for the better!