Plastic Toothbrushes Are a Big Part of the Plastic Pollution Crisis

Did you know that every plastic toothbrush you’ve ever used in your life still exists?

Plastic toothbrushes are a bigger problem than most people realize. The first plastic toothbrush was created in the 1930s and the number of them that have been produced, used, and then thrown away has grown steadily each year.

Toothbrushes used to be made from natural materials … but in the early 20th century, manufacturers replaced those materials with plastic. Nowadays, plastic is so much a part of toothbrush design, it’s almost impossible to clean our teeth without our teeth touching something made out of the non-biodegradable material.

Think about this … since plastic is so indestructible, almost every single toothbrush that has been made since the 1930s still exists in the world somewhere. And if that doesn’t scare you, how about the thought of a billion toothbrushes being thrown away each year, in the U.S. alone?

Thankfully, some companies are beginning to change back to natural materials, like bamboo wood and boar bristles.

At Karmagawa and SaveTheReef, we encourage everyone to make changes that can protect our oceans and animals. We can help turn the tide on trashed plastic toothbrushes if we work together and choose ones that are made with sustainably-sourced materials that are plastic-free.

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Also … please share our information so that your friends and family are kept aware.

Have them watch this powerful video …

The director of this video, Amir Zakeri, created a masterclass for anyone in the Karmagawa and SaveTheReef community who would like to tell visual stories about the causes they care about. If you’re interested, here’s 50% off.  

All proceeds go to great causes, so don’t hesitate. Get started now! 

What do you think about the pollution that plastic toothbrushes are causing in our oceans? Leave a comment below.

(Cover image: Semyon Nazarov/Shutterstock)