3 Ways Brushing Your Teeth is Bad for the Planet (and What to Do About It)

Surely no product that we’ve all unquestioningly used for yeaaars and sold in supermarkets worldwide could be that bad for the environment, right?

Wrong! (Looking at you too, plastic bottles.)

Without knowing it, your daily toothbrushing routine could be so anti-green that it should raise all the red flags! Let’s reveal 3 ways your toothbrushing routine could be bad for the planet, sea life, and you… and what you can do about it.

We’ve spoken before about how bad tubes of toothpaste are for the environment. For many reasons, like leftover toothpaste, tubes can’t be recycled. 1.5 billion (half-empty) toothpaste tubes end up in landfills or the ocean each year and can take between 500-700 years to break down. Plastic in toothpaste tubes is killing animals and ocean life.

Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months. Let’s do the maths - if everyone followed that advice, that’s about 23 billion unrecyclable plastic toothbrushes added to landfills every year. And that’s not to mention electric toothbrushes which new research has found are the least environmentally friendly to the planet when compared with other toothbrushes. 

For centuries, the basic toothbrush was made from natural materials. But because plastic is basically indestructible, nearly every single toothbrush made since the first in the 1930s is still out there in the world somewhere, living on as unrecyclable rubbish. Horrifying, isn’t it?

BAD FOR OCEAN LIFE

Here are just 3 ingredients that are a threat to our oceans and sea life:

Brilliant Blue FCF & Helidone Pink. Colourants used to make toothpaste blue or pink, commonly used by many traditional toothpastes. These are toxic to marine life.

Sodium pyrophosphate. Contains phosphor, which creates a build-up of algae in our sewage systems and in the water at the end of sewage lines. This creates an increase of CO2 in the water, creating a ‘dead spot’ - slowly suffocating any and all fish or animals nearby.

BAD FOR HUMANS

It doesn’t end there! Many ingredients in toothpaste might not be that great for humans either - like triclosan, carrageenan, propylene glycol… but let’s focus on SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).

SLS. Studies have shown this foaming agent has links to many issues, like skin irritation. This is an even bigger problem for people who suffer from skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis.

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

Now we know that toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and toothpaste itself can be bad for the environment - what can we do about it?

That’s a question we asked ourselves a few years ago before we created PӒRLA! As dentists, we know what’s good for your teeth - but we also wanted something that’s good for the planet, too. 

CARE FOR YOUR TEETH & PLANET

PӒRLA’s toothpaste tabs don’t include any nasty ingredients like SLS, triclosan, carrageenan, glycerin, propylene glycol, or the dreaded palm oil. Our tabs are good for the planet and good for your teeth - with absolutely no animal testing allowed.

Plus with our new PÄRLA PRO tablets, you get all the eco-friendly best of PÄRLA Original, now supercharged with high gloss teeth whitening, sensitivity-reducing, and immunity-boosting powers! Learn more

Tabs come in a free refillable glass jar and then as part of a 4-monthly subscription (to lower carbon emissions from transport) in biodegradable bags!

SAVE THE WORLD EVERY MORNING

And now, to combat the enormous issue of toothbrush waste, we have something new and exciting to introduce to you! 

Meet PӒRLA’S brand spanking new 100% eco-friendly toothbrush:

• Made of panda-friendly Moso bamboo

• 100% plant-based & biodegradable

• Fully compostable bristles made from castor beans

For just £4.20 you’re helping to save the planet every morning! Learn more

Time to forget the harmful, unrecyclable products you’ve been using for years. Upgrade your toothbrushing routine today with PӒRLA! 

Shop PӒRLA products now