Bamboo vs Plastic Toothbrushes: Are Bamboo Toothbrushes REALLY Environmentally-friendly?
Lately, bamboo toothbrushes have been sweeping the eco-friendly world as one of the easiest ways to reduce your plastic usage and become more environmentally-friendly. Plastic toothbrushes are made of…You guessed it. Plastic. And over 95% of that plastic resides in the handle! Without changing a single habit or modifying your lifestyle, bamboo toothbrushes are now offered as the best start to an eco-lifestyle.
But can you believe the hype? Are bamboo toothbrushes really as environmentally friendly as they say? Are they REALLY 100% biodegradable? Are they as effective as their plastic counterparts at cleaning your teeth? Is there an even BETTER option than bamboo? Today, Verdant Growth dives in to the world of…
Bamboo Toothbrushes: The “Gateway” Eco-Friendly Product
Contents
- Bamboo Toothbrushes: The “Gateway” Eco-Friendly Product
- Are there any environmental concerns with bamboo toothbrushes?
- Cost Comparison
- So how do bamboo toothbrushes compare practically? My experience and review of bamboo toothbrushes
- Final Thoughts
- TL;DR
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
Bamboo toothbrushes work exactly as their plastic counterparts do. We’re going to assume you know how those work. The only difference? The handles are made out of (wait for it)…Bamboo!
They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors to suit your own tastes. Just like plastic toothbrushes, the bristles can be found in various shapes and hardnesses as well.
Why use a bamboo toothbrush over a plastic one?
Bamboo has a variety of useful properties that make it more eco-friendly than plastic:
It is literally made almost completely of CO2.
Well…actually just the “C” in CO2; the carbon! Bamboo, like all trees and plants, absorbs CO2 during photosynthesis! The carbon (“C”) gets stored and turned into bamboo, and guess where the O2 goes? It goes into the air that we breathe! This means by growing lots of bamboo, we actually REDUCE the carbon dioxide in the air! More bamboo = Less CO2 = Less climate change! (Read more here.)
Bamboo biodegrades.
Bamboo biodegrades naturally in nature, meaning that it decomposes naturally and gets reabsorbed into nature.
It’s cheap and easy to produce.
Bamboo is actually a type of grass, meaning it never needs to be replanted! It just keeps growing and growing and growing on its own with almost no maintenance! Bamboo can grow up to 3 feet (~1 meter) per day!!! A bamboo forest is essentially a natural factory for a sustainable, biodegradable material we can use!
Are there any environmental concerns with bamboo toothbrushes?
Okay, so what’s the catch? There has to be SOMETHING bad about bamboo toothbrushes. It can’t ALL be good!
The Bad. Still 95% better than plastic!
You’re not wrong! Nothing is perfect, including bamboo toothbrushes. Most of the bamboo toothbrushes available on the market today still use bristles made from nylon, specifically Nylon-6 or Nylon-4. And while there HAVE been some studies that indicate that Nylon-4 MAY biodegrade in nature, there isn’t a scientific consensus on it yet, so if your brushes are made with nylon, assume they’re not 100% biodegradable. However, they’re close! Bamboo IS biodegradable meaning that when you throw away your bamboo toothbrush, you’re being 95% more eco-friendly than a plastic toothbrush.
Biodegradable options exist!
Keep in mind, there ARE 100% biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes on the market that are 100% biodegradable! The bristles are usually made from natural materials such as animal fibers or plant-based fibers. Unfortunately, they are expensive to produce, meaning they are expensive to buy. But if you REALLY want a product that is 100% biodegradable and can afford them, these are the bamboo toothbrush for you!
Bamboo may be invasive.
Another concern is with the growing of bamboo. There is some debate over whether bamboo is considered to be an invasive species. Bamboo is a VERY hearty plant, and can quickly take over and overrun entire environments if not controlled carefully.
My personal opinion is that the benefits of growing bamboo outweigh the costs, and there ARE experts out there that have methods for controlling the rampant spread of bamboo forests.
Cost Comparison
The world of bamboo toothbrushes is evolving quickly, and new and improved products are coming out every month! At the time of writing, we can basically lump all of the bamboo toothbrushes into 3 categories:
Bamboo Handle, Nylon Brushes: Cheap. 95% eco.
This is the most common form of bamboo toothbrush that you’ll see on the market today. They sell for around $1-2 per brush, more or less identical in price to the plastic toothbrushes that are available today.
Nov. 2020 UPDATE: After testing multiple different brushes and not finding ones I was completely happy with, I had my own made and most highly recommend the Verdant Growth Bamboo toothbrushes!
Bamboo Handle, Natural Brushes: Expensive. 100% Super eco.
These are the Crème De La Crème of bamboo toothbrushes! They are 100% all natural, made from materials that COMPLETELY break down and get reabsorbed into nature. Great for the environment, but you pay for them.
Bamboo Handle, Replaceable Head/Brushes: Medium-priced, 98% eco.
There are a number of replaceable head bamboo toothbrushes available on the market. These are brushes where you buy the handle once, then after that you only dispose of the head and bristles, and can continually re-use your handle while replacing the brushes!
I personally haven’t tried them yet, but once I finish my current set, I’m going to give these a try!
Nov. 2020 UPDATE: The set I previously had posted here have disappeared from Amazon, and it looks like this type in no longer being sold. Links removed.
So how do bamboo toothbrushes compare practically? My experience and review of bamboo toothbrushes
Pretty much the same.
I’m still new to the world of bamboo toothbrushes. I purchased my first bamboo toothbrushes last month and I’ve been using them ever since. I’ve found that in terms of usability, they are 98% the same as using plastic toothbrushes.
The brushes I purchased are nylon, so they don’t feel any different from any other toothbrush you can buy that is made of plastic. The handle is bamboo, which to me feels great! I love the natural feel of the handle.
Minor complaint: They can play a little rough.
If I have any complaints at all about bamboo toothbrushes, it’s that when I first started using the TriLink bamboo toothbrushes that I purchased, I used them exactly as I would a plastic toothbrush, and, as I should have realized right away…It’s not plastic. Bamboo, without any kind of wood treatment, is going to be rougher than smooth plastic. And that slight abrasiveness caused my lip to bleed a tiny bit during the first couple of days. Just keeping in mind that my toothbrush is a little more abrasive than usual and being more mindful of my brushing eliminated that problem completely.
Overall, Super Happy and Eco!
As a whole, I’m really pleased with my switch to bamboo toothbrushes! With one little change in purchases, I’ve reduced a sizable amount of plastic that I normally just throw into the trash. While the set I use now have nylon bristles, I’m always looking for the next eco-friendly option that will be 100% biodegradable at a price point I can afford.
November, 2020 UPDATE: I recently began the Eco Swap Shop where I now sell Verdant Growth Bamboo toothbrushes! The brushes are super soft, and handle rounded to prevent any discomfort and a brushing experience exactly the same as a plastic toothbrush! Buy a set now!
Final Thoughts
Quick, Easy, Eco.
Bamboo toothbrushes are great. Once I switched to them, I wondered “why haven’t we ALL been using these for years? Why have I used plastic toothbrushes for so long?” You can use them just like a regular toothbrush, and it saves the environment from a ton of unnecessary plastic!
Plastic is great, but…
I’m an engineer. I’m not trying to demonize plastic. Plastic is a wonderful product: it is cheap, lightweight, easy to manufacture, can become any shape, is strong and durable, and is non-reactive with oxygen(i.e. doesn’t break down over time naturally). But for those very same reasons that it is amazing, it is also absolutely awful for the environment. Plastic has it’s place, and it belongs in our life for many applications from surgical implants to long-term use items in our homes that we WANT to last forever (imagine if all your electrical wiring was encased in something that broke down over time…Or if your toilet’s plumbing degraded (still an actual problem with some metal piping in older houses)…).
But for simple things that we dispose of regularly and don’t NEED to be made of plastic, we should be making them with renewable and sustainable materials like bamboo.
TL;DR
Bamboo toothbrushes are great for an environmentally-friendly eco swap that requires no change of habits (be gentle, they’re a little rougher than plastic).
Pros:
- Biodegradable
- Reduces atmospheric CO2
- Sustainable
- (Almost) No change in usage from plastic toothbrushes
Cons:
- Most still use nylon for brushes (Still better than ALL plastic!)
- Can be more expensive if you want all-natural materials.
Recommendation: Make the change. Do it now. You’ll wish you had done it sooner.
3 types are available:
- Medium priced, 95% biodegradable, w/ less waste (No longer available for purchase)
What do you think? Are there better products I didn’t list? Am I wrong about bamboo toothbrushes? Tell me down in the comments below!
Interested in seeing more eco swaps? Check out my blog post 6 Easy Eco Swaps You Can Make RIGHT NOW!