Rise n shine!
What’s the first thing that we do in the morning?
Perhaps, get up, of course, that’s a major task and then head straight to the bathroom to brush our pearly whites.
The toothbrush that you use is an interesting tool. As recommended, we are encouraged to replace our toothbrush after every three months. This amounts to utilizing about 3-4 toothbrushes in a year. Isn’t that so?And, like any other human we toss the rest, without pondering on the fact that where do these get dumped.
The big question is why I’m referring you all this. Being a postgraduate in the environment and a nature sweetheart, I’m concerned about the carbon footprint that an individual is in charge of. While there are numerous other pollution problems, I’d like to raise concerns over the plastic toothbrush waste that the world produces. This requires rigorous attention.
The US itself produces around 85 million pounds of plastic toothbrush waste annually.
This snippet of data is a disturbing fact, and we need to focus on finding alternative ways to reduce such enormous waste.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the ways this waste is hurting our planet.
The Poison Stream
The plastic utilized to assemble a toothbrush undergoes various processes that consume chemicals. Once this toothbrush lands in the landfill, it releases toxins that percolate deep into the soil or into the nearby water bodies.
Ecosystem Destruction
As mentioned above, the toxins in the water body are taken up by the marine animals. These remain in their bellies for long which either affect their progeny or the mankind who feeds on it.
The Decomposition Power
Would you be able to think about the decay rate? Well, the plastic toothbrush takes about approximately 400 years to deteriorate. That’s insane! And, we still are using the plastics. Time to shift to eco-friendly toothbrushes amigos.
The Manufacturing Pollution
The contamination begins at the initial stage only, before the toothbrush lands in our hands. While manufacturing nylon used for the bristles, a greenhouse gas, Nitrous oxide is released. This gas is excessively risky than our carbon dioxide.
Emptying Our Petroleum And Crude Oil Reserves
The next evil part is the consumption of the petroleum and the crude oil. The rubber and the handle of the toothbrush are produced at the cost of the oil wells.
The above sweeping problems lie on the surface, but what we disregard the most is the dental hygiene. A lot of bacteria build up while the toothbrush rests on your shelve. I’m sure you don’t want to encounter another splash of bacteria. Just kidding!!!
Nevertheless, it’s high time that we propel ourselves and encourage others to use eco-friendly toothbrushes like the the Giving Brush that creates less burden on our planet. Contribute towards a greener world today.
The Giving Brush is a company promoting sustainable and offering a yearly bamboo toothbrush subscription with lifetime free shipping. Subscribe today by going to GivingBrush.com!