And Why You Should Buy One…
Ahhh me ol’ bamboo, me ol’ bamboo… I don’t know who loves this woody grass more, Dick Van Dyke or the Pandas. One thing’s for certain, though, they both have a cracking smile!
Yes, that’s right, I’m here to tell you that you, like Dick (what a well placed comma), can pack in plastic dental hygiene today and trade it in for a more natural and sustainable, biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
What’s more, you can do it all without fear of losing your trademark sparkling smile. “But how can one man possibly know all this!?” I hear you ask.
Answer? Because I, too, shared these fears…
If Tooth Be Told (athankyou)
Since being diagnosed with acute ‘shark mouth’ and having a fixed brace fitted at the age of 14, I have been a dental hygiene fanatic. The reason? The Big Book Of British Smiles.
Yes, that vast file of photographs documenting the dissolving teeth of negligent brace-wearers truly exists. As such, my formative audience with this hefty tome horrified me to such an extent that to this day, you will always find me in the bathroom at parties.
Naturally, then, I was hesitant to swap my tried and tested plastic tooth tickler for the sustainable bamboo brush my morals screamed out for.
However, when I received a couple of the biodegradable brushes as a gift last Christmas, I knew it was time to bite the bamboo bullet and see what they could do. Several months on, things are going great and I cannot wait to get my dentures fitted…
.. Not really. Happily, I can confirm that my pearly whites remain just as clean as they always did (see rather attractive pic). In fact, such is their gloss that when I told a friend of my desire to visit Africa on safari, he advised me not to go lest I be poached for my ivory!
If that isn’t enough to tempt you to switch, then allow me to register my toothy disgust and offer, for your consideration:
Six Reasons To Switch To A Bamboo Toothbrush
- It’s biodegradable… largely: yes, it’s stating the obvious but this is the most important factor and so is worth repeating. When you throw away your plastic toothbrush, the whole thing is going to end up in the environment and we all know where that leads… up a turtle’s bum. Well… that or back to us via a whole host of other animals and environments.
So if you don’t fancy finding someone else’s used brush in your fish & chips next week, purchase a biodegradable bamboo brush, pop the bristles in your recycling bin and do whatever you like with the rest… within reason...
- Those charcoal-infused bristles: the bristles of the brushes I’m going to recommend are infused with charcoal, a substance known to have teeth whitening properties! Looking for a whiter grin? Buying a bamboo brush might just help you along the way. Take that, normal, non-infused plastic brushes!
- Bamboo fights bacteria: You hear me right! Bamboo has antibacterial qualities. Why choose a plastic, bacteria hosting brush when you can choose a natural, bacteria-fighting alternative!?
- Bamboo grows fast: And when I say fast, I mean three feet a day, fast. In fact it holds the world record for fastest plant growth (in your face, rhubarb).
This is important because, following harvest, it matures again much faster than many other crops, reducing the temptation to clear more land! Who knew, right!?
- CO2: Bamboo can absorb up to five times more CO2 than other plants. ‘Nuff said.
- Eco-friendly packaging: Yup, not only are these brushes sustainably made but they come in packaging that biodegrades too. Gone are the times of buying a plastic toothbrush wrapped in plastic.
Bonus Point – You’ll earn my respect: Who doesn’t want that!?… Don’t answer that.
Which Bamboo Brush Should I Buy?
I’m going to recommend just a few brushes for now (as I haven’t tried too many and they’re all great) and, unfortunately, like the vast majority of sustainable brushes, they all have nylon bristles.
Strangely, at the moment, those that don’t use nylon use animal hair instead which is not only ethically questionable but also apparently too coarse for the job anyway.
That said, a bamboo brush with plastic bristles is a vast improvement on a 100% plastic brush and so, while I’d prefer to recommend fully sustainable brushes if I can, this is the best we can currently do.
With that in mind, I’ll add to the list as I find and try more! Onwards!
Price: £2.49
Biodegradable: 90% (all but the bristles).
Handle: Sustainably grown, 100% biodegradable bamboo. Bacteria and odour resistant.
Bristles: Recyclable nylon. Infused with bamboo charcoal. Medium-soft. BPA-chemical-free.
Guarantee: Not only will Vove/brou plant one tree for every purchase made but if you aren’t happy with the brush, they guarantee a full refund if you send it back. How’s that for confidence!?
Amazon Rating From 499 Reviews: 4.3 out of five
My Review: 4.5 out of 5 – slightly rough and has plastic bristles. My pick of the two.
The Vove/brou brush boasts a nice, round handle so that you can get a decent grip of the thing. That being said, I found the finish on the head of the brush slightly rough but not to the extent it caused any problems or irritation.
The bamboo-charcoal infused bristles feel firm and reliable, the handle is biodegradable and the bristles recyclable – can’t ask for much more than that! £2.49 is a small price to pay for such a high quality, sustainable brush.
*Watch this space* Speaking of not asking for much more, excitingly, Vove have informed me that they are currently in the process of switching their bristles from recyclable nylon to castor bean oil. This will make their brushes fully biodegradable and renewable.
As soon as these become available I’ll be sure to get my hands on one and let you know how it goes!
BooBrush (Amazon)/BooBrush (Official) (not currently available outside of Australia)
Price: £4.01
Biodegradable: 90% (all but the bristles).
Handle: 100% biodegradable moso bamboo toothbrush handle. Bacteria and odour resistant.
Bristles: Binchotan activated charcoal-infused tapered BPA-free bristles.
Guarantee: Money back guarantee. Don’t like it? Just like Vove/brou, BooBrush offer a full refund if you send it back. Can’t say no to that!
Amazon Rating From 174 Reviews: 4.3 out of 5
My Review: 4.3 out of 5 – smoother finish but slightly more expensive with a less ergonomic design and plastic bristles.
The BooBrush is a cracking little brush with comfortable, charcoal-infused bristles. Its handle is more in line with a traditional, flat toothbrush which can make use slightly fiddly at times but this is a minor issue for someone who’s evolved opposable thumbs. At £4.01 it’s only marginally more expensive than the Vove/brou brush but it’s still worth every penny.
Price: £4.99
Biodegradable: 90% (all but the bristles).
Handle: 100%, FSC-certified biodegradable bamboo toothbrush handle. Bacteria and odour resistant.
Bristles: Charcoal-infused, BPA-free nylon bristles.
Guarantee: N/A
Amazon Rating: N/A
My Review: 4.4 out of 5 – firm, smooth and hits all the right spots – everything you’d want in a toothbrush (get your mind out the gutter!). As always, plastic bristles are a shame but there aren’t any realistic alternatives thus far.
The Acala Adult Bamboo Toothbrush is a lovely and efficient little brush. I found the bristles to be firm but with enough give so as not to cause undue wear on the gums. Likewise, the finish on the bamboo handle is smooth, splinter-free and slightly rounded which makes it easy to grip for those of us who are all fingers and thumbs.
A Note On Electric Toothbrushes
If you’re an electrified brusher, finding a sustainable brush head can be incredibly difficult. There are options on the market but thus far, to my knowledge, no one has mastered the creation of a fully biodegradable head. Instead, you can find heads that are made out of fully recyclable plastic. All you need do is send them back to the maker once you’re done!
While I’m no authority on electric toothbrushes and their recyclable heads, here are a few links to give you an idea of what you can try:
Livecoco Recyclable Brush Heads
Price: £6.97
Biodegradable: No.
Recyclable: 100% – through company-operated ‘closed loop’ recycling system. Send them back after use and they’ll do the rest.
Stem: 100% recyclable plastic.
Bristles: Binchotan charcoal fibre-infused nylon bristles.
Amazon Rating From 1338 Reviews: 4.7 out of 5
Envirodental Recyclable Brush Heads
Price: £7.99 for 8
Biodegradable: No.
Recyclable: 100% – through the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Programme. Either send them yourself or back to the company.
Stem: 100% Recyclable Packaging.
Bristles: Activated charcoal bristles.
Amazon Rating From 6 Reviews: 4.8 out of 5
A Sustainable Summary
Well, that’s about that for now. I hope you’ve been inspired to dump your plastic brush and pick up a bamboo alternative – it doesn’t have to break the bank and they’re just as effective.
Moving forward, look out for my exciting posts on sustainable dental floss (please, try to contain your excitement!) and the many other ways you can live your life more sustainably to help save the planet.
Have a good one!
