Can one toothbrush save the world?

Can one toothbrush save the world?

Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash

Is the earth flat? Can Superman exist in real life? Can Harry Potter bring his parents' back to life? The answer to all of these questions might be a big fat no, but the answer to the question that we are talking about is an absolute YES!

But first let's answer the question, why does the world need to be saved? And what kind of a toothbrush can do that? 

Nowadays we are all aware of the global problems caused due to the excess use of plastic. Search about any ecological problem and plastic will have a role to play in almost all of them. Notoriously known for not being biodegradable, about 5.8 billion tonnes of the total 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic made since 1960 has ended up in either landfills or the natural environment. But what kind of toothbrush can save us from this? The answer is a bamboo toothbrush, being eco-friendly, biodegradable, and sustainable the bamboo toothbrush can be instrumental in saving the world in many ways. 

Our world as we know it is made up of a lot of things and it is by saving those that we can save the world. So here are the things that a bamboo toothbrush can save:


It can save you :

Plastic has become an inescapable part of human existence. As plastic is not biodegradable, but only breaks down into smaller pieces, it ultimately ends up everywhere, cluttering the beaches, choking marine life, and sometimes in your food. Yes, you read it right, plastic that is not disposed of properly - finds its way to landfills and oceans. This plastic then breaks down and enters our bodies through drinking water and marine food like shellfish. It is estimated that we eat plastic equivalent to that of a fireman’s helmet annually.

Pretty daunting, right? Well, there is more to it. Since plastic is made from fossil fuels, an array of harmful toxins are released in the air and ocean during its production. Many of which are known to be carcinogenic in nature. Using a bamboo toothbrush can save you from all of this as it is biodegradable and decomposes within 3-4 months under appropriate conditions. Also growing bamboo doesn't require any toxins. 

By opting to use a bamboo toothbrush we can prevent about 600 million kilograms of plastic waste from entering nature and eventually our body.


Tokyo, Japan, March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Illustration


It can save the oceans:

About 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year and cause a plethora of problems by just being present. It disturbs the delicate balance of the marine world, chokes the life there, and gradually breaks down releasing harmful toxins in the water.

Since bamboo wood is biodegradable it doesn’t stay in water for long and is safe for life there. Another one of the wooden toothbrush benefits is that it doesn’t release toxins as it decomposes, so you can brush your teeth without the worry of hurting Nemo.

 

Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash


It can save the air:

Greenhouse gases and their ill effects on our climate have been a topic of discussion for the past few decades. Rising global temperatures and sea levels can be attributed to the increasing release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There is an urgent need to keep the emission of greenhouse gases in check and our use of plastic isn’t helping the cause.

The production of plastic releases various greenhouse gases like methane and SO2 in the air, warming the planet twice as much as aviation does. Moreover, popular plastic disposal techniques (incineration, co-incineration, gasification, and pyrosis) also contribute to contaminating the air. All of this makes the use of plastic toothbrushes an unsustainable practice. In contrast, using a bamboo toothbrush is viable even in the long run as bamboo grows very quickly, and using it as a resource doesn’t alter the ecological balance.

 

Photo by Maxim Tolchinskiy on Unsplash

Considering all the arguments listed above, I think it is safe to say that one toothbrush can in fact


It can save the world:

It can be instrumental in keeping your food plastic-free, it can help keep the fish alive and it can keep the scorching summer day from getting any hotter.

But there is a catch, a tiny little toothbrush can’t solve global problems on its own. A choice needs to be made by you, by me, and by everyone who wants to save the world. A choice, to use bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones, and who doesn’t like to make better choices?

Bigbluemarble has bamboo toothbrushes that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, and sustainably made. Also, they last as long as your regular toothbrush. So make a choice and experience the bamboo toothbrush benefits for yourself. 

 

 

Want to check the facts yourself? Here is the list of resources :

https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2019/2/20/report-plastic-threatens-human-health-at-a-global-scale

https://news.trust.org/item/20201208090301-obmrm

https://www.ciel.org/project-update/plastic-and-human-health-a-lifecycle-approach-to-plastic-pollution/

 

 

Back to blog

3 comments

Thanks for always reminding us of what’s important and how we can take small steps in making this world a better place to live in. We need more initiatives like yours. :)

Minal Jadeja

Microplastics in oceans these days are such a big problem and not talked about that often, thanks for shedding light on it!

PARTH KUSHWAHA

It’s time to act. We need to move towards a sustainable world.

Shiva

Leave a comment