By Michelle Ross
The toothbrush: Millions of toothbrushes are thrown into the landfills every year because they are not recyclable. A toothbrush consists of three separate parts: the nylon bristles, the metal staple that holds the nylon in place and the plastic handle made from polypropylene. All three of these components would have to be separated in order to be processed for recycling.
A toothbrush is replaced, on average, every 3 months. That’s 4 toothbrushes per year per person that is thrown into the landfill because the components need to be separated before they are recyclable. There is a place called Terracycle that accepts old toothbrushes for recycling purposes. They will separate the components before recycling. Both the nylon and polypropylene handle are shredded, cleaned and converted into pellets for use in other products produced by Terracycle such as picnic tables, benches, playground equipment and garden tools. The metal staples are then processed through standard recycling methods.
There are several different toothbrushes that can be purchased as eco-friendly options. The handle of a Recycline Preserve toothbrush is made from recycled Stoneyfield yogurt cups and can be put into the recyclable bin or sent back to Recycline at the end of its life.
Eco-dent makes a Terradent line of toothbrushes that use replaceable heads. For a sustainable toothbrush Radius makes a stylus recyclable toothbrush from naturally occurring cellulose derived from sustainable yield forests, not plastic.
For those who like the mass-market toothbrushes there is an online company called Toothbrush Express that will accept old toothbrushes via the mail and send you a new one at predetermined intervals.
Another option for mass-market toothbrushes is to get creative! HGTV’s crafts guru Carol Duvall recommends using old toothbrushes to make kids bracelets. Place the toothbrush in boiling water for 1 minute to remove the bristles and then wrap the brush around a jar to cool. They make great gifts too!
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