The Green Zone

Guest blog from EDA Corporate Member World Centric

We all know that toothbrushes help us keep our teeth clean… but what can we do to ensure that those same toothbrushes aren’t dirtying up our environment once we’re done with them? Enter the compostable toothbrush, a recent innovation that we are very excited about.

Did you know that every year some 450 million plastic toothbrushes are tossed out with the trash and end up in US landfills? That’s a lot of waste – and a lot of toothbrushes that could be disposed of in a responsible way, if we just had a better solution than the landfill!

We thought it would be an interesting idea making a toothbrush and reusable carrying case made from a compostable corn-based bio-plastic instead of petroleum-based plastic. That means a toothbrush with a smaller manufacturing carbon footprint that will also turn into nutrient-rich soil if sent to a commercial composting facility for disposal.

Consumers these days are actively looking for green, environmentally responsible alternatives to just about everything. So, why not a toothbrush made from corn that won’t leave a negative lasting impact on the environment? We think our little compostable toothbrush has the potential to take a really big bite out of dental-related waste.

We are, however, still trying to figure one thing out – the nylon bristles on our toothbrush are not compostable. In response, we added a notch on the neck of the toothbrush so you can break the head off before you compost the rest of it. And for those teeth-brushers out there who don’t have access to a commercial composting facility in their area, World Centric will even provide a prepaid envelope so the toothbrush and case can be returned to us – and we’ll make sure they reach a commercial composting facility ourselves.

If you’re an EDA member, contact info@ecodentistry.org today to receive your free World Centric Compostable Toothbrush sample!

About World Centric:

World Centric began in 2004 as a non-profit with a mission to raise awareness of large-scale environmental issues. Now, as a for-profit, it strives to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. World Centric is a certified B Corporation, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.  In addition to offsetting all carbon emissions, World Centric also donates 25% of pre-tax profits to nonprofit grassroots organizations focused on social or environmental change.