Chances are you’ve thrown out a few toothbrushes in the past. Were any of those old toothbrushes recycled? Don’t worry if you weren’t already aware… but toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, and dental floss containers can all be recycled. If you’re like a few of our employees here at CleanRiver that didn’t know these dental items were recyclable before they were brought up to speed with our various recycling programs… you might be kicking yourself! Think of all those toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes that went to the landfill! Lucky for you, that problem can be solved. You’ll never have to make that mistake again after reading this:

What Is The Best Type Of Toothbrush?

Before we recycle, lets breakdown a list of the best toothbrush materials that are great alternatives to the traditional plastic toothbrush. Here are the most eco-friendly toothbrushes you can buy:
  • Bamboo toothbrushes
  • Bio-based plastic toothbrushes (typically made from sugar)
  • Recycled plastic toothbrushes
  • Spring-powered motor toothbrushes (battery-free electric toothbrush alternative)
  • Neem chew sticks (old school toothbrush)
zero waste plastic free toothbrushes Have you used or purchased any of the above toothbrush options before? If so then good on you! Eco-friendly toothbrushes are becoming more and more popular and by voting with your wallet… you’re letting manufacturers know that you want more sustainable options.

How Do You Dispose Of A Toothbrush?

There are a number of ways you can recycle your toothbrush that don’t involve the landfill or something worse. It’s already clear that there’s no better way to reduce your waste than buying toothbrushes made from recycled materials. But in terms of recycling old toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes that you already have, you can do any of the following:
  1. Mail your old toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes to companies that have dental recycling programs in place such as Colgate. (Sometimes you’ll even get a coupon back).
  2. Call your local recycling center to see if they accept the kind of plastic your toothbrush is made of.
  3. Ask your dentist if they have a toothbrush recycling program in place to recycle toothbrushes and other oral hygiene products. (If they don’t, then direct them to our recycling program whitepaper here).
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How To Recycle An Electric Toothbrush

Unlike manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes contain rechargeable batteries that are absolutely mandatory to recycle. If you work at an office with a battery recycling program or live nearby somewhere that has a commercial recycling bin for e-waste then that is a very easy way to dispose of old electric toothbrushes. However, you can simply check with your local electronic recycling center or search for any drop-off locations for rechargeable batteries instead. Government or private recycling programs are ultimately the best way to ensure that your electric toothbrush will be fully recycled. Click here for more information on how recycling programs can help to protect ecosystems. As you can tell, there are several ways to minimize the impact dental waste has on the environment. If you prefer the upcycling option, old toothbrushes can be great to keep around for scrubbing and cleaning various surfaces around the house. Also buying toothbrushes with replaceable heads will reduce the amount of waste generated by saving the handle for reuse. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for more recycling tips and tricks? Check out these other blogs: bottom banner CleanRiver Recycling provides a variety of innovative, flexible, and customizable recycling solutions. To determine the right solution to meet your needs, use the CleanRiver product selector. If you have additional questions that weren’t answered in this blog post please call us at 1-866-479-4038 or email solutions@cleanriver.com.