How Do I Dispose of a Bamboo Toothbrush?

Dispose of a bamboo toothbrush by removing the bristles and recycling them, then composting the handle. Bamboo is far better than plastic-- because over a billion plastic toothbrushes are tossed into United States landfills every year, making about 50 million pounds of waste. Not only do these piles of plastic brushes clog landfills and take hundreds of years to decompose, but they also release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.

That’s where a bamboo biodegradable toothbrush comes in. It is a fast-growing, readily available material that can stand strong in the face of daily brushing and can completely decompose in as little as three months when disposed of properly.

Remove the Bristles

The bristles are recyclable but not compostable, so the first step in disposing of a bamboo toothbrush is to remove the bristles. Place the toothbrush on a towel or tray and then pull the bristles out using a pair of tweezers or small pliers. Don’t try and pull out all of them at once. Instead, remove a few at a time using a gentle rolling motion. After taking out all of the bristles, place them inside a recyclable plastic container, like an old water bottle, and throw them into the plastic-- not the mixed-- recycling bin.

Compost the Bamboo Handle

Once the bristles are gone, the bamboo toothbrush handle is biodegradable and can go in a compost bin. You can place it wherever you put your other compostable materials-- in a commercial composter or an at-home bin. Don’t compost? Bury it in some soil in your yard or at a local park. Make sure to break it into smaller pieces to speed up the process.

Depending on the temperature, soil type, and atmosphere, the bamboo handle will decompose in three months to three years.

Alternatives to Disposal

Though you shouldn’t brush your teeth with your bamboo toothbrush after three months, you can still use it in other ways. Consider putting your old toothbrush to use with some of these alternatives:

• Use it as a paintbrush or paint stir stick
• Place it with your cleaning supplies for scrubbing small stains or those hard-to-reach spots
• Save it for arts and crafts projects
• Use it as a sign in your herb garden to label different plants
• Keep it with your makeup kit for applying eyebrow gel or color

Bamboo Toothbrushes from Terra & Co.

If you want to make the switch from problematic plastic to biodegradable, Terra & Co. is here to help. Our bamboo toothbrushes are sustainable and luxurious, helping you keep your teeth clean and our planet free from plastic.