In the last few years, global market data has shown a steady increase in sales of bamboo toothbrushes. Indeed, this more sustainable alternative to the ordinary plastic toothbrush has gained quite a lot of fans all over the world. In an effort to do their share in taking care of the environment, many people have already switched from plastic to bamboo.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a Bamboo Toothbrush?
As with any other product, the bamboo toothbrush does have its share of pros and cons. If you are thinking of getting one for you and your family, it might be a good idea to first have a clear understanding of what you can gain or lose before you actually buy some.
Pros
Bamboo is a very sustainable material
Bamboo is a grass that grows at a rate of about a meter a day on its own, so there would hardly be a problem with supply. With the aid of fertilizers and other natural growing methods, the growth rate can drastically increase. The specific type of bamboo used by bamboo toothbrush manufacturers is known as Moso bamboo. These are not the ones that pandas feed on. Thus, harvesting the bamboo will not affect the pandas at all.
Bamboo toothbrushes have a long life span
Some people think that bamboo toothbrushes will not last as long as plastic ones and will need to be replaced more often. That is not the case at all. With the help of the carbonization process, the bamboo handles become more durable and will last for a few months.
Bamboo is a completely recyclable material
Toothbrushes do need to be replaced every so often when the bristles become unfit for use. In this event, a bamboo toothbrush can be recycled or repurposed in many ways. Some of the common uses are as plant markers or as materials for arts and crafts projects.
Cons
The bristles are still made of nylon
Although the bamboo handle is fully recyclable, there is still no sustainable material that is suitable to use for the bristles. This part of the toothbrush is non-recyclable. The good news is that most bamboo toothbrush manufacturers do not use glue in installing the bristles, thus they can easily be separated from the handle come recycling time.
Some bamboo toothbrushes come in plastic packaging
This actually defeats the purpose of the bamboo toothbrush as being a sustainable and eco-friendly product. If you are looking to buy bamboo toothbrushes, do make sure that you get only those that come in recyclable packing.
Bamboo toothbrushes are slightly more expensive than plastic ones
It is very cheap to mass produce plastic items such as toothbrushes, hence the very low price. The process of making bamboo toothbrushes is a bit longer and more costly, so the retail price of these toothbrushes can also be quite high.
Conclusion
The bamboo toothbrush is not a perfect replacement to the regular plastic toothbrush. But it is easy to see that the pros do outweigh the cons. You just need to find a reliable manufacturer in order to ensure that you are getting a good product.
