How To Find A Truly Sustainable Toothbrush
Have you ever thought about where your toothbrush came from? If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t even given it a second thought. You buy your toothbrush, unwrap the plastic and immediately start using it. You reason that because a new toothbrush comes in a package that it must be perfect and ready to go. But, that’s not always the case and not all manufacturing facilities are created equal. You should be aware that the majority of the toothbrushes we use on a daily basis are produced in unsanitary factories in China and are likely not clean when they arrive.
I can see your gears turning now, and you’re thinking about all the times you bought a toothbrush and used it right away without a second thought. You’re wondering where those toothbrushes actually came from and if they were dirty when you got them. While we can’t change the past, when we become aware, we can move forward and make better decisions.
Is There Such a Thing As a Sustainable Toothbrush Factory?
This is one of the biggest reasons why I am such a huge fan of the company TePe. TePe toothbrushes and related products are made in Sweden, and shipped all over the world from one Swedish facility. The factory uses very strict cleanliness guidelines, which I can’t say for a lot of other toothbrush facilities. TePe focuses on sustainability in three specific areas: materials, energy consumption, and transport.
Materials
Shift to renewable materials
TePe is in the process of phasing out fossil raw materials in their production, which has resulted in a launch of bio-based products, TePe Good, which we will talk about more in-depth later on. These products have a significantly smaller carbon footprint compared to traditional toothbrushes.
Shift to renewable/recycled packaging
TePe has a goal of reaching 100% renewable/recycled/FSC-certified materials in 2025, as well as improving packaging recyclability. Their new packaging is optimized for transport and dimensioned to fit pallet sizes, which helps lower the carbon footprint of transporting their products.
Renewable Energy
TePe uses renewable energy. They have upgraded their manufacturing equipment and cooling systems to make their buildings more energy efficient, utilizing as much heat as possible from production. TePe is Malmo, Sweden’s largest solar plant as of 2018. They also prioritize shipping by boat over air freight to lower the impact of shipments.
Transportation
TePe meticulously tracks the carbon emissions of their products. TePe takes responsibility by offsetting these emissions through Gold Standard/UN certified projects. Engaging in certified projects allows TePe to contribute to reducing carbon emissions globally while continuously working to reduce the remaining footprint of their operations. Investing in Gold Standard projects have a positive social impact on the local community.
How does carbon compensation work?
A carbon offset reduces or removes carbon dioxide emissions or other greenhouse gases to compensate for emissions elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO₂e). One ton of carbon offset represents reducing or removing one ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.
The TePe Good Line of Products
On top of all the amazing things that TePe is doing at their manufacturing facility, they have also developed a sustainable toothbrush and product line that are made from 96% biobased plastics. TePe Good products are made with two renewable raw materials, sugar cane and castor oil. Sugar cane is an efficient plant that captures CO2 and recycles up to 95% of the emissions. Toothbrush filaments are made with castor oil, which is an awesome renewable resource that replaces many traditional chemicals.
Plus it has all of the great designs of a traditional TePe product, which are designed in collaboration with dental experts. So you’ll still be getting a great product, with proven results, and the added benefit of sustainability. Now that’s a win/win!
Bonus Tip: How To Clean Your Toothbrush and Get It Prepared For First Use
Even if you aren’t ready to switch to a more sustainable toothbrush, at the bare minimum, you should clean your toothbrush before you start using it. It’s pretty simple, just follow these four steps:
Wash your toothbrush with soap and water.
Rinse your toothbrush thoroughly to make sure you get any excess soapy residue.
Then, let your toothbrush dry completely.
Finally, you want to inspect your toothbrush bristles to make sure that they aren’t broken and that they aren’t going to come out. Randomly enough, sometimes that does happen, and we want to make sure that things aren’t getting stuck underneath our gums because those can create gum infections, like when a popcorn kernel gets stuck. If a bristle gets stuck, it can have the same reaction, where our body creates a gum infection in trying to get rid of it.
I hope that this helped you consider doing some research on where the products you use in your mouth are produced.
If you are interested in learning more about TePe, and specifically their line of sustainable toothbrushes, check out the TePe Good line of products here.
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