It is reported that over 25,000 TONS of toothbrushes go into the landfill every year. 25,000 tons! To put the weight into perspective, 25,000 tons is how heavy the new U.S.S New York weighs. This new naval ship is 684 feet long by 105 feet wide. It is made up of mostly steel. Can you imagine that many toothbrushes going into landfill each YEAR? Neither could we.
Since the American Dental Association suggests changing your toothbrush every 3-4 month, we wondered what you could use your toothbrush for instead of sacrificing it to the landfill.
Delta Dental of Colorado is currently conducting a poll to see what everyone does with their old toothbrushes. Click on the link below to participate and enter to win a Sonicare toothbrush and a years’ supply of toothbrush replacement heads!
Delta Dental Replace & Reuse Contest
In order to figure out how Delta Dental could help, we did some research and found plenty of ideas to reduce the footprint of your old toothbrushes. Using a Sonicare is a great way to half (at least) your contribution to the 25,000 tons. The head of a toothbrush is the least heavy part and is usually hollow so it contains less plastic.
If you would like to completely go green with you toothbrush recycling project, look into Preserve Products. These toothbrushes are made from 100% recycled plastics. Once you are done with your Preserve Product, simply send it back to the company so they can recycle it all over again! Recycling your toothbrush is a great way to honor Earth Day.
What will YOU be doing to support our environment this Earth Day? Tell us in the comments!