PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSH POLLUTION

LIKE PLASTIC STRAWS, TOOTHBRUSHES ARE A BIG PART OF THE PLASTIC WASTE PROBLEM. IN THE UNITED STATES, OVER A BILLION TOOTHBRUSHES — EQUAL TO 50 MILLION POUNDS OF WASTE — ARE DISCARDED INTO LANDFILLS EVERY YEAR. THAT’S ENOUGH TO CIRCLE THE EARTH 4 TIMES!

AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSHES MAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL? BECAUSE THEY’RE TYPICALLY MADE FROM VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS LIKE CRUDE OIL, RUBBER, AND PLASTIC, THEY TAKE OVER 400 YEARS TO DECOMPOSE. AND DURING THAT LONG, DRAWN-OUT DECOMPOSITION PROCESS, TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE BEING RELEASED INTO THE AIR.

EACH OF US WILL USE 300 TOOTHBRUSHES IN OUR LIFETIME OR ROUGHLY 12 POUNDS WORTH OF PLASTIC POLLUTANTS. SURELY WE CAN DO BETTER!