Oral hygiene products are the source of a lot of plastic waste in the bathroom and yet something we need to use every day. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for more sustainable dental care items – plastic-free toothbrushes, toothpastes, and even flosses. If you replace your plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes when they’re finished with some of these plastic-free products*, you’ll be able to make your tooth-brushing time a lot more eco-friendly.
*These are not imperfect options…
In fact, plastic-free is a bit of a misnomer, despite many brands claiming it of their product. As Bite explains in a video on their site, there are currently no toothbrushes on the market with plastic-free AND vegan bristles. Every toothbrush has either animal hair bristles or plastic (usually nylon) bristles, the latter of which are obviously not compostable.
Alas, we must brush our teeth and thus settle for either plastic-based bristles or animal product toothbrushes.
Most of the products on this list are vegan, but there are a few compostable silk-flosses I’ve included alongside a few brands’ plastic-free & vegan products. I’ve indicated each vegan item with a (v).
Check Etsy first for local vendors in your area if these stores are not nearby. Keep an eye out for vendors at farmers markets and co-ops too – you’ll likely find options there where you won’t need a toothbrush shipped separately.
The best eco-friendly move we can make is usually to reduce, then reuse, and then recycle. So if you have a stock of plastic toothbrushes at home already, use those first before ordering more and consider some of these nifty uses for old toothbrushes.
Finally, most of the plastic-free toothbrush options below are compostable, and many of the oral care products offer plastic refill packets to keep the green going. It’s a small switch to make but it can save millions of toothbrushes from the landfill if we all used a plastic-free toothbrush just once this year.
American-Based Plastic-Free Toothbrush Companies
Bite – California, USA
Cute packaging and a website with a super clear and thoughtful sustainability policy. We love to see it.
toothpaste tabs (v):
$12 for one, $20 for two, $30 for four month supply | Mint charcoal, and mint flavors
bamboo toothbrush (v):
$12 | Working on a send-back program for the toothbrush bristles & heads. Detachable head.
MamaP Life – USA, various
Toothbrushes for a cause. 10% of sales go toward products with a matching cause like mental health or ocean conservation.
Bamboo toothbrush (v):
$30 for 5, $12 for 1 plus cute graphic printed carry bag
Package Free Shop – New York, USA
Package Free Shop curates eco-friendly products from lots of vendors. The bamboo toothbrush is a personal fave with a super minimalistic, clean design.
Bamboo toothbrush (v):
$4.49
Dental Lace Floss (v):
$11.99 | 2 spools
Dental Lace Floss Refill (v):
$9.99
Compostable Silk Floss:
$7
Well Earth Goods – Oregon, USA
100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging. Plus they know what they’re doing on instagram!
bamboo toothbrush (v):
$7
bamboo toothbrush case (v):
$19.50
zero-waste toothpaste tablets (v):
$14/two month supply, $12.50 for subscription
Tooth powder (v):
$24
zero-waste silk floss:
$11
floss double refills:
$14
Plastic-Free Toothbrushes Around the World
Kooler Things – Worldwide
This is the toothbrush I’m currently using. My first one had a sudden issue where the bristles fell out, about two weeks after using it. The other two I’ve used have been great though and I love the look and feel of brushing.
Charcoal bamboo toothbrush (v):
$9.99 | pack of 8 on Amazon
Sustainable Corner – Worldwide
Curating a marketplace of sustainable goods make from eco-friendly manufacturers.
bamboo toothbrush (v):
$13.65
bamboo toothbrush case (v):
$11
LUSH – Worldwide
100% recycled and recyclable packaging.
Toothpaste tabs (v):
$10.95/bottle | Boom, dirty, miles of smiles, and limelight flavors.
Mouthwash tabs (v):
$9.95/bottle | Pangalactic gargle blaster and Crème de menthe flavors.
The Humble Co – Worldwide
Playful bristle color options that bring a pleasant twist to the basic bamboo designs.
Toothbrush (v):
$15.96, set of 4
Toothpaste (v):
$8.98, set of 2 | charcoal, mint, cinnamon, strawberry, ginger, and coconut flavors
PureSophy – Hjoerring, Denmark
Multiple options for bristle hardness, and a sleek toothbrush design all the way around.
bamboo toothbrush (v):
$4.95
bamboo toothbrush case (v):
$11
silk dental floss:
$6
Nelson’s Naturals – British Colombia, Canada
Glass bottles, and plastic-free, vegan toothpastes.
Crush & brush toothpaste tablets (v):
$13.99/bottle (80 tablets) | Mint charcoal and mint flavors:
toothpaste jars (v):
$9.99 for 60 ml jar. | Citrus spice, cinnamon, fennel, forest fresh, and spearmint flavors.
BKind – Montreal, Canada
Lovely affordable toothbrushes with a black-bottomed handle with the reminder to BKind.
Bamboo toothbrush (v):
5.95 CAD
Dirty Hippie Cosmetics – Hall, Australia
Best-selling zero-waste store on Etsy with a wide range of beauty products.
Tooth Powder (v):
$10.68, $8.55 | refills (Peppermint Rose, Peppermint, Cinnamon Bun)
Biome – Australia
All products are palm oil free.
Eco Floss (v):
$6.95 | Plastic free packaging, biodegradable floss, refills available.
Bamboo toothbrush (v):
$4.95
Toothpaste powder (v):
$12.95/50g | various flavors
Battle Green – Northern Wales, U.K.
Zero waste, eco-friendly and vegan products.
bamboo toothbrush (v):
$6.09
bamboo travel case (v)
$10.88
remineralizing tooth powder (v):
$10.47
refill on tooth powder (v):
$9.10
Save Some Green – Wiltshire, U.K.
Plastic-free company – more of these please!
Bamboo toothbrush (v):
$2.72
Bamboo toothbrush case (v):
$7
Dental Floss (v):
$5.45 to $8.16
Plastic Free Floss:
$5.45 to $8.16
Tooth Tabs Refill (v):
$2.72 for 62 tabs
Tooth Tabs w/Tin (v):
$3.50 for 62 tabs, $15.25 for 6 month supply
Thanks for reading!
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