What Can I Do With My Used Bamboo Toothbrush?

Author: Hai Le

Updated on December 2, 2025 • Estimated read time: 6 minutes

Fun Fact: According to Foreo, Americans throw away 1 billion plastic toothbrushes every year, adding nearly 50 million pounds of waste to landfills annually. (That’s a staggering amount for something we only use for a few months!)

As more people switch to using bamboo toothbrushes to reduce plastic waste, a common question arises: What should you do with your bamboo toothbrush once it’s worn out? While many people simply throw them in the trash out of habit, there are actually a number of sustainable ways to reuse, recycle, or compost them.

In this blog post, we’ll break down everything you need to know, from how to properly dispose of your bamboo toothbrush to fun and creative ways to give it a second life. By the end, you’ll be able to choose the most sustainable option for both your lifestyle and the environment.

Recycling Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

Before you toss your bamboo toothbrush into the recycling bin, always check with your local municipality to see if they accept bamboo toothbrushes in their recycling program. You can find this information on their website or by contacting them directly.

Tip: If your local recycling program doesn't accept bamboo toothbrushes, you can sign up for recycling companies like TerraCycle. These are recycling company that specializes in recycling hard-to-recycle items, including toothbrushes.

And of course, you can also recycle your used bamboo toothbrush manually. There's probably less than 2g of plastic in total, but every little helps.

The bristles of your bamboo toothbrush are typically made of nylon, which is a 100% recyclable plastic. To recycle them manually, get a tweezer or a plier and start removing the bristles by pulling them out of the head. The bristles should go into a plastic recycling bin.

Tip: To make it easier to recycle the bristles, I recommend that you put all the bristles inside a small plastic container to keep all the plastic waste tight in one place, ready to be correctly recycled.

Summary: Bamboo toothbrushes often contain recyclable materials, such as nylon bristles. If your local recycling program doesn't accept bamboo toothbrushes, you can recycle them manually by removing the nylon bristles and placing them in a plastic recycling bin. Or send them to a company like TerraCycle, which specializes in recycling hard-to-recycle items.

Photo: © Eleonora Grigorjeva via Getty Images

Composting Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

Fun Fact: Bamboo isn’t just the fastest-growing plant on Earth, it’s also naturally biodegradable. A bamboo toothbrush handle can break down in the environment just like a fallen tree branch, without leaving behind harmful microplastics.

Once you've removed and recycled the nylon bristles, what remains is a 100% natural bamboo handle, which makes composting one of the most eco-friendly disposal methods available.

If you have a home compost bin, you can simply add the handle to it. Bamboo will gradually decompose, enriching the soil as it breaks down. (If your compost pile is active, warm, and well-maintained, the handle can break down even faster!)

(Extra Step) Dispose Of The Packaging: If you buy your bamboo toothbrush at Ecopify, then the packaging is always and should be 100% compostable and recyclable. You can do something creative with it, recycle it, or throw it in your compost bin.

Tip: Check your local municipality for a composting program if you don't have a home compost bin. Many communities have these programs in place to handle organic waste, including bamboo.

You can read this blog post to learn How To Properly Dispose Of Your Bamboo Toothbrush.

Summary: Even though bamboo is one of the most renewable materials on the planet, it's still important to dispose of bamboo toothbrushes properly to help promote a cleaner, healthier environment. (The bamboo handle can break down naturally anywhere, even in the landfill. Placing them in a compost bin is the most eco-friendly choice!)

Photo: © Cup of Couple via Pexels

Reusing Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

One of the best things about bamboo toothbrushes, besides being eco-friendly, is how easily they can be repurposed once they’re no longer suitable for brushing your teeth. Instead of tossing them out, you can give them a second life for a variety of creative projects and other tasks around the house. Here are a few ideas:

• Basic Cleaning: The bristles of a toothbrush are perfect for scrubbing away dirt and dust buildup. Simply dip the toothbrush in a mixture of water and mild soap solution, and then scrub the desired surfaces until clean.
• Detailed Cleaning: Toothbrushes can also be used to clean small items or any area where there are space limitations. Jewelry, such as rings, necklaces, and earrings. Or small appliances, such as coffee makers, blenders, and toasters, can easily be cleaned with a used bamboo toothbrush.

Other creative ideas to do with a used bamboo toothbrush:

• Polishing Shoes - Use the handle of your toothbrush to brush dirt and debris off your shoes.
• Cleaning Brush - Cleaning inside jars and shallow glassware or cleaning bicycle chains, grout, and jewelry.
• Plant Marker - Write the name of your plant on the handle. This is a fun and eco-friendly way to label your plants.
• Stirrer - You can stir things or your compost pile with the handle of your toothbrush to help it break down evenly.
• Art Projects - Create a variety of art projects, such as sculptures, paintings, and mosaics, or make a variety of jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Simply cut the handle into desired lengths.
• Music Instruments - You can use bamboo toothbrush handles to make a variety of musical instruments, such as drums, rattles, and chimes.

Summary: Reusing your bamboo toothbrush is an easy way to reduce waste while getting extra value out of something you already own. Whether you use the bristle head for detailed cleaning or transform the handle into an art piece, your old toothbrush can continue helping you long after its days of brushing are over.

Quick Takeaway

Even though bamboo toothbrushes are a far more sustainable choice than plastic ones, how you dispose of them can make an even bigger difference. Instead of tossing them in the trash, consider recycling, composting, or reusing your used bamboo toothbrush.

For example, you can remove the nylon bristles and compost the bamboo handle or repurpose it for small household cleaning tasks. These can further help extend the life of the product and reduce even more unnecessary waste.

Again, no matter how you choose to dispose of your used bamboo toothbrush, you can be sure that you're making a more sustainable choice than using a plastic toothbrush. Every bamboo toothbrush you use is a sustainable way to reduce plastic pollution, conserve resources, and inspire others to make eco-friendly swaps in their daily routines.

Frequently Asked Questions Relate To This Blog:

Question #1: Is it better to choose a toothbrush with replaceable heads to reduce waste?

Answer: Yes, it is generally better to choose a toothbrush with replaceable brush heads because you are only throwing away the bristle head instead of throwing away the entire toothbrush. However, you should not expect to use the same toothbrush handle forever. The handle often gets dirty or damaged over time, which could lead to discomfort and unnecessary issues.

Question #2: Can I compost my used bamboo toothbrush?

Answer: Absolutely, you can compost your used bamboo toothbrush. However, the bristles are typically made of nylon, which is not biodegradable. You first need to remove the bristles by pulling them out with pliers, then you can compost the bamboo handle and recycle the toothbrush bristles.

Question #3: How long does it take for a bamboo toothbrush to compost?

Answer: In a commercial composting facility, they can break down in weeks, while in a home compost bin, they may take 3-6 months. And if buried in the ground, they can take up to 3 years to decompose. The amount of time depends on a number of factors, including the size and thickness of the toothbrush, the temperature and humidity of the compost pile, and the presence of other organic materials.

Question #4: What’s the best way to remove the Nylon bristles before composting?

Answer: The best way to remove the bristles is to use a pair of needle-nose pliers or tweezers to grasp small clusters of bristles at their base, then gently twist and pull. Alternatively, the second best is to simply snap off the head if pliers are unavailable.