What Can I Do With My Used Bamboo Toothbrush?

Author: Hai Le

Updated on April 29, 2024 • Estimated read time: 5 minutes

Fun Fact: According to Foreo, every year in the United States, we throw away 1 billion plastic toothbrushes. About 50 million pounds of waste added to landfills annually.

Bamboo toothbrushes are a sustainable alternative to plastic toothbrushes, but what can you do with them when they're worn out? Many people simply throw them in the trash, but this is a waste of resources and contributes to environmental pollution.

There are actually a number of ways to reuse, recycle, or compost your used bamboo toothbrush. In this blog post, we'll explore all the different options available so you can choose the one that's best for you and the planet.

Recycling Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

Note: Before you toss your bamboo toothbrush into the recycling bin, 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.

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 the bristles out of the head. The bristles should go into a plastic recycling bin.

Tip: To make it easier to recycle the bristles, I recommend you to 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 other materials, such as nylon bristles, so they need to be disposed of properly. 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.

Composting Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

Fun Fact: Bamboo is a fast-growing and highly renewable resource. It is also biodegradable, meaning that it can break down naturally as fast as a branch of a tree in the environment.

After you remove the plastic bristles to recycle, all you have left is a 100% biodegradable bamboo handle.

If you have a home compost bin, you can simply add the handle to it. The handle of your bamboo toothbrush can be composted in either a home or commercial compost bin.

(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: Bamboo is a renewable resource, but it's still important to dispose of bamboo toothbrushes properly to help promote a cleaner, healthier environment! The bamboo handle will break down naturally in the environment, even in the landfill, but it is better to toss the bamboo handle into the compost bin.

Reusing Your Used Bamboo Toothbrush

Bamboo toothbrushes are a sustainable alternative to plastic toothbrushes, but they can also be used 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: Bamboo toothbrushes are a sustainable alternative to plastic toothbrushes, and they can also be used for a variety of creative projects and other tasks around the house. You can use a bamboo toothbrush for any cleaning task where you need a small brush. Or you could reuse the handle in many creative ways. For example, you could use it to make a piece of jewelry, a craft project, or even a musical instrument.

Quick Takeaway

Bamboo toothbrushes are a sustainable alternative, but they still need to be disposed of properly. By recycling, composting, or reusing your used bamboo toothbrush, you can help to reduce waste and protect the environment.

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.

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 bristles 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: Yes, you can compost your used bamboo toothbrush. However, the bristle 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 bristle.

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

Answer: In general, it takes around 6 months for a bamboo toothbrush to completely compost. However, 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.