Bamboo toothbrushes? Huh?

Am I the only one who finds brushing your teeth to be a chore? It doesn't take long. Requires little effort. And yet, I almost have to force myself to do it.

But hey! Twenty-seven years old and no cavities! (Knock on wood)

While the action of brushing your teeth kind of sucks, I do love buying a new toothbrush/toothpaste. What color should I get? Pink? Blue? The possibilities are endless! And hey, if I don't like it, I can always buy a new one soon. No big deal.

...Apparently, it is a big deal.

What happens to toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes when you're done with them is something I've never thought of. Ever. Well, until a friend posted the following article and video on Facebook:

http://www.sarahwilson.com/2016/09/8-bits-of-plastic-you-can-quit-right-now/

OMG. Mind. Blown.

It was really these statistics that made me sit back and say, "Whoa." I gotta do something.

What I found most amazing, though, was some of these solutions aren't that difficult. I don't think I'll ever be the kind of person who can fit all of her trash into one mason jar over the course of a year. But I'm willing to try. Follow me on my journey that began with a step, quickly followed by tumbling down the SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT rabbit-hole.

Step 1: Bamboo toothbrushes. Apparently this is a thing. And apparently it's good for the environment...and bonus: inexpensive.

Not knowing where to begin, I turned to the #1 trusted source for all your researching needs: Google.

Google: Eco-friendly toothbrushes.

Results: Bamboo.

Okay, that narrows it down.

Google: BEST bamboo toothbrushes.

http://urbanvegan.net/bamboo-toothbrush/

Score.

Five minutes later, my first set of Mother's Vault bamboo brushes were ordered ($11.99 on Amazon). Yay!

Five days later. my first set of Mother's Vault bamboo brushes arrived. Yay again!

First thoughts? Take a look at this packaging.

My four super awesome eco-friendly toothbrushes that will supposedly last me a year came wrapped in a plastic bag, inside a padded envelope. Double fail.

After I take a look at my new toothbrushes, I'll figure out what to do with the packaging. Sigh. This is going to be harder than I thought.

When I held toothbrush in my hand I felt...like a giant. I mean, look how tiny that sucker is. It's practically a kiddie toothbrush. But that's okay. It just takes some getting used to. The size isn't automatically a turn off. (Nah, too easy).

I personally liked the soft bristles. If you like hard bristles, you won't like this brush. But never fear! You can do research to find your own eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush just like I did!

www.google.com

You know what they say. Pics or it didn't happen.

For your personal enjoyment here are TWO pictures. One of me awkwardly brushing my teeth. And one of me awkwardly holding my brand-new eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush. You're welcome.

I don't know how much more I can write about my new eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush. I'm also getting tired of typing "new eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush." It's a toothbrush. It has a purpose and it gets the job done. Plus, I got 4 toothbrushes for $11.99. It doesn't exactly break the bank. And the Mother's Vault brand accepts returns for a full refund! 

I do want to mention this toothbrush is listed as 100% compostable. But I don't think that's 100% accurate. The handle part, yes. But the nylon bristles? Ehhh...

Google, we need you!

Ah, yes. According to my extensive research, you are unable to compost nylon bristles. But you might be able to recycle them.

I'm just a little bothered by them claiming to be 100% compostable, when they really aren't. Hmmm...

The following is an exact quote from www.mothersvault.com:

"Almost 5 billion plastic toothbrushes are produced worldwide and that number is growing. These plastic toothbrushes can never biodegrade and instead will continue to pollute our oceans and take space in landfills. As if the earth is not enough, imagine all those chemicals and carcinogens being leached into your blood and tissue on a daily basis. By making the switch to a natural alternative you can make a significant impact on your overall health and mother nature. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant with natural antimicrobial properties, making it the perfect material to use.  Our mao bamboo toothbrush is made from 100% real biodegradable bamboo, features BPA-free bristles and plastic free compostable packing. This means no plastic waste, no chemicals in your body and no waiting for trees to regrow. It's a win win win situation, so click "learn more" below and make the switch today!"

But, as I said, you can do your own research. It still is better than an all-plastic toothbrush.

The only thing I have to figure out now is how to get rid of my old toothbrush.

You guessed it. Google.

I found the website http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/ which told they can help me recycle the un-recyclable. Yes!

All I have to do is sign up, print out a prepaid shipping label, and mail my old toothbrush and toothpaste to one of their centers. It's that easy.

And guess what I'm going to (hopefully) package my old supplies in. The padded envelope I received my new eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes in! (Ugh)

Sometimes I even amaze myself.

Let me touch base on the packaging one more time, and then I swear I'l leave you alone.

At first, I blamed Amazon for the wasteful packaging. I figured next time I'll just order my new eco-yadda yadda yadda brushes directly from the seller. But when I looked up that option, I found out that's impossible. You can only by the Mother's Vault brand through Amazon. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Maybe a little sad? cheated? Mother's Vault claims their packaging is plastic free, which yes, the brushes themselves same in individual cardboard boxes. But if you remember, those boxes came in a plastic bag. You would think a brand that claims to be super eco-friendly would care more about how their products are packaged and delivered. Food for thought.

I'm pretty sure I've exhausted the subject of my oral hygiene. And if I mention my new eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush one more time, someone is bound to turn my blog into a drinking game. (Pics or it didn't happen).

I'll leave you with one last thing to help you get through the difficult task of purchasing and using a toothbrush. Happy brushing!