9 Sustainable Toothbrushes Cleaning Your Pearly Whites & The Planet

Brushing twice a day and using your zero waste floss every night might make your gums healthier, but what about our planet?

The average person uses 300 plastic toothbrushes in their lifetime, equating to billions of plastic sticks finding their way to landfills each year. But a toothbrush is perhaps the most essential of all bathroom products. Oral hygiene is connected to whole-body health—and that of our planet’s. That’s why we’re taking a bite out of plastic dental care and diving into zero waste toothbrushes that are made with responsible materials, and come in sustainable packaging.

In the months ahead, we’re set to launch our Brand Rating System, which will assess brands against a range of criteria, including their climate impact and chemical use. For a deeper understanding of how the system works, visit our explainer.

Brush with Bamboo’s Toothbrushes

Brush with Bamboo’s eco toothbrushes for adults and kids come with bristles made of 100% castor bean oil.

While 100% biobased, they’ll break down more slowly than standard items in your home compost, so the bristles should still be removed using pliers before composting the handle.

In other words, they’re biodegradable, but not compostable.

Instead, recycle them through Terracycle, along with the aluminum staples.

Sustainably-harvested wild-grown Moso Bamboo is used for the handles, which is not one of the 42 bamboo species pandas eat—so no risk to pandas from your pearly whites!

The chemical-free non-plastic toothbrush bristles are made in the EU and the final product is responsibly made in China, at a factory overseen by a full-time American-managed on-the-ground team.

About Brush with Bamboo

Brush with Bamboo helped pave the way for eco-friendly oral care with “the world’s first and only plant-based toothbrush”—at the time, anyway.

Thankfully, they’re no longer the only maker of bamboo toothbrushes, but they remain one of the best eco-friendly toothbrush and hair brush brands.

Every claim BWB makes is backed by the necessary paperwork and certifications: vegan, FDA registered, USDA Biobased, and Green America certified.

Their packaging is an origami-folded cardboard box, which eliminates the need for tape. There is no inner wrapper, just a 100% paper box that is home compostable.

*Sponsored inclusion. Learn more here.

Sustainable Tomorrow’s Toothbrushes

There’s little debate that the best kind of brush you can get comes with a little buzz.

In fact, a long-term study showed that after 11 years, people who used an electric toothbrush had significantly better oral health than those who used manual toothbrushes.

Sustainability and ultra-healthy teeth and gums don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Instead of a plastic handle and plastic replacement heads, Sustainable Tomorrow’s (who happens to be our favorite sustainable electric toothbrush brand) electric toothbrushes are made of FSC-certified bamboo and castor bean oil bristles, which will break down in a compost pile in about 6 months.

We tested Sustainable Tomorrow’s toothbrush and the first thing we noticed was how comfortable and ergonomic the bamboo handle felt in our hand.

The electric functionality is super impressive too, with 3 levels of intensity and 5 cleaning modes delivering up to 40 000 vibrations per minute. We could not fault the thorough and efficient cleaning experience. And the small brush head gives it just that much more versatility to reach the back of the molars with.

We haven’t tested how efficient the rechargeable battery is but apparently it lasts up to 4 hours, which is far longer than its plastic counterparts. Otherwise, the built-in 2-minute timer, and its many adjustable settings, allows you to customize the brush – handy if you have sensitive teeth and gums.

Just be sure to look after this one to maximise it’s life and minimize it’s carbon footprint.

The optional Zen Bamboo Case is not only ideal for travel, but just keeping our bathroom looking neat and organized.

About Sustainable Tomorrow

Sustainable Tomorrow is working towards, well…their namesake.

Aside from designing modern dental solutions with sustainability in mind, they also offer a small handful of other everyday essentials, like an all-wood tech-free phone speaker that utilizes natural principles of sound acoustics to amplify your tunes so you can jam while getting ready.

Everything is packaged and shipped in biodegradable packaging.

EcoRoots’s Toothbrushes

One billion plastic toothbrushes are disposed of every single year in the US and EcoRoots wants to reduce that number with their bamboo toothbrush.

Certified vegan and cruelty-free, they bear a 100% compostable bamboo toothbrush handle that’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and antimicrobial (all the things we want from something that goes in our mouth!).

The recyclable toothbrush bristles are still made with soft nylon, but they’re BPA-free and non-toxic.

They’re also infused with activated charcoal for whitening benefits.

While that means this isn’t a plastic-free toothbrush option, you can remove the bristles and recycle them through TerraCycle. Then toss your toothbrush without bristles in the compost.

When it comes to sustainable packaging, toothbrush sets are shipped plastic-free

About EcoRoots

If EcoRoots sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve talked about them before when we scrubbed through some of our favorite zero waste cleaning brands and browsed around for the best ethical online shopping resources.

From tooth to toilet, they’re committed to helping customers fill their homes with things that aren’t plastic.

The Colorado-based brand is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and ships everything plastic-free in only recyclable/compostable materials.

To date, they’ve donated almost $15,000 to Ocean Conservancy.

etee’s Bamboo Toothbrushes

One of our favorite eco-friendly toothbrushes is made of FSC-certified bamboo by etee.

Each minimalist toothbrush handle is indefinitely reusable; all you need to order is replaceable heads, further minimizing waste.

The water-based paint on the bamboo toothbrush handle protects it from water damage, so you can use it for longer.

The bristles are made of castor bean oil, so they’re not yet biodegradable, but etee is working on a solution.

To compost the head, use a pair of pliers to remove the staple, keeping the bristles in place, and compost the head sans bristles.

About etee

From refillable cleaning products to clean dental essentials, Canadian zero waste brand etee is aiming to remove as much plastic from everyday items as possible.

They started with beeswax wraps and took flight from there.

Aside from the beeswax used in their refill pods and wraps, everything they sell is vegan, cruelty-free, 100% natural, plastic-free, and made using renewable energy.

etee gives back to the Mississauga Food Project and various medical clinics serving those in need.

ZWS Essentials’ Natural Toothbrushes

The ZWS Essentials reusable bamboo toothbrush from ZeroWasteStore.com is one of the best biodegradable toothbrushes.

Why?

Because it’s the only 100% biodegradable one, period.

Made with a sustainably sourced bamboo toothbrush handle and plastic-free castor bean oil bristles, they claim these are backyard compostable toothbrushes.

However, we’ll be checking to see if they have any certifications to back that up because other castor bean oil bristles we’ve come across are found not to be home compostable.

Just be sure to use some pliers to remove the metal staples holding the bristles in place, which they recommend collecting and recycling.

About ZWS Essentials

ZeroWasteStore.com isn’t just one of the best zero waste online stores to find a collection of eco-lifestyle brands.

They also offer an in-house ZWS Essentials line of organic, compostable, and sustainably packaged items that cover anything else you might need for your zero waste bathroom: razors, shampoo bars, hairbrushes, and much more.

Each purchase not only minimizes harm due to the plastic-free packaging but does a little good thanks to ZeroWasteStore.com’s Climate Neutral certification and 1% for the Planet membership.

If you find yourself in the City of Angels, you can check them out in-person at their zero waste store in LA.

Georganics’ Toothbrushes

Georganics does something a little different with their version of the most eco-friendly toothbrush.

Instead of bamboo, the compostable handles are made of FSC-certified Swiss Beechwood.

Every tree their supplier cuts down is replanted, and any excess wood scraps are used to heat their German factory.

Their BPA-free non-toxic toothbrush bristles are made of gum-safe nylon that is recyclable through Georganic’s Zero-To-Landfill program once you’ve collected five—for UK customers only.

Just write “Free-post Georganics” on the package and ship it for free!

There are several options for this zero waste toothbrush: soft bristles, medium bristles, firm bristles, or a kid’s size.

Their recyclable toothbrush packaging consists of a cardboard box, but because it’s printed with vegetable inks, you can toss this in the compost bin along with the compostable toothbrush handles.

About Georganics

Whether you’re in need of palm oil-free toothpaste or peace silk floss, UK-based Georganics is your do-good dental shop.

Everything they sell—toothpaste tabs, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, electric toothbrushes, and more—is certified COSMOS organic and plastic-free.

Though the toothbrushes are made in Germany, many products are made in the UK

Each purchase helps them support organizations like Dentaid and environmental nonprofits, as per their 1% for the Planet membership.

The Humble Co.’s Toothbrushes

The Humble Co. has a range of environmentally friendly toothbrush options for kids and adults.

And by options, we mean color options—you can choose from pink, yellow, blue, black, or white bristles nylon bristles—”high-quality” DuPont nylon-6, to be exact.

While the bristles are BPA-free, they will need to be removed before composting.

The handle is also made from 100% biodegradable and sustainably-grown bamboo, treated with natural, non-toxic wax to protect from water, improve grip, and increase hygiene.

About The Humble Co.

The Humble Co. is a Swedish company founded by dentist Noel Abdayem, so you can be sure their oral care products were designed with both mouth health and sustainability in mind.

Their FDA-registered dental products are certified cruelty-free and responsibly made in China.

Partnering with the non-profit Humble Smile Foundation, The Humble Co. has supported projects in vulnerable communities around the world.

Each purchase allows you to “give smiles” to those in need of safe and healthy oral care products.

Me Mother Earth’s Bamboo Toothbrushes

Every single toothbrush ever made, used, and accidentally dropped in the toilet is still in existence—unless it’s made with bamboo, that is.

That’s the reasoning behind this next toothbrush maker.

Me Mother Earth combines their bamboo with BPA-free nylon bristles.

If you’re choosing an adult version, these bristles also feature bamboo charcoal fiber for extra whitening and detoxifying benefits.

Their kids’ toothbrushes swap the black bristles for paint dipped handles.

Once they start looking fuzzy, remove the bristles and compost both the handle and the kraft box it came in.

About Me Mother Earth

Las Vegas dwelling Husband and wife duo, Alberto and Amanda, are behind the Me Mother Earth brand.

They started out with a collapsible straw kit, but now have a range of individual products and zero waste kits and gift sets that have been consciously designed to simplify our lives and reduce plastic waste.

They sell everything packaged sans plastic, down to the compostable packing peanuts.

While you’re brushing away coffee stains, they’re brushing away even MORE plastic waste by also donating to ocean conservation and similar environmental charities.

Battle Green’s Toothbrushes

Cutting out plastic waste can sometimes feel like a battle, so let Battle Green help.

Their zero waste bamboo toothbrush is 100% plastic-free, with a bamboo handle and plant-based bristled.

Containing no nylon, bristles are instead made from castor oil, a renewable material that is processed in Germany.

Battle Green toothbrushes are not home compostable (so still separate those bristles from the handle), but they are compostable in an industrial facility.

About Battle Green

Battle Green is a UK-based store that has spent the past several years sharing plastic-free alternatives with thousands of happy customers.

Today, they have a wide selection of some of the most sustainable body care and household products we’ve stumbled across, from zero waste deodorant to zero waste shampoo.

They use recyclable/compostable packaging materials, palm oil-free ingredients, and contribute to their local beach clean-up organization, Surfers Against Sewage.

Now we get to the real complication in the world of eco-friendly toothbrushes: bristles.

It’s not too difficult to have a biodegradable toothbrush as far as the handle is concerned, but bristles often get in the way of a toothbrush being fully compostable.

Also, remember that nearly all materials (even if they’re made of plastic) will technically degrade after some time, but oftentimes it takes hundreds of years.

Compostable materials are biodegradable, biodegradable materials aren’t necessarily compostable. Pretty simple concept, right?

Well, not for some brands who fall a bristle short and confuse the two and end up greenwashing.

My Plastic Free Life did some extra brushing (in a circular motion, of course) to discover supposedly “biodegradable” nylon bristles were in fact not biodegradable.

So what’s the best way to brush?

Well, we really only have a few “zero waste” toothbrush options:

1. Boar bristle toothbrushes:

Boar bristles would yield the only undoubtedly compostable toothbrushes currently available to us—but brushing our teeth with pig hair sounds like the worst way to get a fresh and minty mouth.

2. Castor bean toothbrushes:

While castor bean (AKA Ricinus communis) is a flowering plant, the bristles made out of it aren’t always as wholesome as they might sound.

Nylon-11 is what you get when you subject castor bean oil to a complex (and chemically intensive) process. Its biodegradability is still up in the air.

Some brands claim their castor bean oil bristles are home compostable, some state they’re industrially compostable, and some still place them on the list of what not to compost and recommend recycling. We’re inclined to err on the safe side and agree with the latter.

3. Miswak sticks:

This traditional oral care tool was popular in Pakistan, India, and parts of Asia and Africa. Studies show that it’s as effective (or perhaps superior) to other types of toothbrushes.

You can find several sellers for these organic chew sticks on Etsy.