Your Oral Health and the Health of Our Oceans

posted in: Oral Hygiene | 0

The health of our oceans and planet is at a tipping point. Researchers estimate that 8-12 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year. Five trillion pieces of plastic currently litters the ocean.

The world’s oceans are filling up with plastic and you can do something about it.

Globally, we discard 300 million metric tons of plastic waste, which is nearly the weight of the entire human population! 94% of marine plastic pollution sinks to the ocean floor and while plastic is not biodegradable, it is photodegradable, meaning that when exposed to light and UV radiation from the sun, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.

Not only does this make it harder to clean up, but small fragments of plastic or micro-plastics are easily consumed by marine life. Plastics can’t be digested, so accumulate, ascending the food chain and ending up in the seafood that we eat. In fact, 94.4% of tap water in the U.S. is contaminated with plastic fibers and 95% of adult urine samples in the US contain traces of plastic.

For those of us who eat fish and mollusks regularly, it’s estimated that we consume 11,000 micro-particles per year.

Here are some staggering figures:

  • 8-12 million metric tons of plastic end up in our ocean every year.
  • 75% of coral reefs are projected to die by 2050.
  • Only 4% of our Ocean is currently protected.
  • The average American discards 7.5 lbs of garbage every day. Most of this garbage goes into to landfills, where it’s compacted and buried.

The truth is plastics can be recycled to make items such as clothes, carpets, containers, bottles, plastic lumber, films, grocery bags, molding materials, etc. If you use a plastic toothbrush or plastic toothpaste you can recycle them with Terracycle.

Click here to recycle your oral care products.

However there are a few companies offering alternatives to typical plastic for your bathroom. Here are a few things you can do to green up your sink.

bamboo toothbrush

1. Swap out your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one from Brush with Bamboo.

  • Soft bristles are made from a base of castor bean oil. Bristles made in USA. The handle is made from Organic Bamboo. The box encasing the toothbrush is made from paper – no tape or glue is used. Your bamboo toothbrushes can be used for just as long as plastic toothbrushes. USDA Certified Biobased. Green American Certified. Vegan. BPA-Free. Natural and Non-toxic.

2. Choose a mostly plastic free brand of toothpaste, like David’s.

Davids is committed to using only safe natural ingredients to promote both personal & oral health.  98% of their ingredients are USA Origin, supporting the sustainability of the USA economy and American jobs!
plastic free toothpaste

3. Check out this plastic free mouthwash alternative that will leave your mouth feeling minty fresh!

mouthwash

These Georganics mouthwash tablets are made from entirely natural and non-toxic ingredients. The fluoride, glycerin and SLS free formula helps to restore a healthy pH balance to your mouth, maintain good oral health and freshen your breath. The tablets are perfect for traveling as they are a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional mouthwashes avoiding the unnecessary transportation of water.