While plastic toothbrushes may seem small and relatively harmless compared to the pollution from say, cars or airplanes, the truth is they are terrible for the planet.

It is difficult to determine the exact number of disposable toothbrushes that are thrown away every year as there is no comprehensive global data on this topic.

However, it is estimated that billions of plastic toothbrushes are discarded each year worldwide.

According to a report by the American Dental Association, the United States alone generates over 1 billion pounds of dental care waste each year, which includes disposable toothbrushes. In addition, a study by the University of California, San Francisco found that more than 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used and discarded annually in the United States.

Globally, it is estimated that over 23 billion plastic toothbrushes are discarded every year, according to a report by the Zero Waste Week campaign. This number is expected to increase in the future with the growing population and the increasing use of disposable plastics.

It's impossible to estimate the exact amount of plastic used to make 23 billion plastic toothbrushes because it depends on the weight and design of each toothbrush.

However assuming an average weight of 20 grams per toothbrush and an average of 10 grams of plastic used per toothbrush, then the total amount of plastic used in making 23 billion plastic toothbrushes would be approximately 230 billion grams, or 230 million kilograms, or 506.8 million pounds.

Maybe it's time to switch to a more sustainable toothbrush like Nada?

In this article, researchers at Trinity College Dublin have examined the sustainability of different models of the most commonly used oral health product - the toothbrush - to ascertain which is best for the planet and associated human health.

What they found might surprise you:

“The team found that the most environmentally sustainable toothbrush was not bamboo, as could perhaps be popularly believed, but a hypothetical continually recycled plastic toothbrush.” 

This “hypothetical” toothbrush is already in existence! It’s called Nada and we improved on the study by making our handle out of aluminum, meaning even less plastic needs to be produced, shipped and recycled.

Thanks for reaching,
Simon