The Most Sustainable Toothbrush According to Science

Electric toothbrush, disposable plastic toothbrush, bamboo and Nada toothbrush

science

The first ever scientific study to quantify the environmental impact of toothbrushes was published in the British Dental Journal in 2020.

Read on for our summary, or click below to see the complete study.

Read the Study

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Who Conducted the Study

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with Eastman Dental Institute at University College London, performed a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study on the sustainability of toothbrushes.

Their goal was to ascertain which kind of toothbrush is best for the planet and human health.

data points

Which Toothbrushes were Compared?

Researchers considered different manufacturing models and measured the environmental impact (carbon footprint) and human health impact (Disability-Adjusted Life years or DALYS) of the following toothbrushes:

Plastic manual: plastic handle with fixed head
Bamboo manual: bamboo handle with fixed head
Plastic manual with replaceable head: reusable plastic handle (made from a bio plastic) with replaceable heads
Electric: handle and charging unit, with replaceable heads

Not surprisingly, the disposable and electric toothbrushes did not do well in the study. In fact electric toothbrushes proved to be 5 times worse than disposables.

result

The most sustainable toothbrush is…

This might come as a surprise to some, but bamboo toothbrushes are not the most sustainable mainly due to the land and water requirements needed to grow bamboo.

The best toothbrush is a toothbrush that uses plastic which is recycled in a continuous process.

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from the author “There are billions of toothbrushes used and discarded every year. Our research shows that electric toothbrushes are actually harmful for the planet and to the people involved in the manufacturing process and distribution. There is not a lot of evidence to show they are more effective unless you struggle to clean your teeth with a normal toothbrush. We have also shown bamboo toothbrushes are not the answer. Using them just stops land from being put to better use such as helping biodiversity, or in growing forests to offset carbon emissions.”