In recent years an increasing number of the general population has begun to recognise the importance of becoming more environmentally friendly. However many of us may not have considered the negative impact our oral health routines have on the environment, luckily there is an increasingly wide range of environmentally friendly products. These are well worth the time to research and can further reduce the negative impacts we all have on the environment.
How To Shop For Sustainable Oral Care Products
- Do Your Research: Whilst we appreciate that this is something you are probably doing already, there is so much information out there that can help you reduce your carbon footprint around nearly every aspect of your life.
- Consult Your Eco-Friendly Friends: If you have any friends or family that is eco-conscious you can ask them for advice or tips to become more environmentally friendly yourself. You can also speak to family members or friends who are not currently acting on any eco-friendly ambitions and highlight the importance of being eco-friendly.
- Reduce Your Reliance On Unrecyable Plastic: Most packaging will tell if it is recyclable or not. If you find a product that has unrecyclable packaging you can just simply not buy it and purchase an ecofriendly alternative instead. Companies that make products that have bad eco practices will either get the message or go out of business!
- Carbon Offset Programs: Some companies will undertake initiatives to reduce the negative impact they have on the environment. For example, whenever a customer makes a purchase they could plant a tree or donate to an environmental charity.
Consider Moving To An Eco-Friendly Dentist Or Speaking To Your Dentist About Becoming More Eco Friendly
Dentists perform in a highly clinical environment, where avoiding cross-contamination and infection is highly important. This is why a lot of single-use materials are used to eliminate the chances of cross-contamination happening, While this may be for the betterment of patients’ health it can also be highly damaging to the environment. Each procedure carried out by the dentist produces a significant amount of single-use material waste, which is why dentists need to wake up to the problem and act now before it is too late! Next time you visit your dentist in Solihull make sure to spread the news!
Turn Off The Water Whilst You Brush
Did you know that people who do not turn off the water whilst they brush their teeth waste around 200 gallons of water a month? Before water is pumped into your house it is treated, meaning that bacteria and contaminants in the water are removed so the water is safe to drink. During this process, a lot of energy is used which is why it is important to make sure that you turn off the tap whilst you are brushing; to reduce the amount of water you require and the amount of energy that you use. You can reduce the amount of water you use in general by installing a tap flow restrictor, which reduces the flow of water by around 50%. Meaning that you are likely going to be using significantly less water.
Try And Eco-Friendly Toothbrush
Most plastic toothbrushes are not recyclable and can take hundreds of years to decompose, which is why they often end up in landfills. This is not only a waste of resources but reliance on landfill sites can destroy ecosystems and contaminate the environment surrounding them. In recent years a number of alternatives have become available, including bamboo toothbrushes. Bamboo is a fast-growing natural material that is incredibly sustainable, in fact when bamboo grows it releases over 30% more oxygen into the atmosphere than most tree species. Bamboo can be easily composted, meaning that your bamboo toothbrush will not pollute the environment for hundreds of years to come like a plastic toothbrush!
Consider Sustainable Toothpaste
Did you know that over 1 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away every year? These end up in landfills because the plastic used to make them is usually non-recyclable. Thankfully there are enterprising businesses out there that solve this problem and offer toothpaste that is packaged in recyclable or biodegradable packaging. This can help you remove some of the guilt you may be feeling about the waste that you produce.
Conclusion
Taking care of your teeth and the environment does not have to be at odds, there are plenty of ways you can achieve both! It just requires you to perform a bit of research until eco-friendly dental products become more mainstream.