Eco Electric Toothbrushes

In my family we have strong teeth but weak gums. I've sadly had to have surgery on my receding gums so my bottom teeth don't fall out when I'm older. It was painful and surgery uses so much plastic. In my opinion, medical procedures and medical needs are one of those sectors where plastics can be useful (in thoughtful moderation), but avoiding them altogether is the ideal route.

So with this in mind, I use an electric toothbrush. Then it broke and there was no way to repair it. I had noticed bamboo versions online but upon digging deeper, they are unfortunately made with a plastic body (like the one here) but the replacement heads are made from bamboo with plant-based bristles. I think that if you already have an electric toothbrush, the most eco way to go is to stop buying the plastic heads and instead switch to the compostable bamboo ones (like these). The more and more I read, the more I learn that just using what you have until it's absolutely tattered, broken, full of holes and utterly destroyed is the most sustainable solution. But that wasn't my situation.

I bought a SURI Electric Toothbrush due to its aluminum body and recyclable, plant-based heads. They provide a compostable bag to mail in the used toothbrush heads for recycling at their recycling center. I've read this is ultimately not the most sustainable way to move forward- finding products you can compost or recycle at home is better, but I didn't want to buy another plastic electric toothbrush. I found the bamboo "finish" on these "eco" ones to be deceptive, and no one likes to be deceived, so I decided to go another route.

I was pleased to find that the SURI box arrived with paper plastic-free tape with non-bleached paper packing materials. In fact all shipping and boxing materials used are either recyclable or compostable. Over the years, I have really begun to judge a company that calls itself "eco" and then ships its products in a bunch of plastic (I make a mental list and won't buy from them again).

Theo helped me pick out the color- he chose the Winter Green. The toothbrush is very stylish with a beautiful design.  The toothbrush comes with a minimalist charging station. Once it it charged, remove it from the charger and the toothbrush will hold a charge for weeks. Honestly, buying this toothbrush and using it postpartum has been a nice self-care gift that I unknowingly gave to myself- every time I brush it feels like a spa day for my teeth.

As always, thanks for reading!