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Is toothpaste biodegradable? (5 eco-friendly examples)

By Our Lovely Earth
Page last updated: 12/19/2022 | Next review date: 12/19/2024
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Our Lovely Earth
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The article will explain the biodegradability of toothpaste while also covering topics such as:

  • Does toothpaste have synthetic ingredients?
  • How green is the packaging of toothpaste?
  • How to dispose of empty toothpaste tubes?
  • What are eco-friendly examples?
  • How to make eco-friendly toothpaste at home?

Is toothpaste biodegradable?

Toothpaste can be biodegradable if made from natural materials and packaged in either biodegradable packaging or at least PCR (post-consumer recycled) packaging. 

However, most commercial toothpastes are non-biodegradable because they make use of synthetic chemicals such as triclosan, colourants, artificial flavours, and sulphates. This not only makes the toothpaste non-biodegradable but also unsustainable. 

The article will also discuss how green is the packaging of toothpaste and the best way to dispose of empty toothpaste tubes that are included. The article will give examples of eco-friendly toothpaste made from natural and organic materials while also featuring eco-friendly and plastic-free packaging. 

Does toothpaste contain synthetic ingredients? 

Yes, most toothpastes are likely to contain synthetic ingredients and materials. The main aim is to secure the utilitarian aspect regardless of the damages rendered to the environment. 

It is a known fact that there is an adverse relationship between the use of synthetic ingredients and environmental health. It is the same relation that compels both the consumers and the producers to shift to greener alternatives that prefer natural ingredients over artificial ingredients. 

However, the fact of the matter is that most present-day toothpaste contains synthetic ingredients such as colourants, fluoride, sulphates, glycol, and triclosan– to name a few. 

These synthetic ingredients may offer good utility but they definitely relate negatively to the environment leading to environmental problems and complications such as pollution and the destruction of habitats. The effects include pollution, and disruption of ecosystems to name a few. 

For instance, let us take the example of triclosan. When triclosan enters the waterways, it becomes dioxin by the action of sunlight. It can be hazardous not only for animal life but also for humans because dioxins are researched to cause developmental and reproductive issues in humans. 

How green is the packaging of toothpaste?

The packaging of most present-day toothpaste can not be said to be green or eco-friendly because of the reason that the packaging involves the use of plastic material. 

It is a known fact that plastic material is derived from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels and petroleum products. The use of these products indicates the emission of GHGs into the environment while also prognosticating environmental anomalies such as global warming, pollution, destruction of habitats, acid rains et cetera. 

The main problem with the use of plastic packaging is that plastic is a non-biodegradable material and therefore, the plastic packaging used for toothpaste will remain in the system (environment) for hundreds of years. 

This will contribute to the waste problem which is already quite exacerbated given the context that the current waste generation stands at roughly 2 billion tons and may rise up to 3 billion tons. 

In such dire situations, the use of plastic packaging (toothpaste tubes) adds much more to the problem instead of remediating it. 

What is the best way to dispose of toothpaste tubes?

It has been asserted and given the context that toothpaste tubes are made from plastic material that is not only hazardous to the environment but also non-biodegradable and will remain in the environment or landfills for many years. 

Therefore, in this context, it will be unwise to simply discard the toothpaste tubes in trash cans and therefore, it is often required that what is the best (and the greenest way) to discard or dispose of toothpaste tubes. 

When it comes to that, there is one candidate that appears to be the most stood out and that is recycling. 

Recycling is one of the best ways to deal with the notion and problem of non-biodegradable materials such as plastics because when non-biodegradable materials such as plastics are recycled, they are not put to waste but instead are modified to be used as new. 

This also lessens the strain on the non-renewable resources that the plastic materials are derived from. 

How to recycle?

Let us, therefore, explore the ways and steps to recycle toothpaste tubes. When it comes to that, the steps and procedures are fairly simple. 

You can either discard the empty toothpaste tubes in recycling bins. These are green-coloured bins that are intended especially for recyclable material. 

However, if you feel like a step beyond, you can contact the local recycling centre (curbside recycling) and arrange for a pick-up or drop-off. This way, you will ensure that the toothpaste tubes have reached the recycling centres and that no anomalies have caused any obstruction whatsoever. 

If there are no local recycling centres, then you will need to look up private recycling ventures and contact them for a pick-up or drop-off. 

The bottom line is that toothpaste tubes are made from plastic material and it is never advised to recklessly throw them in regular trash cans as the tubes will end up in landfills and stay there for many years and may also cause pollution and waste mismanagement issues. 

Are all toothpaste non-biodegradable?

No, only those toothpaste are non-biodegradable that contain synthetic ingredients that can not be broken down and ingested by microbes. 

However, toothpaste that is made from natural and organic material will be biodegradable because the microbes will be able to degrade and break down the structures of such ingredients into basic remains. 

What are some eco-friendly toothpastes?

The narrative is quite simple. Toothpaste is considered bad for the environment because of two main reasons:

  • They are made from non-natural ingredients (synthetic & non-biodegradable) 
  • They come in plastic tubes which are non-biodegradable and may remain in landfills for many years 

Therefore, ideally, all toothpaste brands that work against these explained notions will be termed eco-friendly because their producers go a step beyond and extend the hand of friendship with nature, health, and the environment. Examples of such endeavours include

  • Etee plastic-free toothpaste tablets 
  • Butter me up charcoal toothpaste 
  • Battle green toothpowder
  • Georganics toothpaste tablets 
  • Nelson natural toothpaste

These brands prioritise the environment by the inclusion of natural ingredients that are mostly derived from plants. This makes these brands eco-friendly and also vegan. 

One interesting intervention that must be jotted here is that there is the use of toothpaste tablets such as Georgnics or Etee. The catch here is that they come mostly in glass jars and there is essentially no waste here (such as there is in the case of toothpaste tubes). 

All you need to do is chew the toothpaste tablets and brush as you normally would. Regardless, such tablets are eco-friendly but travel-friendly as well. 

How to make natural toothpaste at home?

There is another great way to save the environment and your pocket too and that is to make natural toothpaste at home. This way, you will not need to depend on plastic tubes or synthetic ingredients like triclosan, sulphates et cetera that may harm the environment. 

You can definitely make natural, eco-friendly toothpaste at home. All you need is some natural ingredients and a green mindset and that’s it! Homemade toothpaste will also be cheaper than most commercial toothpaste. 

Therefore, let us explore the steps through which you can make natural and eco-friendly toothpaste at home:

  • Add half a cup of room-temperature coconut oil to a bowl.
  • Next, add 4 tablespoons of baking soda.
  • Pour in 15 drops of peppermint essential oil.
  • Mix together until it forms a nice, soft paste.
  • Transfer the toothpaste to an airtight jar.

Conclusion 

It is concluded that toothpaste can be biodegradable if made from natural materials and packaged in either biodegradable packaging or at least PCR (post-consumer recycled) packaging. 

However, most commercial toothpastes are non-biodegradable because they make use of synthetic chemicals such as triclosan, colourants, artificial flavours, and sulphates. This not only makes the toothpaste non-biodegradable but also unsustainable. 

The article also discussed how green the packaging of toothpaste is and what is the best way to dispose of empty toothpaste tubes that included. The article gave examples of eco-friendly toothpaste made from natural and organic materials while also featuring eco-friendly and plastic-free packaging. 

Lastly, the article discussed some ways and steps to make eco-friendly and natural toothpaste at home to save the environment and the pocket too. 

References

  • Sahi, Akshima. How to make your own toothpaste? Retrieved from: https://www.news-medical.net/health/(How-to)-Make-Your-Own-Toothpaste.aspx