You are probably wondering how something as innocuous as toothpaste can be harmful to the environment. (Wait, but I already know all this…..skip ahead to the top picks please!)
A single tube of toothpaste alone does not a hazard make; however, add up every person that buys and uses toothpaste together and what do you have?
1.5 billion discarded toothpaste tubes.
Can I recycle toothpaste tubes?
It is annoyingly difficult. A lot of recycling centers don’t accept them, and even if they do it means you have to somehow clean out the tubes before recycling them.
This is why we love Tom’s. They are part of the terracycle program. This is a free recycling program for natural care products.
Yeah, I care about the Earth but… what about my health?
Apart from the ecological nightmare of un-recyclable plastic tubes, there is your health to consider.
It is easy to forget that our everyday things are going on and in our bodies and potentially affecting us.
Here are some things to AVOID when choosing an eco-friendly toothpaste:
- Sodium Laurel Sulfate: (SLS) A detergent used to make the foaming effect. It is found in a lot of shampoos and is an irritant for many people.
- Saccharin: A sweetener in a lot of mouthwash and toothpaste that has been linked to kidney cancer
- Fluoride: It is good, and it fights cavities. But it in large doses it is toxic, and there is usually enough if your water supply.
Click the images below for our top three organic and eco-friendly toothpaste picks
Want a double whammy of good old eco-friendly toothpaste fun?
These are both organic AND plastic-free. Gotta love those creative people reinventing the wheel, eh?
Try our top top top three choices! (Click images)
