Use a toothbrush you can compost rather than toss in trash

Published 4:23 pm Monday, June 4, 2012

Annually, 450 million plastic toothbrushes make their way to the nation’s landfills, according to recycling experts. The majority of those toothbrushes do not biodegrade and will remain there intact for decades.

To reduce those numbers, a company known for creating compostable products made from plants is launching what it says is the country’s first compostable toothbrush.

World Centric has unveiled a line of compostable toothbrushes and travel cases that are made from a plant-based resin called Ingeo. The toothbrush and case are certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute, according to a company press release.

The toothbrush is designed to fully compost within three to six months when sent to a commercial composting facility, according to the company.

But you do have to break off the head first. The soft bristles made of nylon are not compostable. the industry is still working to come up with bristles that are fully compostable. Until then, a handy notch between the head and the handle of makes it easy to break off the head before sending it to a composting facility.

For customers who don’t have access to a commercial composting facility, World Centric will provide a prepaid envelope to return the used toothbrush and case. The company will then send the returned product to a composting facility for biodegradation.

The 7-inch toothbrush and case comes in blue, green and orange and sells for $4.55.

They may be available locally at natural grocery stores, such as Sno-Isle and PCC, some Whole Foods stores and Central Market, or online at www.worldcentric.org.