Are Bamboo Toothbrushes Expensive? Maybe Not.

THE TRUE COST OF BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSHES

If you’re anything like me, you’re a cheapskate. You hate spending the dough even if it’s worth it.

Fortunately, when it comes to being eco-friendly and zero waste, the lifestyle is a real money saver. You save money from switching to disposables to renewables and you save money on your electric and water bill.

But what about the odds items that actually cost MORE than the conventional methods? Like toothbrushes.

When I looked at the price of a bamboo toothbrush, I died a little inside. But is the price really that bad? Is the price worth it? It is still affordable? Let’s talk about it.

Are Bamboo Toothbrushes Expensive?

The Cheap Toothbrush

You’ll most likely score a toothbrush for $1. But if you grew up with a penny-pinching family, you know that you can find 4-5 toothbrushes for $1 at the Dollar Tree.

With a 4-pack being the average, that makes a single toothbrush a quarter! Wow! That’s an amazing deal, yo! But why are they so cheap?

What Makes Plastic Toothbrushes Cheap?

Well, the materials used to make plastic is cheap. And businesses want to cut their costs to have a higher profit margin. So they reach for the cheapest material — plastic.

Now some companies do reach for recycled plastic to make their products, but that’s unsustainable as it is.

And when the price of oil is low, companies switch from recycled plastics to new plastics.

Because new is definitely cheaper than recycling it.

Cheap materials lets companies sell their product for a low price while also making a profit. Low-price wars with other companies are another reason plastic products are so cheap.

But whether it’s a plastic toothbrush or a plastic straw, the cheapness will always have a huge negative impact.

Why Cheap Plastic is Harmful to the Environment

Single-use, disposable plastics like toothbrushes will always suck because:

  • Single-use plastics cannot be recycled. If they can, it’s rare, complicated, messy and one contamination and the whole lot gets thrown in the landfill anyway. Plastic toothbrushes cannot be recycled.
  • Single-use plastics have a tendency to become litter and they like to make their way into the oceans. Your old toothbrushes are probably there now. Who knows?
  • Plastics are not biodegradable. They don’t decay over time. However, they do break down into teeny, tiny pieces called microplastics.
  • Microplastics are here to stay. When plastic breaks down THIS small, it’s impossible to contain them. Think of glitter (which are literally microplastics, BTW). They take FOREVER to get rid of them. Need more info on microplastics and why they fucking suck? Click here.

The Cost of Bamboo Toothbrushes

So heading over to buy a bamboo toothbrush, you might be shocked that it’s $5 per toothbrush. That is a BIG jump from $0.25. I know… I cried inside, too.

BUT breaking it down and doing some math shows that it’s only $1.66 a month (if you replace it every 3 months). That’s $20 a year per person.

If you’re still crying over this price, puhlease! Are you really going to cry over a $20 a YEAR price tag? That’s totally doable and affordable!!

It’s $8.33 a month for a family of five!!!

Yes, it could totally be $1 a year instead, but…

It’s Not Just About Price

It’s the best choice for our planet right now. We are being overrun with disposable plastics and we are already seeing the effects of it. We should be putting our money where our mouth is and making the best environmental choices when we buy things.

Sometimes that means coughing up some extra cash, but I promise you it will have a huge impact. And it’s not so bad because by being eco-friendly, you’re going to save so much money that you probably won’t even mind this extra small expense.

The Price May Go Down in the Future

Now because demand is so low, eco-friendly companies have to price their toothbrushes higher than the big names. This could be for a number of reasons. An example could be that they have to pay a higher price for their materials.

Big companies who have a high demand get a better deal on materials because they can buy in bulk.

So theoretically, if we all pony up the cash now, in the future we can see the price of bamboo toothbrushes get lowered. An example here could be Beyond Meat lowering its prices.

So there’s hope!!

Don’t Forget to Floss

By now, hopefully, I’ve convinced you that the bamboo toothbrush is the best choice despite it being more expensive than plastic toothbrushes. 🙂

Hopefully, we can see the price drop in the future but for now, use the savings that you’re receiving from your other green changes to pay for the bamboo!

1 thought on “Are Bamboo Toothbrushes Expensive? Maybe Not.”

  1. I bought a 10 pack of bamboo toothbrushes on amazon for $8.99. That’s only .90/piece and they are really nice!
    I guess the price is going down 🙂

    Reply

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