I got my bone and boar bristle toothbrush in the mail today. I had specified no plastic in the delivery packaging, which they agreed to, but in the end they just stripped the packages off the products and stuffed the box FULL of styrofoam. Wondering if I had made a mistake ordering online, I called Planet Organic to check whether they had any natural toothbrushes without the nylon bristles and plastic handle. Indeed they did, but they too come in petroleum-based plastic packaging. WHY oh WHY does someone come up with a more environmentally friendly option, and then wrap the thing in plastic up the ying yang?? It drives me bananas, and seems to be very common. I will let you know if I find a natural toothbrush without plastic packaging, and add the styrofoam to the pile of incidental plastics collected.
Well, in any case, I brushed my teeth and have to admit that it wasn’t exactly the best experience of my life. Once wet, the thing tastes and smells like you are brushing your teeth with a wet boar, which I guess you kind of are. It smells like a wet wool sweater. That, combined with the salty baking soda makes for a frownful minute. I wonder why there don’t seem to be many other natural alternatives for toothbrushes? You would think that someone could come up with something else, as well as for plastic toothpaste tubes (including the lids).
But, no regrets apart from the packaging. My teeth feel clean and one minute of gross is better than a beach littered for a lifetime with toothbrushes, and baby albatrosses starving from dining on toothpaste caps.
And my toiletry kit is complete for the year: a bamboo comb (which is by far the best comb I have ever had for tangles), a shampoo-conditioner soap, an eyeliner pencil, a deodorant bar, a metal razor, a massage bar (using it as a moisturizer substitute), a boar bristle and bone toothbrush, and a box of baking soda.
Plastic Manners 
swissco makes a wooden toothbrush with natural bristles that doesn’t taste or smell like anything. I use one everyday!
hi, Lush have created a plastic free toothpaste alternative, Toothy tabs. i just bought a box (a recycled cardboard box) of them, and you basically munch them up and use a wet toothbrush to brush your teeth with them. they work great and they taste very minty, and not gross at all
xx
No way! Ill give them a go!
I got to thinking today about cleaning. I was wiping down the kitchen table and counters and although I only use vinegar and water and baking soda to clean the house, I was wondering what you will use. Vinegar comes in plastic bottles and the spray bottle I decant into is also plastic. I’d love to know what you are going to do and another alternative.
So far just baking soda (the magic ingredient), but truthfully didn’t have much time to clean before coming to Finland. Thinking lemons, but might be unnecessary. I also bought this sponge thing that seems to do pretty well on its own- for e.g. most dishes. Thinking that people overdo the soap thing in general..
Suzanne! I found the coolest thing today and I thought about you. They are these soap nuts that people use for laundry- a totally natural product. But, I spoke to the lady at the store today, and she told me that if you boil the nuts for 7-10 minutes, you can gather the “suds” off the top and bottle them. The “soap” lasts about a month, and you can apparently use it as an all-purpose cleaner! Now I haven’t tried them yet but am excited. The other thing is that they come in a plain cloth bag or a box, and in this store, bulk. 🙂