Eddi Rhedfern's science project 2017
This tool is used to find sustainable household options
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Tooth brush
The toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard to reach areas of the mouth.
Research shows that if you multiply the amount of New Zealand's residents (which is 4.6 million) by the amount of toothbrushes you should use each year (which is 4). It is 18,400,000. Imagine that many toothbrushes all in a pile just sitting there doing nothing, for thousands of years and roughly by the time they break up there will be at least 18,400,000,000 more. The average toothbrushes weight is 19.4 grams and if you multiply that by 18,400,000 it shows that 356,960,000 grams of plastic are thrown out by New Zealand each year just because of toothbrushes.
Alternative reusable options
Bamboo tooth brush has a bamboo handle but does have plastic bristles. Once it has finished it's life time you can "shave the bristles off and recycle. If you have plastic toothbrushes that you are currently using dont worry! Use it till the end of it's teeth cleaning life and then use it to clean bathroom suplies or dirty surfaces eg. Sinks, Corners, Shoe soles, Containers, Windows, Window frames or even toys."
| 19.4 grams | Median weight of tooth brush |
| 356,960,000 grams | Plastic thrown out each year. (NZ) |