Every year, more than 4.9 billion plastic toothbrushes, billions of straws and disposable plastic utensils end up in garbage dumps and various natural environments around the world. All this plastic takes about 500 years to decompose. Even when it does decompose, its chemical composition remains intact and the entire plastic substance remains in the environment for centuries longer. A lot of this plastic is found in the oceans where it is ingested by birds and fish. Approximately 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic. Bamboo is the main element used in the manufacture of the OLA Bamboo toothbrush. This 100% natural and 100% biodegradable material replaces plastic, a substance very commonly used for the manufacture of conventional toothbrushes. OLA Bamboo utensils are made of 100% birch and straws are made of 100% bamboo. Since bamboo is a plant and birch is a tree, they decompose naturally in the environment. In short, when you dispose of your OLA Bamboo toothbrush, utensils or straws, in whatever way you do so, you help eliminate unnecessary plastic in the environment by replacing it with bamboo or wood, which break down naturally.

Bamboo is the main material used in the manufacture of the OLA Bamboo toothbrush. This 100% natural and 100% compostable plant replaces plastic. Because bamboo is a tree, it decomposes naturally in the environment. By purchasing an OLA Bamboo toothbrush, you help eliminate unnecessary plastic in the environment.

The quality of brushing remains the same, regardless of the type of material used to make the handle. Good tooth brushing depends more on the bristles, the head of the toothbrush, and the proper brushing technique.

There are two categories of compostable products: those that break down in a home compost system and those that decompose in an industrial compost system (e.g. a city compost). Products described as compostable will break down naturally as they are usually made of organic materials (e.g. plants).

The term biodegradable is not always well defined. It refers to any material that will decompose in nature after a certain number of years. However, there is no clear definition of the time frame needed for a product to decompose; moreover, a product can change shape but retain its chemical composition (e.g. biodegradable plastic bags).

Only the handle of our toothbrush is 100% compostable, not the bristles.

At the present time, the only toothbrushes that are 100% compostable have bristles that are made of pig hair. To source the pig hair, pigs are slaughtered and their hair is removed and processed into bristles. We figured, who really wants to brush their teeth with pig hair anyway? That said, we are currently working to develop a 100% compostable toothbrush made from plants.

Bamboo is one of the most environmentally friendly crops that exist today. For starters, it is not only a renewable resource but one that does so quickly. In fact, a bamboo plantation has a yield up to 25 times that of a forest. Bamboo does not require pesticides or artificial fertilizers. The manufacture of OLA Bamboo toothbrushes only requires a variety of bamboo that is not eaten by pandas or other animals of the Chinese forest. It is important that bamboo cultivation is done with great care to prevent the spread of bamboo in natural forests; due to its highly efficient reproduction system, bamboo can act as an invasive species.