I'm Done With Electric Toothbrushes

My Sonicare toothbrush lasted me over 7 years. It's been a few months now since the battery won't charge, and it's been hiding under the bathroom sink ever since. This morning I decided it was time to figure out how to dispose of it. After much Googling, I found out that the battery must be "properly disposed of," and there was a mention or two that the rest of the toothbrush is recyclable.

Okay, I thought. This shouldn't be too difficult.

Little did I know that in the next 10 minutes I would be demolishing my toothbrush because a) it is so old the pieces probably started to meld together and b) the instructions were not clear. I can see how the manufacturers thought the 3-step process would be simple, but they also made the darn thing.

If you try this, a screwdriver will be your best friend.

So I've decided that a buzz-y brush is not worth the effort to "properly dispose of." I doubt that every person who uses an electric toothbrush takes the time to demolish dismantle and recycle it. Here are other reasons why I'm jumping off the buzz-y brush bandwagon.


     1. The replacement heads get to be expensive, especially if you get the official Sonicare ones.


     2. Aesthetically, the handle began to yellow (which is fine), but the replacement heads were pearly white. Not digging it. I also don't like having the charger cluttering my bathroom sink.

     3. It's a lot of waste. Consider the packaging for the initial toothbrush and the packaging for the replacement heads. Not to mention the actual product itself! I'd rather spend my time getting things done rather than trying to figure out what part of the packaging and toothbrush is recyclable.

Therefore, I am going back to the basics. Something that doesn't need electricity to function. Something that I can easily recycle. An eco-friendly, man-powered toothbrush! My friend uses Preserve, and I've also seen these guys.

I also think that it's possible to disinfect toothbrushes so that they last longer. I'll have to look into it. I don't know about you, but my toothbrush definitely doesn't wear out after 3-4 months of use.

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Philips. I just found the disposal of this particular product to be frustrating.

TL;DR: If you're looking for an eco-friendly toothbrush, try Preserve or Brush with Bamboo. I'm sure there are plenty more options (those are just the first couple I found on a quick search!).