Monday August 9, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
While one small toothbrush doesn’t seem to be that much of a problem when you toss it in the trash, if you laid those toothbrushes end to end, they would wrap around the Earth four times.
About one billion toothbrushes are discarded in America each year (says National Geographic), and in Canada the number must be high up there too. The brushes that you used to clean your teeth don’t break down properly in landfills.
Recycling toothbrushes is the way to go. At Viva Dental Victoria, owner Dr Craig Siemens is getting behind that cause. “We want you to look forward to seeing the dentist!,” says Dr Siemens, and if recycling those old toothbrushes will get you through the door, then all good!
Recycling program:
Victoria’s newest dental clinic is bringing that recycling initiative to the region. His clinic is providing the means for the public to properly recycle their used toothbrushes.
People can drop off their toothbrushes and oral care packaging at the dental office downtown on Fort Street where the staff will recycle them as part of the Colgate/Terracycle recycling program which provides boxes to dental offices for collecting the toothbrushes.
All non-electric toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps and floss containers can be recycled through this program.
Viva Dental is helping by providing a drop off spot for your oral care products. Through a partnership between TerraCycle® and P&G (makers of Crest and Oral B), there is a Canadian national solution for select oral care products and packaging.
Plastics and stuff:
“Because most toothbrushes are made up of multiple different materials, they are not easily recyclable and do not break down properly in our landfills” said Dr. Craig Siemens, owner of Viva Dental Victoria. “If you have ever thrown out your toothbrush, then it is probably still sitting in a landfill, floating in the ocean or washed up on the beach. We want to help solve this issue.”
Toothbrushes contain hard and soft plastics and fibre-type materials. After being recycled, the resulting fibers are hydropulped to separate out coatings (like wax and plastics). These products are ultimately recycled into such things as outdoor furniture, decking, and storage containers.
About the clinic:
“In building our new dental clinic, we have taken on a number of initiatives to try to lessen our impact on the environment” explained Dr. Siemens. “Providing this free service within our community just seemed a natural fit for our vision.”
Oral care products can be dropped off at the Viva Dental offices at 1105 Fort St (corner of Cook Street and Fort Street) during office hours Monday through Friday.
===== OTHER ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS ARTCILES ABOUT RECYCLING:
Local governments may now institute bans on plastic bags and other single-use plastics (July 28, 2021)
CRD: how to safely dispose of hazardous materials including batteries (July 25, 2021)
Heat pushes blue bin recycling overnight into Tuesday (June 28, 2021)
A lot of plastics can go into your blue bin (April 18, 2021)
Blue box curbside recycling service continues during COVID-19 (April 20, 2020)
