Sustainability expert’s tips on creating the perfect (green) dental hygiene routine

Taking care of your teeth is a normal part of any hygiene routine. Brushing, flossing and regular dental appointments are all designed to prevent disease. But what impact does your dental care have on the environment?

Single-use plastics are commonplace in oral care. It’s not unusual to change your toothbrush every couple of months or throw away interdental flossers once you’ve used them. But this contributes to the UK’s growing number of environmental challenges. Only 15% of it is recycled. The rest makes its way into landfills, is incinerated or ends up in our rivers, lakes and oceans, causing harm not only to wildlife but human health, as toxins leach out of plastics over time.

So, how can the environmental impact of the dental care industry be lessened? We sat down with Sarah Yu, Sustainability & Operations Manager at SURI, to discuss the simple changes to your dental routine that can make all the difference to protecting the world around us.

Sustainability is key because we’re using resources faster than they can be replenished, and a lot of the products we use (from toothbrushes to toothpaste tubes) end up in landfills, contributing to the problem.

Sustainability is more than just recycling or reducing emissions; it’s about designing products and systems that actually are built to last. In oral care, that means moving away from a throwaway culture and building products that last longer and using materials with end-of-life in mind.

At SURI, we believe sustainability should be the default, not an afterthought. It’s about creating great products that people love and are better for the planet. Because if we want people to make better choices, we’ve got to make those choices easy, accessible, and genuinely better.

One of the biggest sustainability challenges in oral care is that the industry is built on disposability and is heavily reliant on plastic, which is derived from fossil fuels. Most manual toothbrushes and brush heads are made from materials that aren't easily recyclable, and with billions of brushes thrown away globally each year, that’s a huge amount of waste.

Another issue is the design of the products themselves. Many electric toothbrushes contain multiple components — plastics, metals, electronics — that make them tricky to recycle through regular channels.

There’s also a lack of scalable circular systems (systems where materials never become waste and are recycled indefinitely) in oral care. Although we’re starting to see refill models in other personal care categories, oral care hasn't kept pace. Most brands don’t offer take-back schemes or recycling programmes, which means even high-quality products are often disposed of when only one part wears out.

For consumers, these challenges create a bit of a dilemma. On one hand, they want to make sustainable choices, but on the other, oral care is a non-negotiable and consumers want the easiest and most accessible option.

The world of recycling, reuse and overall end-of-life processes can also create confusion for consumers. Even if they have the best intention to recycle their product, the infrastructure and accessibility might not always be available or convenient, leading consumers to either hoarding products or defaulting to throwing them away in the bin.

So ultimately, the lack of innovation and clarity in the space can leave people feeling guilty or frustrated and choosing products that are available but not necessarily the most sustainable.

Most dental products, like toothbrushes and floss, are made from a mix of plastics and materials that local recycling centres just can’t process. Even electric brush heads are tricky because people aren’t sure what to do with them, so they usually just end up in the bin.

I’d say start by thinking about making sustainable swaps in your routine. Things like plastic toothbrushes, floss containers, and even toothpaste tubes can all be swapped for lower-impact alternatives. Look for products that are either recyclable, refillable, or made from better materials, and bonus points if the brand offers a recycling or take-back scheme.

And while sustainability doesn’t always have to cost more, it’s worth thinking about value in the long run. Choosing something durable, well-made and long-lasting means you’re not constantly replacing it. You’re investing in something that’s built to last. That kind of approach often ends up being better for the environment and your wallet.

I think there’s still this idea that if something is made with alternative materials, it might not perform as well, especially when it comes to something like oral hygiene, where effectiveness really matters.

But with the right design and materials, you can absolutely have both.

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