Thanks for sharing your experience. There is one thing I wanted to note: using silk I think is unsustainable in the long run even if it is decomposable. To produce silk meaning the companies have to mass produce hence abusing the use of insect and results in disrupting nature. (The usual routine of mass production of animal use products.) As a good alternative, one of my friends actually found out that you could actually use corn peels for flossing due to the frim string-like type of fibre. I suggest you try that out as well and see what you think about it. Thanks again for the video, great to see more people start to care about sustainability and a more natural lifestyle.
Thanks for watching and your comment. Yes i also wanted to move to a plant based floss as soon as one became available. Georganics has now a coconut fibre floss which is what ive been using for months and its so good i'll continue to use it. Available from their website, at least in the UK. Hopefully similar products will be available elsewhere in the coming years, it performs almost as well as traditional nylon but completely biodeg+vegan
You can buy the oils separate and mix your own toothpaste. I have been doing this for a couple of years and have tried many different oils as well as gypsum and calcium carbonate as well as baking soda for abrasives I think the baking soda and gypsum works better than the calcium carbonate and that’s what most store bought brands use . I also reuse my flaws by boiling it and re waxing it with bees wax witch makes it last ten times longer. Currently I use silk altho I would like to start making it possibly using hemp thread .
To me the most frustrating thing is that almost every zero waste product is expensive. How can people remove plastic from their housholds if being Eco is that pricey? Few crazy zero waste people won't save this planet. Btw. I've just bought georganics silk floss for £1.8 ! Usually it costs around £5, so I'm asking how much is it really worth? £0,50??!!
Yh i partly agree with you, a lot of the fashionable, conveniently ready-available products are ludicrously priced (or so it seems). The thing to consider is the business risk and overheads these first handful of zero waste businesses have, they need to recover this with higher prices. I think over time when people know e.g. which fibre is good for making non-nylon floss and start doing it on a larger scale and feel more competition in the market then...finally we will see the prices come lower. A lot of practical zero waste options such as toothpaste and deoderant are cheap to make from oil and bicarb which helps. Dont let the part of the market which caters to fashion-chasing 'zerowasters' falsely shape your perception of the actual cost of sustainable living. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Didn't research it deeper, but I think baking soda is too basic pH wise. The environment for (good) bacteria in our mouth (and on other places) is neither high acidity nor high basic, it's somewhere in between, and the (good) bacteria too doesn't like too basic pH. First best "dental routine" is eating whole food diet, no sugars, no refined foods. Important for gut microbiome too. For now, I just use powdered clay, with water. Believing it's actually a lot more neutral than baking soda. 🤷
Thank you so much for making your videos so informative! ( especially linking articles 🙏🏼) I’ve binged through all of them haha I’m also on a zero waste journey and I’ve found your videos so helpful and inspiring. I’m so happy I found your channel!
i'm happy to hear you have found them useful! i will continue with the links in the description, it's the best way i see of getting you the details without bloating the video itself. Thanks for your comment and for watching :) good luck with the zerowasting
Thanks so much! I'm hoping to get more videos out soon. I'm just working on a way to balance all my commitments in a way that doesn't impact the quality of my videos now that I have less time on my hands Thanks for commenting :)
I have asked Georganics already if they would consider offering refills as an option for purchasing, especially for things like floss and mouthwash tablets. I said it would be better to encourage people to use the packaging they already have or to come up with their own storage solutions.
Hey, thanks for commenting, i dont know how recently you checked but they do now offer the refill packs, at least of the floss. When i made this video they had the refills as a hidden away, drop-down option on the page for the floss with glass container, which is why i missed it in fact
Sprmal Bamboo Toothbrush 5Pcs 100% Natural Organic Biodegradable and Vegan Bamboo Eco-Friendly Medium, white bristle: Soft bristles are made from a base of 62% Castor Bean oil (bio-based and recyclable, but not biodegradable).the handle is made from 100% Bamboo (organic and wild - no pesticides or fertilizers).
I’ve used a diy toothpaste for a year now and it seems to work, no new cavities but it doesn’t really freshen my breath as much as regular toothpaste did.
You might be already, but remember to brush or scrape your tongue thoroughly, it helps. But yh you're right, bicarb/homemade toothpastes dont do the same job as conventional pastes on breath
I have been maki g my own toothpaste for years. Great results. UA-cam is full of such videos for DIY toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, shaving cream, etc.
Another great video! I am glad that you were able to find alternatives. Since I couldn’t find any, I started making my own toothpaste which works just as well. When it comes to floss, I have heard something called “water flosser”, you might want to check it out. I wonder if that would be a better solution in the long run.
hey, thanks :) that's cool that you make your own, i forgot to mention in the video but that'll be my goal for after this jar runs out. What products do you combine for your toothpaste, if you dont mind me asking? Baking soda, coconut oil and mint oil seem to be the simplest setup i've read about. On the water flosser, yes, i've seen many people online recommending them for zero waste. The reason why i decided to go the compostable fibre floss route is that the water flosser will have to be partly landfilled and partly recycled at the end of lifespan and the manufacturing processes are more complicated and impactful (involves plastics etc) than the production of fibre floss for it's expected lifespan. Of course some go for the water flosser because it's animal product free whereas silk clearly isnt, so it comes down to what we individually set as guiding values. I'm really holding out for some compostable plant based fibre to be developed in the next 5-10years and then that would be the clear winner for me. But i guess if i came across a strict vegan starting out on zero waste and they were choosing between a waterflosser or using many years worth of nylon floss, i'd point them in the direction of the water flosser. So thanks for pointing it out, perhaps someone in that situation comes across your suggestion! :)
It is the exact recipe I use, baking soda, coconut oil and peppermint oil. I also add a few drops of tea tree oil in addition to peppermint oil because it is a very good anti-bacterial oil and helps whiten the teeth. It is very easy to mix them up (I recommend whipping the coconut oil for a more creamy consistency) and I feel like my teeth feel a lot more cleaner throughout the day compared to when I used traditional toothpaste. Thanks for enlightening me on the subject of water flosser. It is good to know that when every aspect is considered, it is not as sustainable. I was thinking that it would be more difficult to recycle but I haven’t done the research yet. Also, the amount of electricity used may be not so eco-friendly when you think about it. Of course it comes down to personal preference in the end. I would also go for the compostable fibre floss if this is the case. I would love to hear about the homemade toothpaste once you try it out! :)
this is amazing, thanks for the tips on the toothpaste, i'll be sure to post a video about it once i get to making it myself. In general i've noticed it to be useful to hold some healthy scepticism for the sustainability credentials of 'gadget' style electronics, mainly because of all the stuff that goes into making them behind the scenes(facory lines, shipping, mining of raw materials,...). But sometimes electronics can make our life so much better and possibly even more sustainable that it's worth it. always a balancing act. You're right about the electricity too, however at least personally i've started to move away from being concerned by energy/electricity wastage as much as i am about the amount of materials being lost and their potential for toxicity. Of course all things being equal, less energy use is better but keeping in mind we are moving toward cleaner energy, over the next 50 years i think it's more important to keep plastics and other toxic stuff out of the environment (which my then be there indeffinitely), even if it means currently using a bit more power which may be produced from fossil fuels. Anyway, that's my current thinking but i'm no expert
I appreciate the ideas, I always learn something new and gain new perspectives. Some articles out there can be very strict about energy waste as well. For example, using reusable cloths instead of paper towels is a serious debate. Some say it is the same in the long run because you waste energy if you are not careful about the ideal temperature while washing the cloths etc. However, I actually agree with you as we are going more toward using natural energy sources. Plastic is the biggest problem when it comes to waste and we need to do something about it as soon as possible because we have limited options of recycling or upcycling as they are not effective enough solutions. Most of the plastic produced cannot even be recycled properly. Going for biodegradable materials and/or reusable items seem to be the safest way in that sense.
Yh i think your viewpoint is rather well informed, there is still a long way to making people in general aware of the real issues going on, and articles like this one you mention about paper/reusable towels is a classic case of a debate which is too energy-centric at the expense of ignoring material-throughput and landfill/recycling imperfection. It's easy for companies to work on small incremental energy efficiency in their products but to then still make them out of unsustainable materials which then, like you say, are not closed loop recyclable e.g. plastics. I was definitely an energy conscious/preoccupied consumer until about half a year ago but then you learn that it's not really the real big problem we should be tackling. At the moment, even if we use up a bit more energy, in my opinion we should make efforts to avoid plastic and toxic materials/chemicals as much as possible. I think energy cleanliness and renewability will come with time.
Great video! I just bought georganics toothpaste and did a review on my channel, I’d love if you checked it out! I’ll also be looking into more zero-waste dental care that you’ve mentioned!
I'm afraid it wouldnt, in fact i've read articles where people tried silk threads and they say it doesnt hold together well, which is already the main issue with the silk floss I have and i imagine that one is actually designed to stay together/work well for this purpose. Hope you find something that works!
Tip: re-use old toothbrushes for cleaning around the house. They’re super handy for hard to reach places.
npigwnl, this really is a good use for them! Thanks
Thanks for sharing your experience.
There is one thing I wanted to note: using silk I think is unsustainable in the long run even if it is decomposable. To produce silk meaning the companies have to mass produce hence abusing the use of insect and results in disrupting nature. (The usual routine of mass production of animal use products.)
As a good alternative, one of my friends actually found out that you could actually use corn peels for flossing due to the frim string-like type of fibre.
I suggest you try that out as well and see what you think about it.
Thanks again for the video, great to see more people start to care about sustainability and a more natural lifestyle.
Thanks for watching and your comment. Yes i also wanted to move to a plant based floss as soon as one became available. Georganics has now a coconut fibre floss which is what ive been using for months and its so good i'll continue to use it. Available from their website, at least in the UK. Hopefully similar products will be available elsewhere in the coming years, it performs almost as well as traditional nylon but completely biodeg+vegan
Corn fibers as floss? Thanks for the idea
Wisdom make a bamboo toothbrush with plant based "Candellila wax" bristles, priced at £2 from Wilkinsons.
You can buy the oils separate and mix your own toothpaste. I have been doing this for a couple of years and have tried many different oils as well as gypsum and calcium carbonate as well as baking soda for abrasives I think the baking soda and gypsum works better than the calcium carbonate and that’s what most store bought brands use . I also reuse my flaws by boiling it and re waxing it with bees wax witch makes it last ten times longer. Currently I use silk altho I would like to start making it possibly using hemp thread .
To me the most frustrating thing is that almost every zero waste product is expensive. How can people remove plastic from their housholds if being Eco is that pricey? Few crazy zero waste people won't save this planet. Btw. I've just bought georganics silk floss for £1.8 ! Usually it costs around £5, so I'm asking how much is it really worth? £0,50??!!
Yh i partly agree with you, a lot of the fashionable, conveniently ready-available products are ludicrously priced (or so it seems). The thing to consider is the business risk and overheads these first handful of zero waste businesses have, they need to recover this with higher prices. I think over time when people know e.g. which fibre is good for making non-nylon floss and start doing it on a larger scale and feel more competition in the market then...finally we will see the prices come lower. A lot of practical zero waste options such as toothpaste and deoderant are cheap to make from oil and bicarb which helps. Dont let the part of the market which caters to fashion-chasing 'zerowasters' falsely shape your perception of the actual cost of sustainable living. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Didn't research it deeper, but I think baking soda is too basic pH wise. The environment for (good) bacteria in our mouth (and on other places) is neither high acidity nor high basic, it's somewhere in between, and the (good) bacteria too doesn't like too basic pH.
First best "dental routine" is eating whole food diet, no sugars, no refined foods. Important for gut microbiome too.
For now, I just use powdered clay, with water. Believing it's actually a lot more neutral than baking soda. 🤷
Thank you so much for making your videos so informative! ( especially linking articles 🙏🏼) I’ve binged through all of them haha I’m also on a zero waste journey and I’ve found your videos so helpful and inspiring. I’m so happy I found your channel!
i'm happy to hear you have found them useful! i will continue with the links in the description, it's the best way i see of getting you the details without bloating the video itself. Thanks for your comment and for watching :) good luck with the zerowasting
I can’t wait to see more videos!! Your channel is everything🤙🏻👊🏻
Thanks so much! I'm hoping to get more videos out soon. I'm just working on a way to balance all my commitments in a way that doesn't impact the quality of my videos now that I have less time on my hands
Thanks for commenting :)
I have asked Georganics already if they would consider offering refills as an option for purchasing, especially for things like floss and mouthwash tablets. I said it would be better to encourage people to use the packaging they already have or to come up with their own storage solutions.
Hey, thanks for commenting, i dont know how recently you checked but they do now offer the refill packs, at least of the floss. When i made this video they had the refills as a hidden away, drop-down option on the page for the floss with glass container, which is why i missed it in fact
the 'plastic wrap' is actually biodegradable wood pulp ! so completely plastic free !! woo
Sprmal Bamboo Toothbrush 5Pcs 100% Natural Organic Biodegradable and Vegan Bamboo Eco-Friendly Medium, white bristle:
Soft bristles are made from a base of 62% Castor Bean oil (bio-based and recyclable, but not biodegradable).the handle is made from 100% Bamboo (organic and wild - no pesticides or fertilizers).
I’ve used a diy toothpaste for a year now and it seems to work, no new cavities but it doesn’t really freshen my breath as much as regular toothpaste did.
You might be already, but remember to brush or scrape your tongue thoroughly, it helps. But yh you're right, bicarb/homemade toothpastes dont do the same job as conventional pastes on breath
DIY toothpaste out of coconut oil + baking soda ?
absolutely, that's the goal to try it out after this tub of georganics! have you made your own toothpaste before?
thanks for watching
I have been maki g my own toothpaste for years. Great results. UA-cam is full of such videos for DIY toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, shaving cream, etc.
Another great video! I am glad that you were able to find alternatives. Since I couldn’t find any, I started making my own toothpaste which works just as well. When it comes to floss, I have heard something called “water flosser”, you might want to check it out. I wonder if that would be a better solution in the long run.
hey, thanks :) that's cool that you make your own, i forgot to mention in the video but that'll be my goal for after this jar runs out. What products do you combine for your toothpaste, if you dont mind me asking? Baking soda, coconut oil and mint oil seem to be the simplest setup i've read about.
On the water flosser, yes, i've seen many people online recommending them for zero waste. The reason why i decided to go the compostable fibre floss route is that the water flosser will have to be partly landfilled and partly recycled at the end of lifespan and the manufacturing processes are more complicated and impactful (involves plastics etc) than the production of fibre floss for it's expected lifespan. Of course some go for the water flosser because it's animal product free whereas silk clearly isnt, so it comes down to what we individually set as guiding values. I'm really holding out for some compostable plant based fibre to be developed in the next 5-10years and then that would be the clear winner for me. But i guess if i came across a strict vegan starting out on zero waste and they were choosing between a waterflosser or using many years worth of nylon floss, i'd point them in the direction of the water flosser. So thanks for pointing it out, perhaps someone in that situation comes across your suggestion! :)
It is the exact recipe I use, baking soda, coconut oil and peppermint oil. I also add a few drops of tea tree oil in addition to peppermint oil because it is a very good anti-bacterial oil and helps whiten the teeth. It is very easy to mix them up (I recommend whipping the coconut oil for a more creamy consistency) and I feel like my teeth feel a lot more cleaner throughout the day compared to when I used traditional toothpaste. Thanks for enlightening me on the subject of water flosser. It is good to know that when every aspect is considered, it is not as sustainable. I was thinking that it would be more difficult to recycle but I haven’t done the research yet. Also, the amount of electricity used may be not so eco-friendly when you think about it. Of course it comes down to personal preference in the end. I would also go for the compostable fibre floss if this is the case. I would love to hear about the homemade toothpaste once you try it out! :)
this is amazing, thanks for the tips on the toothpaste, i'll be sure to post a video about it once i get to making it myself.
In general i've noticed it to be useful to hold some healthy scepticism for the sustainability credentials of 'gadget' style electronics, mainly because of all the stuff that goes into making them behind the scenes(facory lines, shipping, mining of raw materials,...). But sometimes electronics can make our life so much better and possibly even more sustainable that it's worth it. always a balancing act.
You're right about the electricity too, however at least personally i've started to move away from being concerned by energy/electricity wastage as much as i am about the amount of materials being lost and their potential for toxicity. Of course all things being equal, less energy use is better but keeping in mind we are moving toward cleaner energy, over the next 50 years i think it's more important to keep plastics and other toxic stuff out of the environment (which my then be there indeffinitely), even if it means currently using a bit more power which may be produced from fossil fuels. Anyway, that's my current thinking but i'm no expert
I appreciate the ideas, I always learn something new and gain new perspectives. Some articles out there can be very strict about energy waste as well. For example, using reusable cloths instead of paper towels is a serious debate. Some say it is the same in the long run because you waste energy if you are not careful about the ideal temperature while washing the cloths etc. However, I actually agree with you as we are going more toward using natural energy sources. Plastic is the biggest problem when it comes to waste and we need to do something about it as soon as possible because we have limited options of recycling or upcycling as they are not effective enough solutions. Most of the plastic produced cannot even be recycled properly. Going for biodegradable materials and/or reusable items seem to be the safest way in that sense.
Yh i think your viewpoint is rather well informed, there is still a long way to making people in general aware of the real issues going on, and articles like this one you mention about paper/reusable towels is a classic case of a debate which is too energy-centric at the expense of ignoring material-throughput and landfill/recycling imperfection. It's easy for companies to work on small incremental energy efficiency in their products but to then still make them out of unsustainable materials which then, like you say, are not closed loop recyclable e.g. plastics.
I was definitely an energy conscious/preoccupied consumer until about half a year ago but then you learn that it's not really the real big problem we should be tackling. At the moment, even if we use up a bit more energy, in my opinion we should make efforts to avoid plastic and toxic materials/chemicals as much as possible. I think energy cleanliness and renewability will come with time.
Great video! I just bought georganics toothpaste and did a review on my channel, I’d love if you checked it out! I’ll also be looking into more zero-waste dental care that you’ve mentioned!
Cool, thanks for watching. Their charcoal dental floss is very good, at least imo, vegan too(not silk fibre)
moolloos Oh that’s really nice! Will probably try it out in the near future!
Would silk thread, on its own, work well as floss?
I'm afraid it wouldnt, in fact i've read articles where people tried silk threads and they say it doesnt hold together well, which is already the main issue with the silk floss I have and i imagine that one is actually designed to stay together/work well for this purpose. Hope you find something that works!
No Fluoride in the toothpaste, that’s a shame :(
its bad. In fact, the government add fluoride to tap water when they detoxify it.
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