Dental floss is usually kept in a plastic container and these plastic containers litter our environment due to most of them not being recyclable. 

They can litter areas for upwards of 500 years, and considering that an average person would use about 1 floss container a month shows that there is a lot of waste from the floss containers alone. 

Then on top of that the floss itself is made of nylon which also isn’t biodegradable and results in even more litter. And ultimately this floss is meant to not break (since you are trying to floss with it) which means that if it gets to any ecosystems, ie the ocean, many animals are at risk. Then on top of that flossers are a whole other story. All flossers come with lots of plastic and only one is used a day. This results in a lot of pollution too.

So what can you do?

Just by doing a simple google search of “sustainable dental floss” many options appear. One of the more popular options is by Public Goods. They’re selling dental floss that comes in a glass bottle (which means the packaging is refillable which also means less waste). They’re floss is 100% biodegradable and has all natural and safe ingredients. All of this for only $2.50! They also sell refills for these glass bottles that come in packs of three for $5.50.

Another good option for anyone who prefers flossers over floss is Quip’s Refillable Floss Pick. There’s two different styles; white plastic ($15)  or metal which comes in  a variety of colors ($30). This flosser comes in an easy to carry case which also houses the floss that you will use to refill this flosser. You just press a button on the handle which opens up the tip and allows you to refill the flosser with fresh floss. The floss inside the carry case is able to be refilled and the floss should last about three months! You can set up a subscription to their refills which only costs $5 every three months. This product is also sold at Target so it’s very accessible. 

Keep in mind that you should always use the items you have before buying eco-friendly alternatives! In this case use up the rest of your floss and flossers, otherwise that purchase and waste that you contributed to would be for nothing. Once finished with this floss, plan to buy alternatives.