If you think left is right, think again
Save our health, our planet, and $1 billion per year, by using less toothpaste
In marketing folklore, there’s an oft-repeated tale of a toothpaste company which almost doubled its sales by simply heeding the ‘Make the hole bigger’ advice given by a lowly employee (the hole referred to being the mouth of the toothpaste tube). However, I could never verify this story. All visual references of toothpaste tubes going back as far as the 1940s show toothpaste tube holes of more or less the same size as today. But it’s still a great story.
However, the other day, it struck me that a lot of folks still squeeze out generous dollops of toothpaste onto their toothbrushes. They are possibly unaware of the harm to themselves and the planet, and probably more than a little influenced by the artfully shot adverts designed to brainwash us into using lots and lots of toothpaste. That’s when I felt it’s high time we reverse the narrative of that tale and reduce the toothpaste oozing out of those tubes.
Toxins that linger in our bodies
Some years ago while meeting a doctor about a sinus headache, I asked him if panadol (paracetamol) was safe to use as a painkiller for sinus headaches. It was then being heavily advertised on India’s TV channels as having no side effects. The doctor ridiculed the claim and pointed out that long-time usage of paracetamol could lead to nephritis or kidney damage.
He went on to advise me that most chemicals are unsafe, pointing out how even ordinary toothpaste has deadly toxins that accumulate in our bodies. He claimed the only reason we are still alive is that the toxins would take around 200 years to reach a level in our bodies that would kill us.
Looking back, I think he was referring to fluorides in toothpaste. But a bit of googling revealed a whole list of harmful chemicals in toothpaste. This article is worth a read as it details the different chemicals in toothpaste and why they are harmful. And here’s a disturbing article on fluorides’ harmful effects, which include teeth staining, and possible links to bone and brain damage, early menstruation, detrimental effects on the thyroid, impaired kidney functions, arthritis, bone cancer, infertility… phew!
How much toothpaste do we actually need?
Anyway, I went home and had a close look at the Colgate toothpaste tube in my bathroom cabinet. It had quite a few of the toxins from the above lists.
But what caught my eye was one tiny detail in the ‘Directions for Use.’ It says kids should only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. What struck me was if kids could get by with that little, why not adults? I mean if a pea-sized bit worked up enough foam to allow me to brush my teeth well, then why not? After all, if toothpaste is as toxic as my doctor claimed, the less I use, the better off I am.
So that’s what I’ve been doing for the last few years. Using less toothpaste made absolutely no difference to my dental hygiene. That small pea-sized of toothpaste churned up enough foam (though it did take a few days to get used to the change). In fact, my dentist complimented me on my healthy teeth during a recent routine checkup.
Saving the planet
According to this site, about 8.1 billion units of toothpaste were consumed in 2017, and the global toothpaste market is expected to reach US$ 27.7 billion by 2023. Here’s what the Worldwatch Institute has to say about the impact of all that toothpaste.
With every mouthful of toothpaste spat down the drain, a mix of questionably problematic chemicals flows into rivers, lakes, and oceans downstream.
Some researchers are concerned that triclosan, an antibiotic, may become so prevalent that bacteria found in the environment and humans will develop resistance. (Research has so far been inconclusive.) A recent study has also shown that low-level exposure to triclosan can disrupt the common North American bullfrog’s hormone system.
Sodium pyrophosphate removes minerals that develop in saliva after meals, thus preventing tartar build-up. But it contains phosphorus, and while its role is minor compared to fertilizer runoff, toothpaste contributes to excessive algal growth in waterways. Decomposing algae suck the oxygen out of the water, killing off marine life and creating huge “dead zones.” A recent science study found more than 405 of the zones worldwide, up from 49 in the 1960s.
Worldwatch has neglected the environmental impact of those 8.1 billion toothpaste tubes going into landfills, every year. And let’s not forget the cartons. Maybe take a cue from Alan, and Iceland’s environment-friendly folk.
The way I see it, even if half the toothpaste users switch to a pea-sized usage, a lot less toothpaste will go down the drains and pollute our environment.
Saving the world $1 billion every year
We have all seen those toothpaste ads on our TVs that feature striking videos of perfectly formed toothpaste being lavishly squeezed out along the top of toothbrushes, running from one end of the brush to the other. Obviously, the more tubes we use and buy, the better for manufacturers. So I understand why they try to persuade us to use more. But do we need to fall for it?
Here’s the thing. My 100g toothpaste tube used to run out in a month. But once I switched to the pea-sized model, it kept going for a year and more. In fact, my last tube had crossed a year, and was looking good for two, when it tragically dived headfirst into the toilet bowl. The new 100g pack cost about ₹75, which is around $1. This usually runs out in a month, but with my pea-sized habit, it will easily last a year. So while I once spent $12 a year on toothpaste, I now spend barely $1. Let’s round it to $10 savings, every year.
Now India has a population of 1.362 billion. ‘One 100g tube lasting one month for one user’ may be a fair estimate. But we can’t extrapolate that to 1.362 billion tubes used every month in India as there are other factors. Like a toothpaste tube is usually shared by family members, a lot of that population are kids who use a lot less, a fair bit may already be using the pea-sized model, and a good many Indians are too poor to afford toothpaste and use local/herbal alternatives to toothpaste.
There are too many constraints for me to arrive at an accurate figure. So I’ll just assume 10% of all Indians join me in switching to the pea-sized model.
Using our earlier calculation of each user saving $10 a year, that works out to $1.362 billion saved every year by Indian customers.
Likewise, the world population is currently around 7.681 billion. Using the same argument, let’s say 10% of all humans switch to the pea size model. That’s $7.681 billion saved every year.
Again, I’m assuming a majority of users don’t already use the pea-sized model. However even allowing for a 13% margin of error, the worldwide savings is around $1 billion every year.
That’s a whole lot of money!
Is pea-sized too little for you?
As far as I can think, the only reason to avoid switching to a pea-sized model is a belief or habit of using more toothpaste to brush. If that’s your issue, switch to alternatives like herbal toothpaste. In fact, I switched to a herbal brand myself. The way I see it, herbs are definitely less hard on the environment.
Spread the word
I usually don’t ask my readers to do this, but please clap for this article, share it, or just ask your circle of friends and dear ones to go pea-sized (Medium doesn’t pay writers based in India so I have no hidden agenda).
It’s a small step every single one of us can do without inconveniencing ourselves while making a huge difference to our long-suffering planet.
Anyway, if you haven’t gone pea-sized as yet, please do so right away.
You have nothing to lose, and a whole lot to save!
