Electric appliances and fixtures are the future as the world is switching from polluting fuel sources like gas and coal to affordable, clean energy from wind, solar, and water. But that doesn't mean every electric gadget is good for the planet. One shopper just found a product that buyers worldwide should skip.
What's happening?
According to one Redditor from the UK, they were shopping at Asda when they found an electric toothbrush from Wisdom in the hygiene aisle. So far, so normal — but their post in r/Anticonsumption revealed a few more details that put this toothbrush solidly in the "do not buy" category.
"I found this toothbrush in Asda that cannot be recharged or have the batteries replaced, forcing you to buy a new one every time it runs out," they said, sharing two photos of the packaging to confirm their story.
According to the package, "This brush contains non-replaceable batteries designed to last the lifetime of the brush." However, it also goes on to instruct users to remove and correctly dispose of the dead batteries separately from the toothbrush — proving that this was a deliberate choice, not just an inconvenient side effect of the toothbrush design.
"That's terrible. Who in their right mind would buy that?" said one commenter. "Also thinking there should definitely be restrictions on creating these kinds of wasteful products."
Similar non-rechargeable battery products have been seen in single-use cell phone chargers.
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Why are non-replaceable, non-rechargeable batteries important?
Buying a whole new product every time the old one wears out costs more than just repairing or recharging the existing one. By making it impossible to replace the batteries, Wisdom is costing users money.
Meanwhile, this toothbrush is made of two parts that are bad for the environment: the batteries, which are full of hazardous chemicals, and the plastic brush itself, which doesn't decay naturally and sheds microplastics. Since both are designed to be thrown away instead of being reused, that means buyers are putting the maximum amount of chemicals and microplastics into the environment.
Is Wisdom doing anything to be more eco-friendly?
While this particular toothbrush is hard on the environment, Wisdom offers others that are much better. It has a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush, as well as one made from recycled plastic. It also says its manual toothbrushes and packaging are recyclable.
What can I do to make my tooth hygiene more eco-friendly?
First, if you need an electric toothbrush, opt for a rechargeable one since it'll last much longer and generate way less trash. If you prefer a manual toothbrush, recycled plastic and bamboo are both great options.
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Also, take a look at your other dental products. Toothpaste tablets are a good choice because you can skip non-recyclable toothpaste tubes, and a water flosser might be a good investment compared to yard after yard of dental floss.
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