Electrical toothbrushes are including to the world’s rising mountain of dangerous ewaste at a regarding price. UK sustainable know-how agency In2tec is asking for better consciousness of the difficulty, and a shift to the usage of reusable elements within the manufacture of those units.
Specialists at In2tec say low cost toothbrushes and customers upgrading to new high-end fashions with superficial, gimmicky enhancements are including to landfill unnecessarily.
In 2022, an estimated 34 million individuals within the UK used electrical toothbrushes with 12 million individuals having switched within the 5 years between 2015 and 2020, whereas it’s arduous to get dependable information on what number of are thrown away, the quantity is likely important – final 12 months Skilled Evaluations analysed information that exposed that the UK throws away 2,266 tonnes of toothbrushes annually – 212 million electrical toothbrush heads and handbook brushes.
Throwaway electronics have a devastating ecological affect, set off critical well being issues amongst waste pickers in growing international locations, and dissipate staggering quantities of important and more and more scarce supplies akin to uncommon earth components, aluminium, copper, and metal.
Most fashionable electrical toothbrushes include lithium-ion batteries. While they last more and are extra environment friendly, the important thing uncooked materials of lithium is fraught with important challenges all through the provision chain. Starting from useful resource availability to geopolitical dangers, human rights points, environmental considerations and technological hurdles.
Emma Armstrong, Sustainable Electronics Ambassador and Group Industrial Director at In2tec Ltd, mentioned: “Electrical toothbrushes are lower than £3 from some low-quality on-line retailers like Temu, so individuals are fast to interchange them once they inevitably break. In the meantime, gadget followers are tossing their completely advantageous mannequin for the subsequent technology, which boasts pointless telephone apps and a number of ‘cleansing modes’.
“Most toothbrushes aren’t designed to be reused or recycled and may find yourself in landfill after a couple of years if not a couple of months. Recycling can solely accomplish that a lot – for actual outcomes, society wants to show away from ewaste and embrace modular know-how that ensures elements are reused or repaired as a substitute of being burned or buried.”
Researchers at Trinity School Dublin undertook a examine on the sustainability of various fashions of toothbrushes to seek out out which had the best world environmental affect.
Dr Brett Duane, Affiliate Professor in Public Dental Well being and lead researcher mentioned: “There are billions of toothbrushes used and discarded yearly. Our analysis reveals that electrical toothbrushes are literally dangerous to the planet and the individuals concerned within the manufacturing course of and distribution.”
“The best toothbrush is one which makes use of plastic which is recycled in a steady course of. We want a system the place plastic toothbrushes might be collected like batteries after which recycled into new merchandise.”
In2tec is working to slash the harrowing environmental and societal affect of ewaste and supply modern options to the rising downside of throwaway electronics.
The corporate’s signature ReUSE® and ReCYCLE™ comprise a closed-loop course of permitting producers to take away elements from current electronics on the finish of their helpful life and reuse them – carbon-free.
ReUSE® is a collection of supplies, processes and design ideas used to fabricate printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), whereas ReCYCLE™ is the ultra-low vitality course of for unzipping PCBAs – the inspiration of almost all know-how – to the unique invoice of supplies (BoM).
The know-how’s versatility permits world commercialisation and an unlimited discount within the general vitality used to fabricate and course of when it reaches its finish of life – one thing that isn’t attainable when utilizing typical PCBA processes or supplies.