Your pearly whites need regular care and maintenance. We’ve covered zero waste toothbrushes and toothpaste on this blog, but what about flossing? Is there a safe, effective, environmentally friendly way to floss? Plus, we look at eco floss brands that will help us avoid all the problems of traditional floss, while also cleaning your teeth to your satisfaction!
TL;DR: Top eco floss? It’s the EcoRoots Bamboo Floss. Best eco friendly dental floss pick? Primal Life Organics.
And if you want a zero waste option, try the Waterpik Water Flosser!
- Best Eco friendly Floss
- BEST BIODEGRADABLE FLOSS
- SILK ECO FLOSS
- REUSABLE FLOSS
- BEST REUSABLE FLOSS PICK
- PLASTIC-FREE FLOSS PICKS
- 1 // Pure Earth Essential Plastic-free Dental Floss Picks | $6 (pack of 50)
- 2 // Primal Life Organics Dental Floss Picks | $11.99
- 3 // Free the Ocean Compostable Dental Floss Pick | $9.95 (2 packs)
- 4 // Boonboo Bamboo Dental Floss Picks | $7.99 (20 cts)
- 5 // Grin Natural Dental Floss Picks | $7.00 (45pk)
- 6 // Brushd Eco-friendly Floss Picks | £3.49
- 7 // Happy Eco Floss Picks | $15.99 (50 pcs)
- ZERO WASTE FLOSS PICK
- Choosing the Right Eco Floss
Best Eco friendly Floss
Dental floss is generally made using nylon (which is a plastic). Firstly, nylon cannot be recycled, and isn’t easily biodegradable.
Second, many brands of plastic dental floss are also coated with PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), to make the floss easier to use. But PFAS is a toxin, and has been found to cause numerous health issues, including cancer, reproductive issues, and more.
Do we really want to deal with all that?
So, is there an eco-friendly floss? That’s safe for us human users?
Yes, of course – and we have listed out the best eco-friendly floss options for you!
BEST BIODEGRADABLE FLOSS
One of the biggest problems of traditional floss is the plastic content – floss made of plastic as well as the plastic packaging that comes with it. Here are some biodegradable floss options that also come in low-impact packaging. All these floss brands can be buried in the dirt or sent to a compostable facility.
1 // Lucky Teeth Organic Bamboo Dental Floss
Price: $9.99 (33 yards)
Vegan | organic materials | non-GMO corn | Biodegradable and Reusable packaging
Lucky Teeth is a family business that makes biodegradable bamboo fiber floss. And the container is glass, housed in a recyclable paper box. They have a two-pack refill option for when you’re done with the first pack.
Lucky Teeth’s floss breaks down in 60-90 days, since it’s made with organic, biodegradable materials.
Apart from this vegan bamboo charcoal floss, Lucky Teeth also has Vegan Corn PLA floss and Peace Silk floss, both of which are biodegradable and organic. But the bamboo charcoal ones are the most highly rated!
Lucky Teeth Bamboo Floss Review: “Both my husband and I are meticulous flossers, and whenever possible we try to use environmentally friendly products. I loved the idea of a reusable container, and was happy to try biodegradable floss. I came across Lucky Teeth by accident, and gave it a try. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical, but both of us really like the feel and the quality, so we switched. Before choosing a brand, I compared a few different ones. The quality of other brands were comparable , but Lucky Teeth was slightly cheaper and also offered a subscription, which is convenient for us.
So here we are. Pleased with the quality, the price and our little contribution to the planet.”
2 // Terra & Co. Biodegradable Dental Floss
Price: $9.99 (32 yards)
Zero waste | vegan | plastic-free packaging
A cool product of the Tiny Yellow Bungalow ZW Store, this biodegradable and vegan Terra & Co. floss is made from bamboo and uses activated charcoal and coconut oil “to effectively remove buildup and whiten between teeth.”
3 // EcoRoots Bamboo Floss
Price: $9.99
Vegan | cruelty-free | Compostable/Recyclable Packaging | Plastic-Free Shipping
EcoRoots biodegradable floss is made of bamboo, and coated with plant-based candelilla wax to easily slide between your teeth. The glass bottle is refillable and EcoRoots has a refill pack that you can buy and use in the same bottle.
EcoRoots Bamboo Floss Review: “This product has been great, after an adjustment period. I love knowing each length of floss I use won’t be sitting in a landfill hundreds of years from now. Just be aware that if you’re used to using heavily waxed nylon floss, this might take some getting used to (especially if, like me, you have tight spaces between your teeth). It’s just thicker and less slick than the regular kind. The floss works great, though, and I feel like the tighter fit helps with more thorough cleaning. Also, the little glass dispenser is cute as heck.”
4 // KMH Touches Floss Pot Gold (Vegan) | CAD $10 (50 meters)
5 // ZWS Essentials Biodegradable Dental Floss | $9.99 (30 meters)
6 // Georganics Corn-based PLA Floss | £4.90 (50 meters)
SILK ECO FLOSS
Is silk floss eco-friendly? Well, silk is a natural product, and is therefore biodegradable in its natural form. It’s also incredibly strong, which makes it a great choice for floss material.
Is silk floss as good as regular floss? Yes, it definitely is! The reason we’ve put silk in a separate category is that it isn’t vegan. Otherwise, as a biodegradable material, it should have been included in the previous subheading.
The problem with silk is the procurement of it. Is it cruelty free? Well, if it’s been extracted ethically, then yes. And using a natural product is as eco-friendly as you can get; just make sure you aren’t causing suffering to any animals. Opt for peace silk, aka ahimsa silk, whenever possible. If that’s not an option, go for upcycled silk.
1 // TreeBird Pure Silk Eco Floss
Price: $9.99 (33 yards)
Refillable glass container | compostable packaging | Peace silk
TreeBird provides a glass bottle container for the pure silk floss coated in plant-based candelilla wax. They have dental floss refills for when you’re done with this spool and need the next one.
TreeBird’s packaging is done with kraft paper and compostable stickers printed with soybean ink. Conveniently, they can all go into your compost pile.
Treebird Eco Floss Review: “I got this floss because I was looking in my bathroom can and noticed that everything in it was compostable apart from my name brand plastic and nylon floss that my dentist had recommended. I simply ordered the one pack of Treebird in case I didn’t like it and now I’ll be ordering the refills of 5 every time. I thought I was using “good” floss before, but this floss is clearly superior, my gums feel exponentially cleaner and are more stimulated. I didn’t find that the floss shredded much as other reviews have mentioned. It didn’t get stuck between my teeth, either, but I had to go slow and be cautious. This isn’t wimpy floss, so you can’t just jam it into your gums! As a zero waste bonus, the envelope the product came in was made of entirely post-consumer recycled material, recyclable at curbside, had algae ink, and only contained the floss and bottle I ordered with no extra paper, samples, etc. Treebird definitely put their money where their mouth is and I would recommend this to anyone.”
2 // Dental Lace
Price: $11.95 (33 yards)
Recyclable | compostable | FDA certified | recycled packaging | soy-based inks
Dental Lace is made from 100% natural mulberry silk and is coated in a natural plant-based candelilla wax, making it completely biodegradable. The container is a glass bottle with a metal cap. You can compost the used floss in your kitchen compost.
Dental Lace Silk Floss Review: “This floss is the best I have ever used, it is even better than regular plastic floss. It glides through so easy! I had gotten Hello brand from Target which is also coated in an organic wax but it was so difficult to get in and out from between teeth. I have had no issues with this floss breaking and it tastes great!”
3 // RADIUS Natural Silk Floss
Price: $4.50 (33 yards)
Peace silk | non toxic | safe and fair labor
RADIUS’s natural silk dental floss is coated in candelilla plant wax, and the silk is handspun by a CORSEDA fair trade co-op in the mountains of Columbia. The packaging is made from recyclable cardboard, and the products are shipped in recycled and recyclable boxes.
RADIUS Natural Silk Floss Review: “When I switched to the Radius floss years ago, it was to reduce my impact on environment even with the small stuff. I was ready to accept it comes with caveats, but the Radius floss is better for me than any other floss I have ever tries. The floss gets perfectly around my teeth, does a good job at removing things stuck between them, doesn’t hurt my gum, doesn’t break middle flossing. My dental hygiene is just as good as it can be!
And when the brand switched to cardboard packaging I was even more happy. I just keep it away from water and there’s no issue with dispensing or storing the floss; and I’m using the floss… it’s not like I have to store it for months and months.
I also like it comes in an unscented version, sometimes dental products are too minty or flavorful for me. If I need extra refreshment I’ll use a mouthwash.”
4 // Etee Gently Minted Waxed Silk Dental Floss
Price: $12 (2 spools of 30 meters each)
Sustainable ingredients | biodegradable packaging | soy-based inks | cruelty-free
Etee’s plastic-free floss is made of 100% pure mulberry silk, candelilla wax and natural peppermint oil floss. It’s completely biodegradable, and refillable, and you can opt for the glass container to include a floss cutter.
Etee Silk Dental Floss Review: “I love this floss almost as much as I love the glass container. No more plastic to throw in the trash, or in the recycling where it has very little chance of actually being recycled. I bought one for my neighbor too. Thanks, etee.”
REUSABLE FLOSS
Is there such a thing as reusable floss? Yes, loads of oral care brands are coming out with zero waste, reusable floss.
1 // SimplyFloss Reusable Silicone Dental Floss | $10.50 for 8 pieces
2 // Thrive Market Gentle Tape Dental Floss | $2.29 (55 yards)
3 // The Humble Co. Floss | $4.29 (54 yards)
4 // Zero Waste Floss from Etsy | From $5.00
BEST REUSABLE FLOSS PICK
Floss picks make reaching hard-to-reach places more…err..approachable! But instead of wasteful use-and-throw floss picks, try out this reusable floss pick:
Quip Refillable Floss Pick
Price: $15
ADA-accepted | vegan friendly | 100% recyclable refill paper pods
The Quip refillable floss pick system has a metal or plastic floss pick in a sleek travel case. The pick has a click button that disposes floss after every use, and restrings the pick. It’s vegan waxed polyester floss (PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene), so that bit is not ideal. But this is a less-waste option, not a zero waste option. Every refill of Quip replaces 180 disposable picks. They have a subscription plan for regular refill home delivery.
Quip also has a rechargeable cordless water flosser, that seems more eco-friendly than the string floss.
Quip Water Flosser Review: “I bought this because i hate using string floss its never a fun experience and such a waste. The water flosser was easy and kind of fun to use. It made daily teeth care easy to maintain and not fall behind. I can also see this being useful for kids”
PLASTIC-FREE FLOSS PICKS
1 // Pure Earth Essential Plastic-free Dental Floss Picks | $6 (pack of 50)
2 // Primal Life Organics Dental Floss Picks | $11.99
3 // Free the Ocean Compostable Dental Floss Pick | $9.95 (2 packs)
4 // Boonboo Bamboo Dental Floss Picks | $7.99 (20 cts)
5 // Grin Natural Dental Floss Picks | $7.00 (45pk)
6 // Brushd Eco-friendly Floss Picks | £3.49
7 // Happy Eco Floss Picks | $15.99 (50 pcs)
ZERO WASTE FLOSS PICK
Waterpik Water Flosser
Price: $99.99 (Aquarius Water Flosser)
ADA-approved | zero waste
It is a good idea to bring technology into something as simple as flossing? Maybe! The Waterpik Water Flosser uses a powerful stream of water to wash out particles from between your teeth. Would it remind you of sitting in a dentist’s chair? No, because there’s no buzzing noise:P…
The Waterpik runs on electric power (no batteries!) and has 10 settings, along with seven different tips – so multiple users can use it. It also has a massage mode, which sounds great for your gums! You will not have to buy refills of any sort, so it is zero waste. You’re using water, of course, but that’s about all you will be using once you buy the gadget.
Waterpik Water Flosser Review: “This is the best thing I’ve done for my teeth and gums. Don’t buy the cordless. They are wimpy wastes of money. Get this one instead. It’s powerful (as powerful as you need it to be), and will help you avoid cavities and destruction to your gums.
Just be sure to let this drain out to keep it from getting slimy mold growing in it I always take the canister off, run any remaining water through and place everything upside down in to the water reservoir (placed on but not connected to the base) with the hose hanging down into it, so any remaining water can drain out. That way, I am confident that I’m not growing any mold in the machine.”
Choosing the Right Eco Floss
Floss seems like it isn’t much, but it can add a lot of waste to the environment and also cause harm to wildlife. We hope these eco-friendly floss options helped you decide which brand to swap to, because one thing is clear: non-biodegradable floss is not a good idea anymore.
Can you make your own eco-friendly dental floss? Of course. You can use non-abrasive thread, but be careful: you don’t want to hurt yourself with thread that isn’t smooth enough.
An eco-friendly option would be to use silk from some of your old silk scarf or blouse. Silk is very durable as floss, and does the job very well. Plus, you’re not buying new silk!
Take care of your oral health and the environment, and use eco floss from now on!
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