This Earth Day, Bite is offering 20% off orders and will throw in a $2 donation to one of their sustainability-focused non-profit partners: Rainforest Trust, Marine Mammal Care Center, and the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide. You choose the one that resonates the most.
Tubes of toothpaste are such a protracted pain point in the realm of household plastic waste. While other personal care items like shampoo bottles are also major contributors to that personal plastic problem, they can at least be recycled — though don’t get me started on how little plastic is actually recycled once it’s out of the consumer’s hands.
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But traditional toothpaste’s combination of plastics wrapped around bendy aluminum don’t play well with conventional recycling methods. This mixture of materials seals the fate of a vast majority of the 1.5 billion tubes of toothpaste trashed globally each year, sending them to a landfill where they’ll chill and emit traces of greenhouse gases until they break down…in 500 years.
In 2023, there’s just no excuse for something as ubiquitous as toothpaste to wreak such lasting havoc on the environment with so few eco-friendly alternatives. But I’ve found one that I’ve been obsessed with for the past three years: Zero-waste toothpaste in the form of chewable tablets — particularly the Toothpaste Bits from Bite (Because It’s The Earth) — are something I insist everyone works into their routine.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Why ditch traditional tube toothpaste?
Colgate and Crest are universal toothpaste defaults that no one really questions.
Unilever, the company that owns Crest, has been crowned one of the top five worst plastic polluters in the world for the fifth year in a row. Colgate-Palmolive has also made an appearance on the list in recent years. (And the fact that Colgate is finally rolling out recyclable toothpaste tubes doesn’t automatically void its huge plastic footprint.) These companies permeate so many product categories on my list in an average Target run that it’s nearly impossible to avoid them completely, but I’m always looking for ways to give my support elsewhere.
Bite Bits are so easy to work into your routine
Chewing up a tablet reminiscent of Tums before brushing probably requires slightly more of an adjustment than other eco-friendly bathroom swaps like simply switching to bamboo toilet paper or a reusable razor.
But chewable toothpaste isn’t anywhere as weird as you’re probably picturing. Though I’ve been strictly using Bite over regular toothpaste for three years now, but it definitely didn’t take that long to get used to it. After mere days into my new Bite routine, chewing my toothpaste felt so normal that I forgot I ever relied on tube toothpaste. Grabbing a tablet out of the glass jar they come in rather than squeezing a crusty tube for all that it’s got is objectively just a classier process, and I love not displaying the tube on my counter.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The chalky breath mint texture goes away as soon as you put your toothbrush in your mouth and start brushing. The tablet fully dissolves and begins to foam — not as much as regular toothpaste, but enough to feel like the toothpaste is actually doing something.
Also, Bite Toothpaste Bits legitimately taste good. The mint flavor comes from natural peppermint sweetened by xylitol, a sugar substitute found in fruit, corn, and birch trees that repels cavity-causing bacteria. If you have a kid who fights teeth brushing because gel or paste toothpaste tastes too intense, I could see them actually being excited to brush with Bite.
You’re not losing other crucial dental health benefits by switching, either. Bits also include ingredients like sodium bicarbonate to help balance PH levels in your mouth, zinc citrate to attack malodors and help fight bad breath, and calcium carbonate, which acts as a mild abrasive to assist in cleaning and polishing. Bite doesn’t use parabens, artificial flavors, sulfates, or potentially-toxic chemicals like titanium dioxide.
I’ve had multiple friends try some Bite Bits when they’re visiting. The reactions have ranged from genuinely impressed to “they’re OK, but not weird as I thought.” If the most negative thing someone can think to say about them is that they “could be mintier,” I’d say that’s a win.
Pricing is steeper than traditional toothpaste, but still manageable
Bite offers a one month supply for $12 or a four month supply for $32, which is the amount I usually go for because it saves you a few bucks. $32 for four months (alleging that you brush your teeth twice a day) shakes out to $8 per month. You can also make a one-time purchase to see how you like Bite before committing.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
That’s not bad at all in the grand scheme of monthly recurring fees and subscriptions that most of us are used to, but in the toothpaste realm, we’re definitely not used to paying more than $2 or $3 for a tube of toothpaste that’ll last for maybe three-ish months. If you’re willing and able to spend a little bit more for a product that hurts the environment less, switching to Bite won’t require much convincing.
For what it’s worth, restocking your Bite supply is actually less work than going to the store. Bite will automatically ship your refill when your subscription time frame is up. You’ll receive an email about your upcoming shipment a few days ahead of time in case you want to edit your ship date, extend the amount of time between shipments, or pause the subscription.
Refills come in a compostable paper bag (I put mine in my Lomi) and can be dumped directly into your old glass jar. I’ll make an order with a new glass jar after maybe eight months when my current jar starts to get grimy. Fortunately, the glass recycling rate in the U.S. is much more promising than that of plastic, and unlike plastic, glass is infinitely recyclable.
Swap or not?
*Screams so loudly that you feel a slight breeze* Yes.
Annually, we discard 50 Empire State Buildings’ worth of toothpaste tubes that aren’t recyclable, aren’t biodegradable, and will eventually end up in a landfill or in the ocean. If you’re on a mission to cut back your personal plastic footprint and support companies that are doing the same, switching to a sustainable toothpaste option like Bite is one way to put your money where your mouth is.
The mint flavor is tasty and toxin-free, they arrive to your home in low-waste packaging without requiring a trip to the store, and best of all, they help you take a twice-daily bathroom habit from one that creates so much non-recyclable plastic waste to one that creates zero waste. I stan Bite, and soon, you will too.
