Are you ready for a shocking statistic? According to the American Dental Association, roughly one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away annually in just the U.S. That roughly translates to 50 million pounds of waste. So, while Earth Day may be April 22nd, our team at Mind Your Mouth celebrates this important holiday year-round. In fact, being mindful of our ecological footprint is something that unites our team! To learn more about our efforts to take care of our world and how you can participate, read on.
#1. We Are a Collection Center
From toothpaste tubes and floss containers to toothbrushes, there are several oral hygiene products that are comprised of plastic. At our office, we use a Terra-Cycle. In short, this innovative company specializes in recycling hard-to-recycle materials. As a result, waste is saved from landfills and instead re-purposed. The best part? We’re a collection center too! So, doing your part to save our planet is as easy as coming by our office to drop off your used products so we can recycle them for you.
#2. We Use Eco-Friendly Office Supplies
To take our efforts a step further, we also prioritize using eco-friendly office supplies. A few examples include:
- Bamboo cups and toilet paper – Bamboo is 100% biodegradable. As a result, using these products helps our team in our efforts to be a zero-waste practice. Furthermore, we can compost plant-based plastics with Garbage to Garden.
- No single-use plastic pouches – Instead, we use autoclave pouches, which eliminates so much plastic waste per year. After all, EnviroPouch® pouches can be used up to 200 times!
- Refillable soap dispensers – Another way our team cuts down on the use of plastic is by using glass, refillable soap dispensers throughout the office.
- Eco-friendly laundry detergent – This product is compostable thanks to a local favorite, GoGo Refill.
- Dry Vac – This eco-friendly cleaner uses way less water – about 360 gallons less a day, to be exact!
#3. Sustainability Is Built Into Our Practice
While other nearby dental offices may focus on quantity, we focus on quality. With us, you can expect longer appointments that allow for more thorough, total-body care. As a result, we can maximize our resources and create less turnover and waste. Furthermore, we compost all food waste for both our visitors and our staff. If that wasn’t enough, our building has partnered with Efficiency Maine, and we use solar energy!
Our team at Mind Your Mouth believes that every day is Earth Day, which is why we are always striving to do better for our planet. If you have a suggestion for how we can accomplish this, don’t hesitate to let us know by getting in touch with our team via our website or by phone at (207) 200-4106.