Tom's of Maine launches eco-friendly toothbrush

Tom's of Maine has introduced its new Naturally Clean toothbrush made with a plant-based handle from renewable castor oil plants instead of petroleum. It also has dye-free, multiheight bristles to clean between teeth and along the gumline.

Made of bisphenol-A-free No. 7 plastic, the toothbrush is available with soft or medium bristles in green, blue, or purple hues with mineral-based pigments. It is recyclable through the Tom's of Maine TerraCycle collection program, which gathers toothbrushes and personal care product packaging and recycles it into useful products such as picnic tables and park benches to prevent waste from reaching landfills.

To celebrate the launch, Tom's of Maine is inviting consumers to tweet their pledge to make a simple switch to @TomsofMaine using the hashtag #naturallyclean.

Paul Jessen, associate oral care brand manager at Tom's of Maine, explained that the company's customers have requested such a toothbrush for years, but it was challenging to engineer a plant-based solution that also provides the efficacy and durability people expect from a toothbrush.

Tom's of Maine has also partnered with Starre Vartan, Eco-Chick founder and author of The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green, who recommends the following ways to create a more eco-friendly bathroom:

• Switch out products you use every day to more natural options. In addition to the Tom's of Maine toothbrush, try towels made from organic cotton, which has been grown without pesticides and harmful chemicals that often damage local ecosystems.

• Rethink what you put down the drain. Natural cleaning products such as baking soda are an effective solution for scrubbing toilets, tubs, and sinks.

• Toss the plastic poofs. Natural loofahs or sponges are gentler on the skin and will biodegrade (or can be composted) once replaced.

• Forget fancy shave gels and go for high-quality extra-virgin olive oil or almond oil, which doubles as a shaving cream.

• Hang towels to dry right after you've showered and they won't get smelly, which means you are more likely to use them longer and cut down on washing.