I have a story to share. A sustainability fail. It went like this: we needed to buy new brush heads for our electric toothbrush. We decided to put in a bulk order, reckoning that this would mean that less packaging would be used overall (it would also be kinder on the purse in the long run). Good sustainability logic. Total fail in practice. The parcel arrived, and we opened it to find tens of packets containing just a few brush heads each.

*sigh*

These things happen. And having received all the brush heads (packaging and all), we intend to use every one. But there are times when electric doesn’t really work for us. Travelling light for a night or two away. Camping. And the times that we (mostly I in truth) forget to put the electric brush on charge (probably at least once a week). So when Noble Naturals asked if I’d like to try out their bamboo toothbrushes, I said yes.

Bamboo grows quickly, abundantly, and without the need for watering or chemical fertilisers; all of which means it has a low environmental impact. It is also compostable, so when these toothbrushes are done, that bamboo will return to the soil.

The toothbrushes arrived just in time for our four-day visit to some family over New Year; perfect for trying them out. And we found them to be really good – the right size, bristles that feel good quality, and our mouths were fresh and clean after every brush. Bamboo is very light, making these a great addition to the rucksack when camping or travelling by public transport – as we did for our trip to Paris last year.

After decades of using plastic toothbrushes, the texture of the bamboo head did, for want of a better phrase, set our teeth a little on edge on first use. We quickly found a solution though: running the brush under the tap before using it solved that single, minor quibble. We’ll definitely be using them for future travels and camping trips (and those weekly flat battery moments). And when we finally get through all those electric toothbrush heads, we’d think about sticking with just bamboo.

Noble Naturals sent us two F.E.T.E. (from earth, to earth) toothbrushes to try. I only accept products that fit with our sustainability values and which I genuinely will use. All images and opinions are my own.

As well as trying out the toothbrushes, we’ve also been giving this homemade mouthwash a go. I’ll let you know how we get on.

Today’s soundtrack: Tori Amos // Native Invader