How do you recycle used toothbrushes?

I’m excited to announce that we are a Terracycle/Colgate Oral Care Recycling Drop-off spot in Sunnyvale, CA!

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet Mr Tim Oey.  A Sunnyvale neighbor that has lots of tips on how to do your part for the environment by being more mindful of waste.

I had always assumed a  universal recycling symbol on a material meant the plastic was recyclable.  In fact, it only identifies the type of plastic to help recyclers to sort!  Ultimately,  the recyclability of the material depends on the equipment available at your domestic curbside collection or industrial collections.

Unfortunately, Sunnyvale and many local waste facilities are not able to process toothbrushes, toothpaste, or floss containers. Many of us optimistically place these items into our recycle bins, however, they are ultimately sent off the landfill as trash as our trash agency is not able to process these resins.

Luckily, Tim has found a fantastic partnership between TerraCycle and Colgate that allows folks to ship these items for free so that they can be processed appropriately. We have set up a collection bin, so feel free to drop off your used toothbrushes, empty toothpaste and floss containers, and even their packaging!  As an aside, Colgate donates towards the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition  for every shipment over 10 pounds that we collect

P.S. If you have concerns about what we can accept for recycling, please contact dr@jenchiang.com or call the office at 408.523.4030.