Switching to a Biodegradable, Natural Floss is Easier than Ever

Make your dental routine more sustainable with natural silk floss. Learn how reusable packaging and compostable floss can help cut bathroom waste.

Make your dental routine more sustainable with natural silk floss. Learn how reusable packaging and compostable floss can help cut bathroom waste.

However, there’s a small source of plastic waste hiding inside your bathroom cabinet that can be surprisingly easy to overlook: your dental floss.

Traditional floss is typically used for just a few minutes before heading straight into the trash. Plus, when you think about the plastic dispenser that it comes in, this small part of your daily dental hygiene routine can create unnecessary waste over time.

Luckily, keeping your teeth clean doesn't have to come at the expense of your zero-waste lifestyle. Natural floss made from materials like silk offers a simple alternative to conventional synthetic floss, and when it's paired with refillable packaging, you can keep the container and replace only what you actually use

What is Silk Floss? 

Silk floss is exactly what it sounds like: dental floss made from silk fiber, rather than synthetic materials such as nylon or plastics coated in chemicals. 

To make the floss comfortable to use, the ZWS Silk Floss is coated in candelila plant wax to help it easily glide between your teeth, helping to prevent plaque and tartar buildup. 

Our silk thread is 100% cruelty-free, taken once the cocoon is empty, so you can feel even more comfortable with your ethical personal hygiene choices when it comes to a more natural floss!

Why Switch to Natural Floss

Unlike a tube of toothpaste or even your toothbrush, dental floss is truly single use. You use it once or twice a day, and toss it right into the bin. When using a traditional dental floss, this waste adds up quickly over time. 

It’s worth thinking about just how much floss you’ve used in your life, and the fact that floss also traditionally comes packaged in tiny plastic tins. 

Switching to natural silk floss has many benefits:

• Switching to natural silk floss has many benefits:
• No chemicals or plastics in your mouth
• Biodegradable and compostable
• Cruelty free and ethically sourced
• Sustainable

Reduce Plastic in Your Dental Routine

Traditional nylon and plastic floss is often packaged in single-use plastics, making them a high contributor to landfills. 

Silk and natural floss generally comes packaged in plastic-free containers, like the ZWS Essentials Silk Floss that is packaged in a reusable glass jar with a screw top lid. You can buy refills in a compostable and recyclable cardboard box, making this a zero-waste, eco-friendly switch. 

It's as simple as buying a different product for your routine, but that's often what makes sustainable swaps easier to stick with. You don't have to learn an entirely new habit—you can simply replace something you already use with a lower-waste, sustainable alternative.

Choose Simple Ingredients

If you’re currently taking a closer look at the ingredients and materials used in your skincare, body care, and other everyday products, your dental routine definitely deserves the same attention.

When shopping for an eco-friendly, natural dental floss, you should pay attention to the fibers, waxes, and flavorings. The ZWS Essentials Silk Floss features only three ingredients: silk thread, candelilla plant wax, organic peppermint essential oil. 

That simple ingredient list makes it easy to know exactly what you're using every time you floss.

Can You Compost Your Natural Floss?

One of the biggest differences between silk and synthetic floss is its end of life.

Be sure to check the instructions on your natural floss, but our silk floss is 100% biodegradable and compostable! You can toss it in your compost and it breaks down in just 60-90 days. 

The refill containers are also compostable–when you purchase refills from Zero Waste Store, they arrive in a recyclable and compostable cardboard box. 

How to Use Silk Floss

Making the switch to a natural alternative doesn't require changing the way you floss. 

• Gently pull the floss from the glass container
• Cut off the amount you need
• Wrap the floss around your index fingers and gently guide it between your teeth
• When you're finished, place the used silk floss in your home compost instead of the trash
• Store the remaining floss in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight

How to Make Your Entire Dental Routine More Sustainable

Once you start looking at your floss differently, you may notice there are quite a few disposable products you could also swap in the rest of your oral care routine. 

Plastic toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, mouthwash bottles, and floss dispensers are all products that eventually need to go somewhere. You don't need to replace everything in your bathroom overnight, but as your existing products run out, consider whether there's a lower-waste alternative available.

Swap Your Plastic Toothbrush

Your plastic toothbrush is another easy place to start when making sustainable swaps to your personal hygiene routine. 

The ZWS Dental Care Mini Kit pairs two bamboo toothbrushes with your choice of biodegradable silk or bamboo charcoal floss. If you’re looking to get an all-in-one eco-friendly kit for your dental health, this is a great way to go!

If you're just beginning to build a more sustainable dental routine, a kit can also make the process a little less overwhelming than trying to replace everything individually.

The natural toothbrush handles are made from certified organic bamboo, and the bristles are made from castor bean oil. They’re compostable just like the silk floss! Pair them with silk refillable floss and you've tackled two common sources of bathroom plastic with one simple swap.

Don’t Forget the Sustainable, Natural Mouthwash 

Traditional liquid mouthwash often comes in a large plastic container. Mouthwash tablets offer another way to approach the same part of your routine without the bulky, wasteful bottle.

Using mouthwash tablets is going to be a different experience than liquid options, but it’s super simple! There are two general types: 

• Chew-and-swish: Insert one mouthwash tablet in your mouth and chew until it dissolves. Take a sip of water, swirl for 30 seconds, and spit.
• Dissolve-in-water: Prefer a more traditional mouthwash feel? Drop a tablet in a small glass of water, let it fizz completely (about 30 seconds), then swish and spit like you would with liquid mouthwash.

Your Entire Bathroom Sustainability Overhaul

Your toothbrush and floss are easy dental hygiene swaps: but the sustainability doesn’t stop there! 

There are so many eco-friendly, plastic-free options for your personal care products. Traditional deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, cotton swabs, razors, facial rounds, and even toilet paper can all come with plastic packaging or be designed for single use.

Rather than tossing everything you already own in the name of sustainability, use what you have first. Then, when something needs to be replaced, see if there's a reusable, refillable, compostable, or plastic-free alternative that makes sense for you.

If you're not sure where to start, check out these zero waste bathroom alternatives. 

Silk Floss Makes for a More Sustainable Smile

Creating a more sustainable bathroom doesn't have to start with a complete overhaul. Sometimes, it's the smallest products that make the easiest first swaps.

Natural silk floss lets you keep an important part of your everyday dental routine while moving away from synthetic floss and disposable plastic dispensers. With simple ingredients, compostable silk thread, and a glass container you can refill again and again, it's an easy change that doesn't require changing the way you already floss.

One small swap at a time, you can build a personal hygiene routine that's a little easier on the planet. Now that’s something to smile about!