Most health conscious people can admit to carefully looking over the nutritional information and ingredient list on the foods they buy, but how often do they do the same for personal care products?
If your toothpaste contains dangerous ingredients like triclosan, sodium laureth sulfate, glycerin or any artificial sweeteners (including aspartame, sorbitol and saccharin), then you should seriously consider tossing that tube into the trash and going for a much safer, natural alternative that can get the job done just as well as regular toothpaste—if not better.
You could head on over to your local health food store to look for organic toothpastes or you could even conduct some thorough research on the more common brands of toothpaste sold in stores (since not all of them contain toxic ingredients). But if you want to save a bit of money in addition to going all natural with your oral care, you could simply stop using toothpaste all together and instead switch to some of the alternatives listed below.
1. Baking Soda
A study from the Journal of Clinical Dentistry found that Arm & Hammer baking soda was effective at cleaning teeth and removing plaque to fight off tooth decay. You’re probably already well aware of the many toothpastes that actually contain baking soda already. If you can withstand the taste and the grittiness of plain baking soda, you might want to try it.
2. Peroxide
According to WebMD, peroxide can be an effective cleansing solution for your mouth because of its bacteria-killing power, but you have to be ultra careful with it. If you’re going to try this alternative, make sure you dilute the peroxide in water so you’re not brushing with it at full strength, which could potentially burn your gums.
3. Sea Salt
Sea salt is rich in a variety of essential minerals and some people claim that it really helps to whiten their teeth. Try diluting sea salt in water and using it to brush your teeth. If you decide to use straight sea salt (without diluting it) you could risk abrasion.
4. Xylitol
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that can be found in fruits and vegetables, which is often used as a sugar substitute in some food products. Some research has shown that it may prevent tooth decay, but ultimately more evidence is needed to back this claim up. You can get xylitol as a gum, as lozenges or you can simply take it in its sugar form and swish it around in your mouth prior to brushing.
5. Coconut, Sesame or Sunflower Oil
Have you heard of oil pulling? It’s an ancient oral health technique that involves taking about a tablespoon of carrier oil and swishing it around in your mouth for around 20 minutes a day. Research has shown that it can help reduce plaque and fight gingivitis. Just don’t use this as a complete substitute for brushing–gives those pearly whites a scrub with your toothbrush dipped in water at the very least.
6. Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, Rosemary or Lemon Essential Oil
It’s no secret that essential oils have some seriously great antibacterial properties that make great cleansers for a range of things–including your teeth. When using essential oils, make sure you follow the safety precautions outlined by the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. Use a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil in water and brush away.
If you’re going to try any of these natural oral care alternatives in place of regular toothpaste, make sure to treat it like toothpaste by not swallowing it. Spit it right out when you’re done and give your mouth a good rinse.
Talk to your dentist first about any concerns you may have. If you find a natural solution you really like that works well for you and your oral health, you may never go back to regular old toothpaste ever again.
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"Now that we are spending more time at home, we are noticing the large number of delivery vans and lorries driving through cities," said Netherlands environment minister Stientje van Veldhoven, announcing plans to ban all but zero-emission deliveries in 14 cities.
"The agreements we are setting down will ensure that it will be a matter of course that within a few years, supermarket shelves will be stocked, waste will be collected, and packages will arrive on time, yet without any exhaust fumes and CO2 emissions," she added.
She expects 30 cities to announce zero emission urban logistics by this summer. City councils must give four years' notice before imposing bans as part of government plans for emission-free road traffic by 2050. The city bans aim to save 1 megaton of CO2 each year by 2030.
Help to Change
To encourage transport organizations to go carbon-free, the government is offering grants of more than US$5,900 to help businesses buy or lease electric vehicles. There will be additional measures to help small businesses make the change.
The Netherlands claims it is the first country in the world to give its cities the freedom to implement zero-emission zones. Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht already have "milieuzones" where some types of vehicles are banned.
Tilburg, one of the first wave of cities imposing the Dutch ban, will not allow fossil-fuelled vehicles on streets within its outer ring road and plans to roll out a network of city-wide electric vehicle charging stations before the ban comes into effect in 2025.
"Such initiatives are imperative to improve air quality. The transport of the future must be emission-free, sustainable, and clean," said Tilburg city alderman Oscar Dusschooten.
Europe Takes Action
Research by Renault shows that many other European cities are heading in the same direction as the Netherlands, starting with Low Emission Zones of which Germany's "Umweltzone" were pioneers. More than 100 communes in Italy have introduced "Zonas a traffico limitato."
Madrid's "zona de baja emisión" bans diesel vehicles built before 2006 and petrol vehicles from before 2000 from central areas of the city. Barcelona has similar restrictions and the law will require all towns of more than 50,000 inhabitants to follow suit.
Perhaps the most stringent restrictions apply in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which charges trucks and large vehicles up to US$137 a day to enter the central area if they do not comply with Euro 6 emissions standards. From October, the ULEZ is being expanded.
Cities are responsible for around 75% of CO2 emissions from global final energy use, according to the green thinktank REN21 - and much of these come from transport. Globally, transport accounts for 24% of world CO2 emissions.
The Rise of Online Shopping
Part of the reason for traffic in urban areas is the increase in delivery vehicles, as online shopping continues to grow. Retailer ecommerce sales are expected to pass $5billion in 2022, according to eMarketer.
The World Economic Forum's report The Future of the Last-Mile Ecosystem, published in January 2020, estimates that e-commerce will increase the number of delivery vehicles on the roads of the world's 100 largest cities by 36% by 2030.
If all those vehicles burn fossil fuels, the report says emissions will increase by 32%. But switching to all-electric delivery vehicles would cut emissions by 30% from current levels as well as reducing costs by 25%, the report says.
Other solutions explored in the report include introducing goods trams to handle deliveries alongside their passenger-carrying counterparts and increased use of parcel lockers to reduce the number of doorstep deliveries.
Reposted with permission from the World Economic Forum.