Our first month of our 2×12 Reduction Challenge has an oral hygiene theme – the second plastic item that we’re reducing is dental floss! Have you ever looked at your floss and realized, “wow, this is ALL plastic?” That’s exactly what happened to us this month. Plastic container, nylon floss… there must be a better way, right? We’re in luck, there is!

We discovered that here in the US we have access to a brand called Dental Lace that sells silk floss in a tiny glass container. Completely plastic free! Allow me to sing the praises for this zero waste product!

The glass jars are really pretty and come in a few different colors. Glass can be recycled, of course, but they also sell refill spools of the floss, so that you can keep using the same little glass jar over and over. They clearly understand that reducing consumption is even better than recycling.

The floss itself is made of silk coated with candelilla wax, which is a plastic free and vegan wax option. The floss is biodegradable and Dental Lace is working on determining if it can be certified compostable. Regardless though, silk is a natural fiber that does biodegrade and can be broken more easily, so it will eventually go back to the earth. Typical nylon floss sticks around in our landfills forever.

I do have one big qualm about silk floss however, and that is that it comes from silk worms that are killed in the process of harvesting their silk. I remember raising silk worms in my third grade classroom, so thinking of them being boiled/steamed to take harvest their silk is a rather gruesome image for me. Dental Lace has created a vegan floss that comes in a glass bottle (no plastic) but in that case the floss itself is not natural (polyester). For vegans or animal rights activists this may be a tough decision. You can read more about weighing your options on Wasteland Rebel. 

For now we have decided to use the Dental Lace Silk Floss because it is zero waste, it tastes good, and works really well. The floss itself is super strong and has a great texture for helping get the gunk out of your teeth. All of that being said though, we will certainly stay tuned to Dental Lace’s mission to great a zero waste vegan floss though, because that would be the best of both worlds!

If you’re convinced, then make the switch today! You can buy Dental Lace Silk Floss and refills on Amazon with Prime shipping. We were able to find it at our local refillery, Sonora Refillery, and I’ve heard that many health food stores are beginning to carry it as well. You can also purchase it directly through the Dental Lace website. Lots of options for adding this zero waste floss to your green routine! Happy flossing, everyone!

xo, Nicole