I've been looking for plastic-free, vegan AND compostable dental floss for over six years. A lot has happened on the market since then, but unfortunately, a lot has also turned out to be dubious.

 

I've been looking for plastic-free, vegan AND compostable dental sustainable floss for over six years. A lot has happened on the market since then, but unfortunately, a lot has also turned out to be dubious.

Plastic-free and compostable dental floss - unfortunately not vegan, as it is made of natural silk with a beeswax coating.

 

Table of Contents:

  • What is commercial dental floss made of?
  • Dental floss made from natural silk with beeswax from Vömel (not vegan)
  • Unravel a piece of silk fabric
  • Vegan nylon dental floss without plastic box from Ecodent
  • Plastic-free, vegan dental floss in a glass bottle made from corn starch - supposedly compostable
  • So what do you do if you want to live vegan and zero waste?

 

I have already reported in detail about chic alternatives to plastic toothbrushes. I have already shared my experiences with tooth powder, homemade toothpaste, and my recipe for an antibacterial mouthwash with you here.

 

So now we come to the next and last part of the oral hygiene series - the question of environmentally friendly dental floss.

First of all: There is simply no completely satisfactory solution for me when it comes to dental floss. Find out why below.

 

WHAT IS COMMERCIAL DENTAL FLOSS MADE OF?

 

Commercial dental floss is made of nylon, waxed and rolled up in a rigid plastic box, usually wrapped in a combination of plastic and cardboard. Nylon is a plastic made from petroleum and is particularly tear-resistant.

 

DENTAL FLOSS MADE FROM NATURAL SILK WITH BEESWAX FROM VÖMEL (NOT VEGAN)

 

The Vömel company sells dental floss made of natural silk with a beeswax cover in a beautiful bottle. Many unpackaged and organic shops carry them.

 

For refilling, there are refill packs in a paper bag with two rolls inside.

 

UNRAVEL A PIECE OF SILK FABRIC

 

According to Zero Wasterin Béa Johnson, she unravels a piece of silk fabric, twists the threads together and uses them as dental vegan floss.

 

VEGAN NYLON DENTAL FLOSS WITHOUT PLASTIC BOX FROM ENCODED

 

I have already seen Ecodent in many unpackaged and organic shops as a vegan or cheaper option.

 

I've emailed the company before because I couldn't find any information on the material and biodegradability of the floss itself on their site, and their live service customer chat couldn't help me either. The answer was sobering.