The unsanitary reality of disposable toothbrush manufacturing sites used in hotels and other establishments in China has been exposed, causing controversy.

According to China's state-run CCTV program 'Finance and Economics Investigation,' at a waste collection point in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, various waste plastics were piled up, including white containers that had held chemical agents, old panels removed from home appliances, fan covers, and worn-out roller skates. A worker revealed, 'After being easily crushed, they are sent to processing factories for various plastic products, and a considerable number of them are used for toothbrushes.'

Waste containers for chemical agents have various residues attached, but they are transported outside and crushed and processed as is, without being washed. An on-site worker reportedly said, 'If pigments are added for coloring, the dirty appearance of the waste plastic raw materials can be hidden.'

Furthermore, in another factory in the Jiangdu District of the same city, plastic sheets, fertilizer bags, garbage bags, and ropes were processed into recycled plastic with only high-temperature treatment and simple filtration, without washing or disinfecting. A worker explained, 'To hide color inconsistencies in the raw materials, they are ultimately colored black and sold,' and revealed that such low-priced recycled raw materials are often mixed with new plastic, leading to cost reductions for toothbrush manufacturers.

Furthermore, this factory also collected non-woven fabric and scraps of protective clothing generated during the manufacturing process of masks and medical protective clothing, and reused them as plastic raw material for toothbrushes. According to the company, polypropylene, the main component of these, is the same material as toothbrush handles, and processing it into recycled raw material yields a high-profit margin. Also, in another factory, scraps generated during slipper manufacturing were reportedly used as raw material.

A factory in Guangling District, Yangzhou City, produces disposable items for hotels. To avoid the upward pressure on raw material prices, many small factories are using large quantities of low-priced recycled plastic, mixing it with new raw materials to produce toothbrushes. The mixing ratio of raw materials is reportedly adjusted flexibly according to the selling price of the toothbrushes.

The article stated, 'While plastic particles become toothbrushes after being melted at high temperatures and molded by dies,' it also pointed out, 'Although high-temperature treatment can kill bacteria, the components of recycled plastic raw materials are extremely complex. They include waste containers for chemical agents, old toothbrush handles, slipper scraps, shoehorns, garbage bags, and more. Even if sterilization is possible at high temperatures, the complex chemical components themselves cannot be changed.'

Manufacturers also stated that the quality of recycled raw materials is 'a matter of luck' and admitted that issues such as poor quality and breaking during use have frequently occurred until now. Every time plastic is recycled, impurities increase, and its quality deteriorates. Many of these toothbrushes with safety and hygiene issues are reportedly supplied mainly to small hotels and guesthouses.

Pan Xiaochuan, an expert in preventive medicine and environmental science, pointed out, 'Repeatedly recycled plastic has complex components, and new toxic and harmful substances may be generated during the process of melting and processing at high temperatures.' He stated, 'Disposable toothbrushes come into direct contact with the oral cavity during use, and the oral mucosa has high permeability and dense capillaries. With the added action of surfactants contained in toothpaste, various harmful substances in the raw materials become more likely to penetrate the human body, potentially posing health risks through long-term use.' (Translation/Editor: Kitada)