50 Million pounds of plastic toothbrushes are sent to landfills per year just in the USA, this project aims to reduce that amount of waste. My senior project is a pilot program with the goal of “proof of concept” to inspire University of Washington Dentistry Clinic to switch from handing out plastic toothbrushes to bamboo ones. I am researching: “What is the process to make a corporate level change that will decrease negative environmental impact?” This question is crucial for holding big corporations accountable for making changes that prioritize environmental sustainability. My methodology for the success of this project includes: Surveying to gauge interest in bamboo toothbrushes; Identifying proper and appropriate criteria for choosing the right bamboo toothbrush company to partner with; Case Studies with UW Dentistry and bamboo toothbrush company, Senzabamboo; and Creating a pilot program to test the usability and create proof of concept. The end result of my project involves an until supplies last span of time where UW Dentistry Clinic hands out bamboo toothbrushes to its patients. The pilot program is funded by the Campus Sustainability Fund and Community Support Grant through my major, Community, Environment and Planning. It is vital that UW Dentistry prioritizes environmentally sustainable practices and permanently switches to giving out bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones!

Phase One:
This first phase of my project was the introduction phase. This was completed in the form of "Green Goodie Bags". These goodie bags contained a bamboo toothbrush, a sample of silk compostable floss, a sample of all natural toothpaste, and a flyer explaining the environmental impact of each item, and a link to a survey: all packaged in a commercially compostable bag. These bags were distributed to UW Dentistry faculty and students. They survey results were collected from them. 

Phase Two:
The second phase of my project involved the spending of $900 of grant money on ultra soft toothbrushes for UW Dentistry patients. 

This is important because I feel that environmentally conscious business strike the perfect balance of maintaining consumer culture, while encouraging sustainable innovation, intentional design and creative problem solving. Both parties win! As for my career, I plan on becoming an Environmentally Sustainable Business Consultant and this project will force me to prove to corporations the benefits of choosing to provide the more environmentally sustainable option to consumers. I want to learn how to change people’s minds just enough so that each party (business, consumer and earth) is still happy, creating the maximum benefit. 

Beyond me, the Earth is worthy of/deserves our consumption of products to be intentional. Studies show that we consume more than ever, but we are not happier with more. We are happier when we are intentional, and when we put time and effort into our loved ones, relationships, and experiences, not our material things.  It is necessary to take the power that big corps have and use it to create more good than bad. I don’t think that products are inherently bad; I like the creativeness and innovation that comes with consumer culture. But we have taken it too far, and we need to challenge ourselves to keep the creative innovation and replace the negative impacts with positive ones.
 

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