Our Environmental Mission Statement
Curaden Czech s.r.o. is the exclusive representative of the CURAPROX brand in the Czech Republic. We are dedicated to an environmentally friendly approach and claim accountability for our share in climate change.
We have aimed our focus at tracking the carbon footprint of used CURAPROX manual toothbrushes, interdental toothbrushes and toothpastes sold in the Czech Republic.
And we have also started tracking our own carbon footprint (monitoring the level of greenhouse gas emissions we produce) in 2018. We have become a part of the MONITORING / REDUCING CO2 Program and have also received the Monitoring CO2 and Helping Others mark.
Certificate of our involvement in the MONITORING / REDUCING CO2 program and our Monitoring CO2 and Helping Others mark. (CZ)
In 2019, in addition to manual toothbrushes, interdental toothbrushes and toothpastes have been newly included in the company’s carbon footprint calculation. We have also now included our vendor stands in the calculation. We intend to retrack our carbon footprint every year to monitor the long-term trend.
Our Impact
The difficult task of recycling a toothbrush
We have begun to learn what disposing of used Curaprox toothbrushes does to the environment.
We considered and compared two models of toothbrush disposal:
- Disposing of used toothbrushes via the Czech Republic’s waste collection and processing.
- Collecting used toothbrushes directly from customers, recycling them and reuse them to produce new plastic products.
The conclusion and reasoning
- For now, we do not mean to develop alternative ways of collecting used toothbrushes in the Czech Republic.
We find that collecting, cleaning, transporting and processing used toothbrushes is not very efficient. It has proven challenging to find a company that would process our multi-coloured toothbrushes and reproduce them into new products, supplementing the former raw material for the recycled plastic. Nevertheless, we shall monitor the waste recycling market and we hope to find a way to recycle Curaprox toothbrushes more fully.
- The existing waste collection and recycling system of the Czech Republic proves very effective
The Czech Republic is one of the leading recycling countries in the European Union. According to EKO-KOM data, 73% of Czech citizens recycle. What enables this high percentage is the easily accessible and widely spread recycled waste collection system (coloured trash cans for sorted recycled waste). Furthermore, more than 20 000 packaging companies and importers of packaged goods are involved in the EKO-KOM system. Curaden Czech s.r.o. is proud to be one of them.
There is an abundancy of recycled plastic and even paper waste in the European Union at the moment. Processing companies are struggling to find ways of reusing all the recycled waste and therefore we face a problem of redundant recycled waste. However, we hope that the situation will evolve for the better and that increasing numbers of sorted waste will be recycled.
What to do with a used manual toothbrush
Despite the less-than-ideal situation, Curaden Czech s.r.o. still recommends sorting your used toothbrushes in the yellow recycling bin. This is only possible, however, once you’ve clipped the top head of the toothbrush. Aside from plastic fibres, the toothbrush head also includes metal staples that keep the bristles attached to the head. The remaining toothbrush handle on its own is easily recyclable.
What to do with a used interdental brush
The interdental brush itself belongs to the mixed municipal waste. We strongly recommend using the interdental brush holders repeatedly. If they wear out over time, we recommend sorting the plastic holders in a yellow container, aluminium holders in a container for small metal waste or taking them to your local waste recycling centre.
What to do with an empty tube of toothpaste?
We recommend sorting the empty plastic tube and the lid from the paste into a yellow container, where they can be recycled.
Greenhouse gas emissions due to commercial activity
Our company’s goal and hence the chief cause of our greenhouse gas contribution is selling Curaprox toothbrushes in the Czech Republic. We occupy 1 office space, 1 storage space, 13 vendor stands in shopping centres and employ a sales team that travels to clients around the country. This entails activities such as running the office, travelling by private vehicles, and sales and distribution of our products.
The main greenhouse gases produced due to our business activity are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or nitrous oxide (N2O). They are mainly emitted when using energy (electricity and gas), operating vehicles, importing and distributing products and their packaging and of course, when managing waste and disposing of the toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes themselves.
Our Path
Offsetting our carbon footprint by planting trees
Curaden Czech s.r.o. understands the gravity of the impact plastic waste has on the environment. We have decided to cover our carbon footprint by measuring the emissions caused by our business activity and used toothbrush and toothpaste disposal. We have our carbon footprint measured and we decided to offset our impact by funding a project of planting deciduous trees. In their lifetimes, such trees absorb the amount of carbon dioxide equal to what we produced by our business activity and the potential disposal of used brushes and toothpaste tubes.
By taking these steps, Curaden Czech s.r.o. has become carbon neutral.
We make every effort to use solutions that have the least negative impact on the environment. When forced to take less eco-friendly options, we try to neutralise our impact in a way we deem best – by planting trees. In the autumn of 2019, we financed and helped a tree-planting offset project. Cooperating with CI2 o.p.s. we expanded a hundred-year-old tree alley in Rybníky, a village in Central Bohemia.
Not only did we help finance the purchase of 26 trees, but our Curaden Czech team also travelled to Rybníky, where we helped the locals actually plant the trees and bushes. The whole team would like to thank the citizens of Rybníky for their warm welcome and a lovely cooperation out in the fresh air.
In 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic, we only participated in tree planting financially. However, we contributed to 3 offset projects at once, with a total value of CZK 245,706 and thus neutralized 324,695.922 t of CO2e:
- The planting of long-lived tree species in the Czech landscape in the amount of CZK 104,982 – compensation of 174,970.000 kg CO2e
- The planting of a linden tree line in Hrochův Týnec in the amount of CZK 71,601 – compensation of 77,861.027 kg CO2e
- The planting of woody plants in the urban areas of Žár, Božejov and Žumberk in the amount of CZK 69,123 – compensation of 71,864.895 kg CO2e
- Nostalgia path in the village of Šemanovice – offsetting 51.25 t CO2e – the amount of CZK 184,518
- Life back to the fields – Karlovice alley “Circular view of the Bohemian Paradise” – offset 76.01 t CO2e – the amount of CZK 41,813 CZK
- Freedom of the orchard in the village of Loučky in the Bohemian Paradise – compensation 128.95 t CO2 – the amount of CZK 109,926
- Fruit alleys in Zruč-Senec – compensation 107.16 t CO2 – the amount CZK 161,504
Striving for clean mobility
We will continue to reduce our carbon footprint in every possible way. In accordance with what the certifying authorities have told us, we intend to focus on reducing three chief contributors to our carbon footprint, i.e., to focus on achieving clean mobility. Even today, we drive mainly LPG and CNG cars, which produce a fraction of the emissions normally produced by gasoline or diesel vehicles.
What can all of us do?
Here are a few tips on how to maintain a healthy dental hygiene and protect both your teeth and the environment in the process:
BE SMART ABOUT USING YOUR TOOTHBRUSHES
Go see your dentist or dental hygienist to learn about the right way to brush your teeth. They will help you find equipment that matches your needs perfectly (besides the right toothbrush, they might also recommend various sizes of interdental brushes etc). A proper dental hygiene performed on a daily basis is an essential part of your overall health. Premium oral care products combined with the right brushing technique will result in healthy and clean teeth and gums – and you hardly have to apply any pressure. If you refrain from using too much pressure on your toothbrush, you ensure its longevity (and reduce your toothbrush consumption to as few as only four toothbrushes a year). Understandably, this is much harder with children, but they will learn just as they learn not to press on a pencil when writing. You also only need a sliver of toothpaste (a pea-sized amount) and don’t forget to turn the water off during your dental routine.
BE SMART ABOUT SHOPPING FOR YOUR TOOTHBRUSHES
- Buy only premium oral hygiene products of high quality.
- When buying your interdental toothbrushes for the first time, buy the ones with a lifetime handle (the Start collection) and see which one you prefer. Upon your next purchase, only buy the refills and easily replace the tip with click or twist-lock connection and you’re ready to brush again.
- Buying toothpaste for home, aim to purchase larger packages and save the smaller ones for travelling. A pea-sized amount of toothpaste is optimal for proper oral hygiene. It also ensures a longer lifespan of your toothpaste. Try to avoid SLS (a foaming agent Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) toothpastes which increase dryness and mucosal irritation.
- Buy quality oral hygiene products made in Europe.
BE SMART ABOUT DISPOSING OF YOUR TOOTHBRUSHES AND EMPTY TUBES OF CONSUMED TOOTHPASTE
Be mindful about recycling your waste in proper bins. We recommend using pincers to clip the manual toothbrush head and put it in your general waste as it includes a metal staple to keep the bristles in place. The remaining toothbrush handle, you can recycle in the yellow plastic bin. Interdental brushes belong to the mixed municipal waste, we strongly recommend using the interdental brush holders repeatedly. Once they wear out, we recommend sorting the used-up plastic holders in a yellow container, aluminium holders in a container for small metal waste or taking them to your local waste recycling centre. The empty plastic toothpaste tube with lid is recommended to be placed in a yellow container, where they can be recycled.
We encourage you to be ready for further recycling options and refrain from throwing the whole toothbrush and toothpaste tube to general waste. Right now, both paths might lead to a landfill or an incinerator, but we have high hopes the future will change that.
Follow us on our website or social media to see updates on how we offset our carbon footprint.
Contact: info@curaproxco2.cz
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