Our Sustainability Story: How @BambuuBrush Began the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

@BambuuBrush began with two travellers, a couple of cameras and a deep love for the ocean. What started as a personal journey quickly became a mission-driven business to tackle plastic pollution through One Simple Change.

The Aha Moment: Turning Passion Into Purpose

Over a decade of travel across more than 40 countries, Rebecca and Tommie witnessed both the magic of our planet and the heartbreaking reality of plastic pollution. Beaches once teeming with life were increasingly littered with bottles, bags and broken plastic – a constant reminder that our throwaway culture was spiralling out of control.

On the Thai island of Koh Lipe, what should have been pristine paradise was hit twice a day by tides of plastic. In Moalboal, Philippines, they watched turtles swimming through plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish. Later, in Nice, France, a wave of plastic washed over them while swimming in the Mediterranean – the moment they realised this wasn’t “just an Asian problem,” but a global crisis.

Those experiences became the catalyst for @BambuuBrush: a commitment to use their voices, social media platforms and creativity to inspire people everywhere to take simple, tangible action.

Spending extended time in Southeast Asia, they began returning to places they had loved years before – only to find more plastic on the beaches, in rivers and even in remote communities. What was once shocking slowly became “normalised” in their minds, and that realisation was just as powerful: if they were becoming numb to it, what did that mean for the rest of the world?

Seeing Plastic Pollution Up Close

Moments that changed everything:

• Koh Lipe, Thailand – an island Rebecca once called “the most beautiful place” now receiving waves of plastic with every tide.
• Moalboal, Philippines – turtles swimming through plastic bags, cups and straws, mistaking them for food.
• Nice, France – a wall of plastic waste colliding with them in open water, proving this was a global issue, not confined to one region.

These experiences made it clear: we are damaging ecosystems, threatening endangered species and ultimately harming our own health. The question became not “Is this happening?” but “What can we do about it?”

“Places of natural beauty like Panagsama Beach should be memorable for endless positives – not for images of turtles and wildlife struggling to survive in our plastic waste.”

The Birth of @BambuuBrush

In late 2018, Rebecca and Tommie began searching for a way to turn awareness into action. One everyday item kept coming up: the plastic toothbrush.

• Over 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are sold every year, with most ending up in landfills, rivers or oceans.
• Plastic breaks down into microplastics, entering our food chain and impacting human health.
• A simple material swap – from plastic to bamboo – could have a huge collective impact.

That’s how @BambuuBrush was born: a mission-led brand built on the belief that One Simple Change – like switching your toothbrush – can inspire millions of others to follow.

From #1MillionBy2020 to #1MillionKgBy2030

When @BambuuBrush launched in February 2019, the first big mission was #1MillionBy2020 – to inspire and sell 1,000,000 bamboo toothbrushes before the turn of the decade. That target was hit in October 2019.

Today, the mission has evolved into #1MillionKgBy2030: to stop 1,000,000kg of plastic toothbrushes entering commercial circulation by 2030. As of January 2025, @BambuuBrush has already prevented 204,067kg of plastic toothbrushes from entering the system – and we’re just getting started. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Our Impact So Far

Through school workshops, community clean ups and global campaigns, we’re not only reducing plastic at the source – we’re empowering the next generation to protect and fight for our environment.

A Certified B Corporation

In December 2023, @BambuuBrush officially became a Certified B Corporation – joining a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. This certification reflects our commitment to balancing purpose and profit in everything we do. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Collaborations & Partnerships

Our journey has taken us from beaches and classrooms to boardrooms and airplane cabins. Along the way, we’ve been proud to collaborate with organisations including:

• Virgin Atlantic – the first bamboo toothbrush company in the skies, supplying Upper and Premium cabins.
• LUSH – global launch of a vegan, sustainable @BambuuBrush tint brush and bespoke collaborations.
• Suma Wholefoods – co-branded bamboo ranges for ethical and sustainable retail.
• Etihad Airways – supporting their first ecoFlight with bamboo toothbrushes for passengers.
• Channel 4, QuickBooks, Team GB, COP26, BBC, Plastic Oceans and many more purpose-led partners.

Social Impact: Beyond the Brush

@BambuuBrush isn’t just about products – it’s about projects with real-world impact.

• Community clean ups across 10 countries, mobilising hundreds of people (and a few dogs!) to take action locally.
• Plastic pollution education for Key Stage 1 & 2 pupils, inspiring thousands of children through workshops and virtual events.
• Ghana Water Project – funding a water well at a secondary school so children no longer have to walk 30 minutes each way for water, freeing time and energy for education.

More Than Just a Product

From TEDx talks to BBC interviews, from eco flights to Olympic partnerships, @BambuuBrush has grown into a platform for storytelling, education and action on plastic pollution. Our bamboo toothbrushes and product ranges are the tools – but our real work is inspiring people and organisations to rethink their everyday choices.

Join the Movement

At @BambuuBrush, we’re driven by a simple belief:

"One Simple Change, multiplied by millions, will change the world."

Whether you’re an individual making your first swap away from plastic, or a global brand ready to redesign your amenities and products, we’d love to collaborate with you on the journey.