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Bite Toothpaste Bits are the first eco-friendly bathroom swap I'll tell anyone to try

Crest and Colgate who?
By Leah Stodart  on 
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Bite Toothpaste jar with lid off and Bits on countertop with faucets and toothbrushes in background
Bite Toothpaste Bits taste great and divert toothpaste tubes from 500 years in a landfill. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Bite Toothpaste Bits (opens in a new tab)
The Bottom Line
Switching to a refillable chewable option like the Bite Toothpaste Bits is seamless, tasty, and can turn one of the bathroom's worst plastic habits into one that's zero waste.
Mashable Score 4.7
Sustainability 5
Wow Factor 4.7
Performance 4.7
Bang for the buck 4.3
The Good
  • Zero waste from the jars to refill packaging
  • Mint flavor is actually tasty
  • The chalky texture foams up immediately
  • Jar looks classier than a crusty tube on the counter
  • No sketchy ingredients
  • Subscription is super simple and easy to customize
The Bad
  • Maybe not *as* freshening as gel or paste toothpaste
  • One tablet may not feel like enough
  • Slightly pricier to restock than regular toothpaste

This Earth Day, Bite is offering 20% off orders(opens in a new tab) and will throw in a $2 donation to one of their sustainability-focused non-profit partners: Rainforest Trust(opens in a new tab), Marine Mammal Care Center(opens in a new tab), and the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide(opens in a new tab). You choose the one that resonates the most.


Tubes of toothpaste are such a protracted pain point in the realm of household plastic waste. While other personal care items like shampoo bottles are also major contributors to that personal plastic problem, they can at least be recycled — though don't get me started on how little plastic is actually recycled(opens in a new tab) once it's out of the consumer's hands.

But traditional toothpaste's combination of plastics wrapped around bendy aluminum don't play well with conventional recycling methods. This mixture of materials seals the fate of a vast majority of the 1.5 billion tubes of toothpaste(opens in a new tab) trashed globally each year, sending them to a landfill where they'll chill and emit traces of greenhouse gases until they break down...in 500 years(opens in a new tab).

In 2023, there's just no excuse for something as ubiquitous as toothpaste to wreak such lasting havoc on the environment with so few eco-friendly alternatives. But I've found one that I've been obsessed with for the past three years: Zero-waste toothpaste in the form of chewable tablets — particularly the Toothpaste Bits from Bite (Because It's The Earth)(opens in a new tab) — are something I insist everyone works into their routine.

Bite Toothpaste Bits jar with lid off on countertop with faucet, toothbrushes, and cat in background
A fresh jar of Bits featuring corn starch toothbrushes and my cat relaxing in the sink. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Why ditch traditional tube toothpaste?

Colgate and Crest are universal toothpaste defaults that no one really questions.

Unilever, the company that owns Crest, has been crowned one of the top five worst plastic polluters(opens in a new tab) in the world for the fifth year in a row. Colgate-Palmolive has also made an appearance(opens in a new tab) on the list in recent years. (And the fact that Colgate is finally rolling out recyclable toothpaste tubes(opens in a new tab) doesn't automatically void its huge plastic footprint.) These companies permeate so many product categories on my list in an average Target run that it's nearly impossible to avoid them completely, but I'm always looking for ways to give my support elsewhere.

Bite Bits are so easy to work into your routine

Chewing up a tablet reminiscent of Tums before brushing probably requires slightly more of an adjustment than other eco-friendly bathroom swaps like simply switching to bamboo toilet paper or a reusable razor.

But chewable toothpaste isn't anywhere as weird as you're probably picturing. Though I've been strictly using Bite over regular toothpaste for three years now, but it definitely didn't take that long to get used to it. After mere days into my new Bite routine, chewing my toothpaste felt so normal that I forgot I ever relied on tube toothpaste. Grabbing a tablet out of the glass jar they come in rather than squeezing a crusty tube for all that it's got is objectively just a classier process, and I love not displaying the tube on my counter.

Bite Toothpaste Bits jar in marble storage container on countertop
I store my Bite jar in this cute little marble thing that happened to be perfectly...Bite-sized. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The chalky breath mint texture goes away as soon as you put your toothbrush in your mouth and start brushing. The tablet fully dissolves and begins to foam — not as much as regular toothpaste, but enough to feel like the toothpaste is actually doing something.

Also, Bite Toothpaste Bits legitimately taste good. The mint flavor comes from natural peppermint sweetened by xylitol, a sugar substitute found in fruit, corn, and birch trees that repels cavity-causing bacteria. If you have a kid who fights teeth brushing because gel or paste toothpaste tastes too intense, I could see them actually being excited to brush with Bite.

You're not losing other crucial dental health benefits by switching, either. Bits also include ingredients(opens in a new tab) like sodium bicarbonate to help balance PH levels in your mouth, zinc citrate to attack malodors and help fight bad breath, and calcium carbonate, which acts as a mild abrasive to assist in cleaning and polishing. Bite doesn't use parabens, artificial flavors, sulfates, or potentially-toxic chemicals like titanium dioxide.

I've had multiple friends try some Bite Bits when they're visiting. The reactions have ranged from genuinely impressed to "they're OK, but not weird as I thought." If the most negative thing someone can think to say about them is that they "could be mintier," I'd say that's a win.

Pricing is steeper than traditional toothpaste, but still manageable

Bite offers a one month supply for $12 or a four month supply for $32, which is the amount I usually go for because it saves you a few bucks. $32 for four months (alleging that you brush your teeth twice a day) shakes out to $8 per month. You can also make a one-time purchase to see how you like Bite before committing.

Two sizes of Bite Toothpaste Bits jars on bathroom counter with faucets and toothbrushes in background
Order a four-month supply or do a test run with a smaller jar. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

That's not bad at all in the grand scheme of monthly recurring fees and subscriptions that most of us are used to, but in the toothpaste realm, we're definitely not used to paying more than $2 or $3 for a tube of toothpaste that'll last for maybe three-ish months. If you're willing and able to spend a little bit more for a product that hurts the environment less, switching to Bite won't require much convincing.

For what it's worth, restocking your Bite supply is actually less work than going to the store. Bite will automatically ship your refill when your subscription time frame is up. You'll receive an email about your upcoming shipment a few days ahead of time in case you want to edit your ship date, extend the amount of time between shipments, or pause the subscription.

Refills come in a compostable paper bag (I put mine in my Lomi) and can be dumped directly into your old glass jar. I'll make an order with a new glass jar after maybe eight months when my current jar starts to get grimy. Fortunately, the glass recycling rate in the U.S. is much more promising than that of plastic, and unlike plastic, glass is infinitely recyclable(opens in a new tab).

Swap or not?

*Screams so loudly that you feel a slight breeze* Yes.

Annually, we discard 50 Empire State Buildings' worth(opens in a new tab) of toothpaste tubes that aren't recyclable, aren't biodegradable, and will eventually end up in a landfill or in the ocean. If you're on a mission to cut back your personal plastic footprint and support companies that are doing the same, switching to a sustainable toothpaste option like Bite(opens in a new tab) is one way to put your money where your mouth is.

The mint flavor is tasty and toxin-free, they arrive to your home in low-waste packaging without requiring a trip to the store, and best of all, they help you take a twice-daily bathroom habit from one that creates so much non-recyclable plastic waste to one that creates zero waste. I stan Bite, and soon, you will too.

How we tested

Bite Toothpaste Bits have been a staple in my bathroom for more than three years and remain my favorite eco-friendly bathroom swap despite fierce competition from my LastObject reusable "cotton" swab(opens in a new tab) and The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Makeup Erasers(opens in a new tab). Throughout that time, I've been super pleased with how easy it's been to tweak my subscription for my needs (mostly to shift ship dates to better coincide with finances or change a shipping address) and how much chic-er my bathroom counter looks without a tube of toothpaste laying around.

In evaluating the sustainability score specifically, these other factors were taken into account:

  • Ingredients: Bite doesn't add any artificial flavoring or potentially-toxic chemicals to its Toothpaste Bits — both of which are often found in mainstream tubes of toothpaste. Instead, Bits are flavored with natural peppermint, menthol, and a sugar substitute found in fruit, corn, and trees, and keep their Tums-like texture with Guar Gum, a binding substance made from legumes. I like that the website breaks down the ingredient list(opens in a new tab) and identifies the purpose of each ingredient used.

  • Packaging and shipping: Your first Bite order comes with a glass jar that can be used over and over again for months. Refills come in paper envelopes padded with post-consumer recycled newspapers, and all of that ships in boxes made of fully recyclable corrugated cardboard and sealed with paper tape. Bite products are only shipped through existing postal routes that may take longer, but don't require delivery services to make an extra drive.

  • Company ties: Bite is partnered with three conservation and environmental protection-focused non-profit organizations: Rainforest Trust, Marine Mammal Care Center, and the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.

Leah is a shopping reporter at Mashable, where she covers shopping trends, gift ideas, and products that make life easier. She graduated from Penn State University in 2012 and is watching horror movies or "The Office" when she’s not shopping online herself. You can follow her on Twitter at @notleah(opens in a new tab).


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