Interview: “Are all these chemicals really necessary?”

More and more people are adopting environmentally friendly shopping behaviour and deciding to replace products sold in plastic packaging with zero waste products.

This extends also to products used in their oral healthcare routine. Since 2015, British company Georganics has provided sustainable and natural toothpaste and mouthwash products which are made in Britain. Georganics, which has its headquarters in the south of England, uses natural ingredients and avoids chemicals and animal testing. In an interview with Dental Tribune International, Georganics answered questions with regard to the idea behind this forward-thinking approach.

What is the philosophy behind Georganics?

Georganics started when we asked ourselves: are all these chemicals really necessary? The research highlighted that nature already offers everything we need to effectively look after our oral health. That is why we strive to produce oral healthcare products that are truly natural, meaning that we do not use any synthetic chemicals. We also aim to work with nature rather than against it by creating a sustainable alternative to commercial oral care products.

Climate change and the sustainable use of our planet’s resources have become a hot topic. What does it mean to Georganics to be a pioneer in the area of plastic-free packaging for oral health products?

We are very proud to be a pioneer in the low-impact movement and we continually review our practices in order to find the most ethical and sustainable options available, from sourcing the ingredients to the packaging we use. We believe that this allows us to carry on pioneering plastic-free practices.

In addition to banning plastic packaging, you have also eliminated chemical ingredients from your products. This is clearly stated on your website. How important for Georganics is transparency towards consumers?

Transparency is one of the core values of our business. We are very transparent about the choices we make when formulating our products. Our blends are made from pure, organic ingredients which are all 100% food grade and we clearly state on our website where each of our ingredients is sourced from.

What do you think is the reason that many major companies in the dental industry still rely so heavily on chemicals in their products and on plastic packaging? And would it be really so hard for them to make such small but impactful changes?

Many of the synthetic chemicals used in the products of the major commercial companies in the dental industry are cosmetic. For example, our oral health products avoid artificial sweeteners, which are used in mainstream products to give them a sweet taste. We also avoid carrageenan, a thickening agent that has been linked to some harmful side effects, such as intestinal inflammation. We have managed to create an effective alternative without relying on these ingredients and we believe it is possible for others to do the same.

What are the company’s aims and goals for the near future?

We want to continue to make natural oral care products by avoiding unnecessary ingredients and to work with nature in all stages of production to find even better ways to make an environmentally friendly product