![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SEC_286592771-a877.jpg\")
\n\t\tStart looking down, they\u2019re everywhere\u2026 (Picture: Getty\/Metro)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tStart looking down, they\u2019re everywhere\u2026 (Picture: Getty\/Metro)<\/p>\n
Recently, I came across a post on Reddit<\/a> which asked: \u2018Why am I all of a sudden spotting discarded floss picks everywhere?\u2019<\/p>\n A random observation to some, but for me, this question spoke right to my soul. <\/p>\n Over the past few months no matter where life has taken me \u2013 in London<\/a>, at home with my parents in Kent, visiting friends up North, or at the South Terminal at Gatwick<\/a> \u2013 I see floss picks on the floor.<\/p>\n And every time I see one of those Y-shaped sticks on the pavement, or poking its head out from underneath a leaf, I think to myself: \u2018Why is this here?\u2019<\/p>\n For a while, I thought I was the only one who\u2019d noticed this. But after reading the aforementioned Reddit post, I realise I\u2019m not the only one that wants this mystery solved. <\/p>\n \t\t One Redditor suggested that the uptick in \u2018Turkey<\/a> teeth\u2019 might be the answer, with more of us having a new found need to floss on the move. Others surmised it could be due to people hoarding them in their pockets, to use after a particularly chewy meal out.<\/p>\n A probably my favourite theory focused on the fact that British rapper Central Cee may have popularised floss picks, after being regularly seen chewing them over the years.<\/p>\n Such a proponent for oral hygiene, the artist even told British Vogue in 2023 that he doesn\u2019t travel anywhere without a tongue scraper.<\/p>\n Are we flossing more as a nation?<\/p>\n Often, the most obvious answer is the right one. So, could this new trend of discarded floss sticks just mean us Brits have levelled up our teeth brushing routines?<\/p>\n The Marylebone Smile Clinic say they\u2019ve seen a noticeable increase in awareness around interdental cleaning.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/p>\n To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n The clinic tells Metro: \u2018Patients are more informed than ever about the importance of\u00a0flossing, largely driven by social media<\/a>, preventative health messaging, and a broader cultural shift towards wellness<\/a> and self-care.\u2019<\/p>\n However, while knowledge of oral health might be increasing, there isn\u2019t a wealth of evidence to suggest that we\u2019re actually actioning this, and flossing more as a nation.<\/p>\n For example, a government<\/a> adult oral health survey in 2021 found that only 30% of participants used dental floss to clean their teeth and mouth.<\/p>\n \t\t Plus, in a survey of 12 countries across the globe, 52% of Brits agreed with the following statement: \u2018I always forget to floss\u2019.<\/p>\n Sitting at the top of the leaderboard with the French and the Irish, we clearly aren\u2019t taking Central Cee\u2019s approach to oral health.<\/p>\n However, for those who are on the flossing wagon, dental picks are one of the most popular choices, according to the clinic.<\/p>\n \u2018They\u2019re convenient, portable, and often perceived as easier to use than traditional string\u00a0floss,\u2019 the clinic explains.<\/p>\n \u2018For many people, especially those who find\u00a0flossing fiddly or uncomfortable,\u00a0floss\u00a0sticks lower the barrier to maintaining good oral hygiene. That increased accessibility likely contributes to their visibility in public spaces.\u2019<\/p>\n Easy to use, impossible to dispose of<\/p>\n \t\t Even if the sticks are being used more, it doesn\u2019t explain why they\u2019re ending up on our streets, and not in the bin.<\/p>\n The problem could well lie in the fact that they have a very sharp, tapered plastic end, designed\u00a0to function as a toothpick.<\/p>\n But, it also means that our traditional black bin bags are absolutely ill-equipped to deal with their pointy butts. The dental picks are perfectly invented to poke their way to freedom.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also not just their shape, it\u2019s the material they\u2019re made out of too.<\/p>\n Metro spoke with Dr Oluseye Oludoye, lecturer in Environmental Science at Teesside University, about why exactly these tools are a bin\u2019s worst nightmare.<\/p>\n He explains: \u2018Because\u00a0floss\u00a0picks are small and perceived as trivial, they may also be treated less seriously than larger forms of litter, similar to the way cigarette ends are often casually discarded.\u2019<\/p>\n And because of their size, these picks end up falling through the cracks of both recycling operations and street-cleaning processes, Dr Oluseye explains.<\/p>\n And even if they do make it to a proper waste disposal site, the problems don\u2019t end there.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Single-use dental\u00a0floss\u00a0picks are particularly problematic from a waste management perspective because they are produced with mixed materials. <\/p>\n \u2018They\u2019re usually made of a plastic handle combined with nylon\u00a0floss, which are fused together so they cannot be efficiently broken down and recovered.\u2019<\/p>\n Most recycling<\/a> system are designed to process single-material items that can be easily separated and sorted.<\/p>\n Dr Oluseye continues: \u2018The design of\u00a0floss\u00a0picks makes them almost impossible to recycle through conventional systems.\u2019<\/p>\n Dr Oluseye emphasises that the discarded toothpick epidemic is an example of how the UK\u2019s waste management infrastructure, such as bins and street cleaning schedules, has not adapted to the growth of small, single-use products.<\/p>\n \u2018This reflects a wider tension between convenience culture and waste infrastructure, rather than simply an increase in careless behaviour,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tFloss picks and their impact on the environment\t\t\t<\/p>\n Aside from looking grim on the pavement floor, floss picks are bad the environment, and could soon be the next piece of litter pictured in the tail of a baby seahorse.<\/p>\n Some companies, such as US brand Twice Oral Wellness and DenTek, are exploring more eco-friendly options \u2013 utilising ingredients like cornstarch, bio-based alternatives \u2013 the vast majority of picks are made using single-use plastics.<\/p>\n \u2018These are products designed to support oral health<\/a>, yet they\u2019re made from plastic that breaks down into microplastics and adds to long-term chemical exposure in the environment and our bodies,\u2019 says Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet.<\/p>\n \u2018Disposable floss picks show how deeply throwaway plastic has been normalised in everyday life. <\/p>\n \u2018We take something used for a few seconds, make it from a material that lasts for decades, and then act surprised when it shows up in our streets and waterways.\u2019 <\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-0a09-rotated-e1772535083530.jpeg\")
\n\t\tI spotted this floss pick while in Canterbury, Kent for the day (Picture: Charlie Sawyer)<\/p>\n![\"Shot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1352302059.jpg\")
\n\t\tHow often do you floss? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"dental](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0242-2914-rotated-e1771943646438.jpeg\")
\n\t\tI captured this dental pick in Brixton, London (Picture: Charlie Sawyer)<\/p>\n![\"Messy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2201912354.jpg\")
\n\t\tWaste infrastructure just isn\u2019t properly equipped to combat dental floss picks (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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