Yangzhou Cracks Down on Recycled Plastic Toothbrush Scandal

Authorities in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, have launched an emergency investigation and seized 4.4 tons of materials after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed factories producing disposable toothbrushes from recycled and waste plastics — including chemical waste containers, discarded medical mask materials, and even used toothbrushes collected from hotels. The Yangzhou Market Supervision Bureau pledged on June 8 to handle the case “strictly and swiftly according to law,” as reported by The Paper.

The CCTV Investigation

CCTV’s “Financial Investigation” program aired an undercover report on the evening of June 7, 2026, revealing a disturbing supply chain in Yangzhou’s toothbrush manufacturing industry. Reporters documented small workshops in Jiangdu District processing废旧 plastics — from chemical drums and old appliance panels to broken roller skates and discarded face masks — into plastic pellets sold to toothbrush factories.

According to the CCTV investigation, one factory owner admitted that these low-cost recycled materials, known in the industry as “回料” (recovered materials), are typically mixed with virgin plastic in varying proportions to reduce production costs. The ratio is adjusted flexibly based on the target price of the finished toothbrush, with some products selling for as little as 6 fen (0.06 RMB) per unit at factory gate.

In one particularly alarming scene, reporters observed a worker using a cleaver to chop off used toothbrush heads, leaving the old handles to be sorted by color, ground down, and remolded into new toothbrushes. Other raw materials included拖鞋边角料 (slipper factory scraps), discarded non-woven fabrics from mask production, and assorted plastic waste from unidentifiable sources.

Official Response

The Yangzhou Market Supervision Bureau issued an emergency notice on June 8 stating that the municipal party committee and government had instructed city- and district-level market supervision, ecological environment, and public security departments to conduct overnight verification and disposal operations. Authorities have since conducted sampling tests and seized 4.4 tons of涉案 materials.

“We will thoroughly investigate the case, and handle it strictly and swiftly according to law,” the bureau stated, as reported by China News Service. The bureau also announced a city-wide special inspection and rectification campaign targeting toothbrush product quality and safety hazards, vowing to “severely crack down on all types of illegal and non-compliant behaviors.”

Health Risks

Pan Xiaochuan (潘小川), a researcher in preventive medicine and environmental science, warned that the health risks extend beyond the contaminated raw materials themselves. “The composition of repeatedly recycled plastics is complex, and during high-temperature melt processing, new toxic and hazardous substances can be generated,” Pan told CCTV.

Pan explained that disposable toothbrushes come into direct contact with the oral cavity, where the mucosa is highly permeable and dense with blood vessels. When combined with toothpaste surfactants, harmful substances from the raw materials can easily penetrate the body, posing multiple health risks with long-term use.

The Hangji Toothbrush Industry

Yangzhou’s Hangji Town (杭集镇) is known as the “Capital of Chinese Toothbrushes,” producing 7.5 billion toothbrushes annually — approximately 90% of China’s total toothbrush exports — according to a May 2026 report by People’s Daily. The industry has a century-long history in the region, with several generations of families involved in manufacturing.

However, the investigation revealed that smaller factories face significant pressure from rising raw material costs in a highly competitive market. The recycled plastic pellets used by these manufacturers are often “three-no” products — no production license, no quality inspection, and no safety certification — sourced from unlicensed workshops with little regard for safety standards.

Systemic Concerns

The scandal has reignited questions about the effectiveness of routine regulatory oversight in China. The practices were uncovered by journalists, not through regular inspections, following a pattern seen in multiple recent CCTV investigations — including exposés on old clothing recycling scams (December 2025), psychiatric hospital fraud (February 2026), and illegal wastewater discharge in neighboring Xuzhou (May 2026).

Substandard toothbrushes flow primarily to small hotels and guesthouses, where cost-conscious buyers may not scrutinize quality. Millions of hotel guests across China may have been exposed to these products, raising broader questions about consumer safety in the disposable amenities industry.

What’s Next

Yangzhou authorities have pledged a thorough investigation and city-wide safety inspection campaign. The seized materials will be analyzed, and legal consequences — potentially including fines and criminal charges — are expected for the violators. However, without fundamental changes to enforcement mechanisms and penalties, observers warn that similar practices may resurface, as has been the case with other product safety scandals in China.

The public has been encouraged to report suspected violations via the 12315 consumer hotline.