The next time you go to a general store, take a look around you carefully. You’ll notice how heavy the packaging is around the smallest of items and it will mostly be plastic. There is so much redundant boxing of products that we’ve made hours of content on “unboxing” them. Let’s start with solving this problem for one of the most popular everyday products and the first step to our mornings – toothpaste!

An academic project came gave birth to Coolpaste – the eco-friendly alter ego of our trusty old toothpaste. The aim was to develop a sustainable packaging design for toothpaste in a way that didn’t affect their durability while being transported or stacked on shelves. For the purpose of the project, Colgate toothpaste was used as the object of study. Coolpaste not only got a physical makeover that was better for the environment, but the graphic elements of the product were also refreshed to reflect the goal of the project. The paper box was eliminated after an in-depth point-of-sale study without affecting the integrity of the toothpaste. This made the product lighter, reduced waste, and simplified branding also eliminated the chemical inks making Coolpaste a success in terms of sustainable packaging and ecodesign.

In the final proposal, Coolpaste was presented as a product that would hang instead of being stacked and it’s packaging was not only recyclable but also biodegradable. This design would solve logistical and environmental issues for global toothpaste brands if implemented. Coolpaste also comes with a cap(e)!

Designer: Academic project by Allan Gomes for the Federal University of Minas Gerais.