Tag Archives: Toothpaste

This refillable toothpaste container was designed to cut down the waste produced by conventional toothpaste tubes!

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Mimo is a revolutionary refillable toothpaste tube that pumps toothpaste into each tube from the bottom with the help of an external refilling basin.

We don’t realize how much waste toothpaste tubes actually create. We brush our teeth twice a day, fingers-crossed, and go through multiple tubes of toothpaste in a matter of a couple of weeks. Young product designers Pelin Özbalcı and Sergen Çağlayan say that over one-billion tubes of toothpaste end up in landfills each year in the United States. Creating a solution for the waste created by disused toothpaste tubes, Özbalcı and Çağlayan developed Mimo, a refillable toothpaste tube.

Traditional toothpaste tubes we buy at the grocery store are typically constructed with a thin layer of aluminum and various types of plastic that make it nearly impossible for toothpaste tubes to degrade and recycle. Designed for those who’d like to live an eco-conscious, sustainable lifestyle, Mimo is a warm refillable toothpaste tube concept that would brighten up any bathroom. Inspired by the pastel color palette of Pantone shades, Mimo’s toothpaste containers have been conceptualized in an array of muted color schemes, each keeping an opaque, speckled top layer as well.

Equipped with a refilling basin, Mimo fills each tube up from the bottom through a pressure pump that’s encased in each basin. The transparent bottom half of Mimo indicates the toothpaste level so over-filling won’t be an issue. Designed in a similar fashion to refillable water bottles, Mimo comes as a cylinder container with a wrist strap that allows for easy portability and carrying. The toothpaste pump works in just the same way as a hand soap pump, squeezing out toothpaste for users as needed.

Designers: Pelin Özbalcı and Sergen Çağlayan

With a similar build to refillable water bottles, Mimo looks familiar to the average consumer.

The pastel color scheme of Mimo fits into any modern bathroom. 

Friendly packaging makes Mimo that much more appealing to regular consumers.

The hand pump is similar in design to hand soap containers.

The post This refillable toothpaste container was designed to cut down the waste produced by conventional toothpaste tubes! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This plastic-free oral care set is an all-in-one sustainable alternative for daily use or travel kits!

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Small parts of our routine tend to have a big environmental impact, for instance, floss is good for our teeth but it is terrible for the ocean and turns it into a plastic minefield. Toothbrush bristles as well as floss are made up of nylon which is not biodegradable but another thing that makes it dangerous is that it is designed to not tear causing serious harm to ocean life. When looking at these issues it is clear that we need to move away from single-use plastics and find a more eco-friendly, long-term solution like the Seventh Generation Beam – a customizable, subscription-based, plastic-free set that is designed to be the all-in-one sustainable oral care kit.

Did you know one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the United States, creating 50 million pounds of waste annually? The production of the nylon bristles on each toothbrush causes nitrous oxide to be produced and released into the atmosphere as a bi-product; nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that is 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Seventh Generation’s goal is to limit harmful chemicals and they use plant-based ingredients, scents made from real ingredients, and no synthetic fragrances/dyes in their products. It encourages the importance of wellness is in our personal care, household products, and generally in our everyday lifestyle. The concept demands we expand our understanding of what nourishes us without harming the planet through beautiful and innovative design.

The aim is to create 100% plastic-free packaging. The challenge is to rebrand a traditional product line and redesign the packaging system to be fully sustainable while utilizing no plastic or bioplastic. Biomaterials like tin, wood pulp, plant cellulose, food waste, grass, algae, and mushrooms are being considered. It will all be sustainably sourced, preferably materials that are at the end of their lives and can be composed into biomass to regenerate depleted farming soils.

The design and aesthetics are playful, warm, organic and unlike the language, one might typically associate with “eco-friendly products” which usually only sparks the idea of “bamboo”. Seventh Generation shows that innovation and changing the things we choose can be achieved with visuals just as much as the value added by the product itself.

The kit consists of toothpaste tablets, refillable floss, and a toothbrush. While this is a concept, the aim is to make these products plastic-free as well. Toothpaste tablets already exist and help reduce product and chemical waste while eco-friendly floss and toothbrushes are also gaining popularity as people become more aware of the consequences their actions have on the environment.

Designer: Beatrice Ma

Unilever is working on a 100% recyclable toothpaste tube… here’s what it means for the environment

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Unilever 100% Recyclable Toothpaste Tube

The Multi-national FMCG giant plans to convert its entire global toothpaste portfolio to recyclable tubes by 2025, starting with France and India – its two largest markets.

The problem with toothpaste is that there’s hardly any socially acceptable alternative to it. Sure, you could ditch bottled water and straws in a bid to save the environment. You could swear off Coca-Cola *wink-wink Ronaldo* because it’s the world’s biggest plastics polluter. You could even ditch plastic toothbrushes for recycled/bamboo ones… but how do you avoid toothpaste? There isn’t really a concrete, well-accepted alternative to it, and given how toothpaste is something the entire world uses at least once every day, it just results in thousands of tonnes of waste every year in the form of discarded toothpaste tubes. (1.5 billion tubes each year globally, according to some reports)

Unilever seems to be taking heed of this burgeoning waste problem, and after 4 years of research and development, is launching their first entirely recyclable toothpaste tube. Traditionally, toothpaste tubes have been made out of plastic, with an inner aluminum lining, to give it flexibility while keeping it food-safe and allowing it to have a higher shelf life. Unilever’s latest toothpaste tube will be made almost entirely out of HDPE – one of the most recyclable plastics there is. “It will also be the thinnest plastic material available on the toothpaste market at 220-microns, which will reduce the amount of plastic needed for each tube. To encourage wider industry change, the innovation will be made available for other companies to adopt”, mentions Unilever’s website.

Unilever 100% Recyclable Toothpaste Tube

Recycling HDPE is rather simple and can (on a basic level) even be done by consumers. However, Unilever’s approach will involve a much more robust supply and recycling chain. Not only are the tubes designed to be recyclable, but Unilever also claims it is working with multiple global recycling organizations to help ensure that the new tubes are collected and recycled; starting with France, where consumers can put the new tubes in their home recycling bin ready to be collected and turned into new products. The pilot project will begin with France, being implemented with Unilever’s oral-care brand Signal, and will make its way to India by the end of the year with Pepsodent and CloseUp, the company’s India-based brands. Samir Singh, Executive Vice President, Global Skin Cleansing and Oral Care said that Unilever will commit to ensuring that Unilever’s entire toothpaste portfolio shifts to the recyclable tubes by 2025.

Designer: Unilever

Similar Innovations


This tube of ‘Coolpaste’ comes in a paper tube, instead of the traditional plastic tube + paper box.

This unique marbled speaker’s made from non-recyclable plastic waste.

Thomy Rot-Weiß Is Ketchup and Mayonnaise Packaged Like Toothpaste

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Ketchup, mustard, mayo, teriyaki, bbq sauce, sriracha… Let’s face it, I’m a big condiment fan. While I don’t always mix my condiments, some combinations work better than others. Ketchup and mayo generally work well together – especially on a cheeseburger – and actually are pretty good on french fries too. Well, it turns out that you can get a combination of ketchup and mayo in a single package – and I’m not talking about Russian salad dressing.

The experts at German condiment company Thomy make a ketchup-mayonnaise combo called “Rot-Weiß” – which translates to  “Red-White.” But these two condiments aren’t pre-mixed into a single condiment. Instead, they come out of a tube like one of those striped toothpastes. YouTuber Taras Kul tested out some Rot-Weiß, and shared his review on video:

I mean, sure, the two substances eventually will mix together on your plate, and certainly in your stomach, but still, it looks sort of like a liquid candy cane as it oozes out of the tube. If you’re just dying to try some, you can pick up a tub on Amazon for about $10. I dare you to brush your teeth with this stuff.

A sustainable toothpaste packaging design that thinks outside the box – literally!

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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.

This ‘Blue Pill’ will get you shiny teeth on the go

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If there was a guessing game for ‘what’s in your travel bag’, then I know mine would be an easy win for most. I carry my shampoo, face wash, toothbrush, moisturizer… you get the drift. You name it, and it’s packed into travel-sized minion bottles, and are ready to go for their ride. However, most people are not like me – and one of the most common things that people tend to forget to pack is the toothpaste. I concur this is mainly because we typically buy the big tube and travel-sizes don’t retain much. Hence, packing a big tube can be unnecessary.

I like what designer Fernando Maldonado has done though – he’s designed a travel toothbrush that has a squeezable compartment. You see the blue pill shape one? That’s the space you fill up with toothpaste and carry the kit as a whole. When you need to use it – simply squeeze out the required amount, and brush. Clever!

Designer: Fernando Maldonado

The no-paste-waste brush!

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How simply convenient! The Squeeze toothbrush by Kevin Clarridge allows you to extract every bit of toothpaste from that dang tube… because if you can’t design a better tube, design a better toothbrush!

Changing a toothpaste tube is a massive market exercise because toothpastes are heavily tied with brands, and no brand really has the eagerness to experiment with something that works (the if-it-ain’t-broke syndrome). The Squeeze toothbrush however provides a rather wonderful solution. With its peg-like base, it allows you to manually steamroll each and every ounce of toothpaste from your tube. The toothbrush comes in two components, so you can retain the base and just switch the bristled top every couple of months! What’s more, the peg-shaped base even helps to dock the toothbrush on the rim of any tumbler, or on a line, need be.

Designer: Kevin Clarridge

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Alessi buckles down on Toothpaste waste

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Arguably the biggest and most respected design brand of our time (and well before our time too), Alessi is known for its delightful products with a slightly unconventional, if not quirky, approach to functionality.

The humble buckle, responsible for keeping pants up and stomachs in, has received a new purpose, thanks to the great collective of minds at the Italian design super-house. Just slide this over your tube of toothpaste and you can be sure that you’ll squeeze every ounce out of that plastic tube. Simple, elegant, and effective, with a dash of quirky! Plus, what a lovely way to add shiny bling to your toiletry kit. Perfect for the very paste that makes your teeth shine!

Designers: Gabriele Chiave & Lorenza Bozzoli (Alessi).

BUY IT NOW: $20

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Power Toothpaste Is Caffeinated: Wake up While You Brush

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Waking up in the morning is the worst, but it has to be done. Thank God we have coffee to get us kick-started. If that still isn’t enough to get yourself going, here’s a new product that is in development that will make your morning easier: Power Energy Toothpaste. It has caffeine, so it wakes you up as you brush your teeth.

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At last, no more dipping that loaded-with-toothpaste toothbrush into your coffee. It is always such a mess and it ruins the flavor. Entrepreneur Dan Meropol invented Power Energy Toothpaste it as a way to encourage people to brush more. Meropol thinks that a rush of caffeine will reward users for brushing their teeth in the morning.

Maybe he’s right, but I would rather get my caffeine the old way. Besides, drinking it is actually part of people’s morning ritual. Still, if you’d like to add a little boost to your brushing routine, you can get a tube by pledging at least $15(USD) over on Indiegogo.

[via Incredible Things via Neatorama]

Caffeinated Toothpaste Cleans Your Teeth AND Wakes You Up

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Caffeinated Toothpaste Cleans Your Teeth AND Wakes You Up

Power Toothpaste is a company selling the world’s first caffeinated toothpaste. The product site says it gives your a rush while you brush, which, I think we can all agree, is a pretty catchy tagline. Currently the product is crowdfunding on Indiegogo, so head on over to contribute to the cause if you want to […]

The post Caffeinated Toothpaste Cleans Your Teeth AND Wakes You Up appeared first on Incredible Things.


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