Relavence
A toothbrush is something we all use and throw away regularly. It is not necessary to reinvent the toothbrush, but a small adjustment would create a huge impact. A toothbrush is about 18 inches long. It is recommended to use a toothbrush for a maximum of 3 months, because bacteria settle in the upper part of the toothbrush, the hairs. Because the upper part of the toothbrush can no longer serve, the whole toothbrush is thrown away. It should be possible to replace the top of the toothbrush after use. So, you don’t have to throw out a full toothbrush. This simple procedure would make a difference of 3.75 billion toothbrushes. That means that instead of 5 billion toothbrushes, only 1.25 billion full toothbrushes are thrown away every year. In this calculation I assumed that only the top 5 cm of a toothbrush is used.
Toothbrush ° 2
This series of toothbrushes is an abstract interpretation of the concept. With this version, only an upper part is produced and you have to find a creative alternative to use as a bottom part. The head is stretchable and easy to attach to various objects. The toothbrush has a DIY look and you can fully personalize it. With this toothbrush I want to prove that you could use any durable material as bottom of a toothbrush and you do not always have to buy and throw away a full toothbrush.
Toothbrush °1
This toothbrush is a luxurious toothbrush with an interchangeable head. The toothbrush ensures that only the head is thrown away. The luxurious bottom, symbolizes the long life of a plastic toothbrush. With this I want to show that the lower part of the toothbrush may be something personal that you could practically keep up with for life. The exchangeable head is made of plastic, to show which part of the plastic toothbrush, as we know it, is really needed. The combination of the cheap plastic and the luxurious bottom forms an interesting contrast.
Why?
A toothbrush is something that we all use and regularly throw away. There is no need to reinvent the toothbrush, but a small adjustment would create a huge impact. A toothbrush is approximately 18 centimeters long. It is recommended to use a toothbrush for up to 3 months, as bacteria nestle in the upper part of the toothbrush, the hairs. Because the upper part of the toothbrush can no longer serve, the entire toothbrush is thrown away. It should be possible to replace the upper part of the toothbrush after use. So, you don’t have to throw away a complete toothbrush. This simple procedure would make a difference of 3.75 billion toothbrushes. That means that instead of 5 billion toothbrushes, only 1.25 billion full toothbrushes per year are thrown away. In this calculation, I assumed that only the top 5 cm of a toothbrush is used.
