3. And they are filled with ingredients like sodium lauryl
sulfate, triclosan, artificial dyes and preservatives which
are harmful to our health and the planet[1].
5. Unrecyclable.
They include any number of plastics, aluminum, steel and
even nylon, often in only 1 packaging. That makes them hard
to recycle.
On top of the CO2 pollution involved in the production of
each individual tube, it then becomes a very complicated
process for the recyclers.
Recycling tubes often requires prewashing from the user. If
neglected & separated, they don’t get recycled and turn into
waste[2].
6. Polluting.
The toothpaste tube waste mostly ends up in
landfills, sewages, on our beaches and in our
oceans.
The tubes will stay there minimally
for 450 years[3] before they will start
to decompose.
Most of the toothpastes are toxic to nature
(and these toxins are leaking from landfills).
8. Toothbrushing is crucial for our health.
Modern human diet is harming our teeth more, so we
need to take extra care of them.
9. Toothbrushing is rooted in our culture.
The need for shiny teeth and fresh
breath is a cultural norm.
10. People brush their teeth more than
once a day more and
more often.
Between 1994 and 2010 in most of
the countries this number rose from
30–62% to 50–72%[4].
And we also brush teeth
more than ever.
15. A fully recyclable, and
refillable packaging which
looks like an ordinary
toothpaste tube.
But it is so much more.
16. With our GET design, we strived for something easy.
Transportable. Small. Electricity-free. Affordable.
We came up with the first sketches of our product.
17. Our solution focused
on minimal and
easy usage.
We came with the toothpaste
packaging consisting of 3
pockets.
One for water (blue), one for
toothpaste concentrated tablets
(green) and toothpaste crushing
pocket (white).
18. New toothpaste packaging was innovative.
But isn’t it also too challenging for our
morning routine?
19. In the morning,
we are in the hassle.
Oral health care
professionals generally
recommend at least 2
minutes of toothbrushing.
But the average
population’s brushing is
mere 45 seconds[6].
20. New challenge: How to convince
people that using environmentally
friendly toothpaste doesn’t
waste their time?
24. Using GET for the first time, you
don’t need to fill anything.
Water is ready in a water pocket
and tablets with your favourite
taste and function
in the tablet pocket.
25. Simply shortly squeeze the tube
as you are used to on the water
side. Then push out one tablet of
the tablet pocket through the
one-way release membranes.
Thanks to these one-way
membranes the usage of GET is
extremely precise and conscious.
26. You know how to get a
chewing gum out of the paper?
Great, it’s completely the same.
Thanks to the interspace between
water and tablet pockets and leak-
proof membranes on both pockets,
no surplus water will be released
to your toothpaste-to-be.
27. Once having both compounds in
the crushing pocket, crush a
tablet between your fingers.
Its coating is made from agar,
and the crushing pocket from a
soft plastic, therefore it is really
easy to do so.
Give the tablet a 5-second
massage…
28. And voila!
The thin agar film holding the
tablet together dissolved in water
and its content in combination
with water formed the paste
consistency.
Your toothpaste is ready to be
squeezed out. Push it on your
toothbrush, just as you did so
many times before.
30. Is GET empty?
Pop in the closest drug
store or opt-in for a monthly
subscription service refill. It
comes in a returnable plastic
packaging.
Once having the refill home,
twist out the upper storage part
from the paste crushing part.
31. If needed, wash the inside of a
crushing pocket under water.
32. Screw out the lid separating
the paste pocket from the
water and tablet compounds.
33. Fill in the tablets from the refill and
new water. Screw everything back
together with the crushing part.
34. Don’t forget the used
refill package!
By returning it to the
drug store or as a return
package on your next
monthly refill you can
earn new refills for free.
36. GET survives a lifetime.
Thanks to the HDPE plastic’s
durability, our recyclable
toothpaste packaging can last
forever.
Let’s assume you take GET on
your travels and lose it. Next
time, your dog finds a great
chewy toy in it.
37. Even if you re-buy GET every 2 years, you
save more than 19,2 toothpaste tubes by
every purchase of the GET tube.
38. GET is nature’s friend.
19,2 nonrecyclable toothpaste tubes
or 1 GET.
1 kg of paper and plastic waste
or 30 g of safely recyclable plastic.
Unlike toothpaste tubes, GET is
reusable for years and it has a
minimal impact on the environment
compared to the usual packaging.
40. GET comes in a
minimal packaging.
Minimal waste, minimal volume.
A usual toothpaste paper box
packaging is eliminated.
Thanks to the GET’s hook
you can hang it in the
store shelf or home
next to your
toothbrush.
41. Concentrated
cleaning power.
Our toothpaste refills come in the
fast-dissolvable capsules. This
reduces price for customers on
refills and costs on logistics for a
producer. All with minimal
pollution.
43. Quick use.
GET looks like a normal toothpaste tube.
Thanks to this, the users
don’t have to learn new habits.
They simply grab their toothpaste.
As usual.
Besides that, using GET is fun & easy.
Thanks to the fast-dissolvable tablet
technology based on agar, your
toothpaste is prepared and ready to use
within split of seconds.
44. Stunning
design.
Users have a better
experience through
improved aesthetics and
functionality
of the packaging.
And they can enjoy both
for years and years.
45.
46.
47. Win-win business.
Producers profit as well.
New and existing brands can easily use their
technology to switch from the old tubes to GET.
They cherish on improving brand loyalty through
refill subscriptions delivered directly to the user
and incentivizing the return of the refill packaging
through deposit and reward schemes.
48. Rethinking the sector.
Businesses optimize operations
through the standardization of
packaging and shared drop-off
points, logistics, and cleaning
facilities across brands.
52. All team members are part of
disruptive design
www.wearekontra.com
53. Footnotes:
[1]: https://bitetoothpastebits.com/pages/sustainability
[2]: https://www.jaktridit.cz/cz/rady-a-tipy/otazky-a-odpovedi/kam-patri
[3]: https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-plastics#gs.x5q2jk
[4]: Sisko Honkala, Carine Vereecken, Birgit Niclasen, Eino Honkala, Trends in toothbrushing
in 20 countries/regions from 1994 to 2010, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 25,
Issue suppl_2, 1 April 2015, Pages 20–23, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv013
[5]: Computing the average household size by 4 members, from which one uses 2 g of toothpaste
daily (following a generally recommended “pea-sized amount” per brushing, i.e. approx. 1 g)
and a typical tube size of 75 g.
[6]: Creeth JE, Gallagher A, Sowinski J, et al. The effect of brushing time and dentifrice on dental
plaque removal in vivo. J Dent Hyg. 2009; 83(3): 111–116.
![One billion toothpaste tubes
are thrown out each year[1].](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)