I believe that an alternative solution that is more sustainable should solve the need better than its predecessor.
Context
Traditional toothpaste tubes are made from plastic with an aluminium coating, making them difficult to recycle. In 2023, it is estimated 745 million units of toothpaste was sold in the US, which generated over $3 billion. With millions of people using toothpaste daily, the environmental impact of single-use plastic tubes is significant. In fact, at least 85% of U.S. plastic waste ended up in landfills in 2021.
Solution
A seaweed-based capsule that you bite into to release the toothpaste inside. Simply bite, brush, and spit as you normally would. A more convenient, eco-friendly and fun way of brushing your teeth. By-pass the tube turning, brush spreading and the occasional lid-dropping moments.
Process
Mixing sodium alginate with calcium chloride is a process in the food industry called spherification. Mixing sodium alginate with toothpaste and then dropping them in a calcium chloride bath creates capsules that have a cross-linked surface on the outside with the soft paste inside.
Credits
Many thanks to Prof. Braulio Macias-Rodriguez in the Food Science & Human Nutrition department at the University of Illinois, and to William Chen for helping me with the photographs