Meet the materials

Rethinking the electric toothbrush began with rethinking the materials.

We can only make an impact if you love using our toothbrush every single day. So we designed ours with your daily routines front and centre—taking into account functionality, durability, tactility, production methods, recycling, end-of-life, and more. All while being as light on the environment as possible. 

Cornstarch

The challenge:
A sleek brush head strong enough to survive the rigours of daily brushing—that can be recycled.

Existing solutions:
Petroleum-based plastics. Bamboo heads with plastic cores.

Our solution:
Derived from abundant, renewable, carbon-absorbing maize plants, cornstarch is the closest material to being carbon neutral. Any emissions released during processing, recycling or biodegradation are effectively cancelled out by the amount of carbon captured while the plant was growing.

The corn kernels are ground into an oil and the starch is extracted and processed into a biopolymer known as Polylactic Acid or PLA. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, the resulting material won’t break down into microplastics or emit toxic fumes if incinerated. More importantly, once returned to us, we can easily recycle it into new material for production.

Castor Oil 

The challenge:
Medium-soft bristles made from recyclable plant-based materials. Giving you a deep clean, while feeling great against your teeth. 

Existing solutions:
Nylon. Polyester. Boar hair.

Our solution:
Our bristles are made from castor oil. They possess that familiar feel and (more importantly) the deep cleaning power of regular nylon bristles – only we can recycle them and they won’t break down into microplastics. 

The castor bean plant is a drought resistant crop that will happily grow in some of the poorest soil conditions on Earth. This means it won’t ever be competing for land that could potentially be used to grow food crops, or carbon-capturing trees. And with two growing cycles per year, castor bean plants absorb around 34.6 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare (roughly the size of a sports field).

This is by no means a perfect solution. Castor oil still has to undergo processing to turn it into a fibrous plant-based polymer. But we believe it’s the best bristle material currently available, particularly when compared with its nylon counterpart.

Aluminium

The challenge:
A slim, lightweight, hardwearing, waterproof handle that we can shape into an elegant ergonomic form that's enjoyable to use – that can also be opened, repaired and recycled. 

Existing solutions:
Petroleum based plastic. Rubber. Bamboo. 

Our solution:
Our brush handle is made from aluminium because it’s light, durable (so we can use less of it), and endlessly recyclable. It’s an oft-quoted statistic, but almost 75 percent of the 1.5 billion tons of aluminium ever produced is still in circulation today. Aluminium is also corrosion resistant, making it perfect for its sink-side setting. We also believe the aluminium finish adds a touch of elegance, and feels great in the hand.  

We can’t ignore the ongoing discussion around the impact of aluminium mining, with deforestation and local communities often affected by the process. Taking a long-term view and comparing it with plastic we currently believe it’s the best material choice and we’re making efforts to move towards only using fully-recycled aluminium.

Plastic

The challenge:
Long-lasting accessories that can safely house electronic components.  

Existing solutions:
Petroleum based plastic. Silicone. 

Our solution:
All of our accessories are currently made using recyclable ABS plastic. The reason behind this is two-fold – longevity and reliability. Plant-based plastics and other compostable materials don’t react well with electronics so we can’t safely use them in our charge case or pebble. 

Plastic isn’t inherently bad. The wider industry just uses far too much of it and treats it as disposable, when there are sustainable alternatives. We’ve designed our accessories to last as long as possible, while being easy to take apart so the materials can be responsibly recycled and used again. We’re already in the process of evolving our accessories to be made from more sustainable materials.

Cardboard

The challenge:
Package our toothbrush and accessories with as small an impact as possible.  

Existing solutions:
Petroleum-based plastic. Cardboard.  

Our solution:
All of our packaging is plastic-free, and we use as little of it as possible to deliver your brush safely with minimal environmental cost. Both our brush and delivery boxes are made from recyclable cardboard. 

Future materiality.

This is just the beginning. We’re continually revisiting the latest research, and exploring new materials and technologies as they become available. Whether it’s lab grown biopolymers or innovative home compostable materials, we’re keen to uncover the next evolution of our products.