The Toothbrush
Designer and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin explores the science - and conducts her own experiments - behind creating a more sustainable solution for brushing our teeth.
Designer, maker and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin explores an item so ubiquitous that most of us don鈥檛 give it a moment鈥檚 thought - the toothbrush. With 200 milion thrown away each year in the UK, she鈥檚 on a mission to find a more sustainable solution.
In search of inspiration, she heads to Sweden鈥檚 impressive low-impact mega-factory Tepe, where handles made from sugar-cane-based plastic are ahead of the pack. She explores bespoke production techniques, employing 3D-laser sintering, and dips into the archives of the British Dental Association, revealing the light-bulb moment when the modern brush was hit upon in a prison cell.
Turning to toothpaste itself, pioneering scientists are using bio-active glass to get more fluoride to our teeth. Unconventional options used at Lush Cosmetic鈥檚 Willy Wonker-style lab get Zoe's taste buds tingling, before she reveals her final toothbrush and alternative 'paste'. Both are uniquely Zoe - and just a bit bonkers - but they could also provide a very real eco-friendly answer to our daily brushing needs.
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Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Zoe Laughlin |
Editor | Bernard Pearson |
Editor | Gill Abraham |
Executive Producer | Sarah Trigg |
Executive Producer | Maia Liddell |
Producer | Jake Clifford |
Producer | Ekta Walia |
Director | Darren Coates |
Director | Paul Kittel |
Production Company | Wonder |
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