July isn’t only for cutting out alcohol…it’s also the start of Plastic Free July, and seven-year-old Tasmanian boy has a clever way to kick things off with Tinkle Co – the eco-toothbrush subscription helping households cut out plastic waste.
Shockingly, studies have revealed that around 30 million plastic toothbrushes end up in landfill in Australia each year. To bring these numbers down, over a family discussion, bright seven-year-old, Spencer, came up with a brilliant idea for a sustainable bamboo toothbrush that would last long and reduce plastic waste.
Co-founder, Kate Cashman said that Spencer had “wished some of the plastic-free alternatives could be made better, like our toothbrushes ‘that always get gunky’.” So Kate and Ben Cashman got to work and redesigned their toothbrushes to have flat bases to be able to stand upright. This means that with a quick wipe, the brush stays clean and dry for longer.
“Bamboo doesn’t like getting wet – and we noticed that when all they were all in the toothbrush holder together, the brush handles would start going black and we had to throw them out early,” Kate said.
Kate and Ben admitted that their two kids had played a big part in the design process of their toothbrushes; giving them feedback, trying out new designs and even suggesting new ones.
Not only has this been a great family project, but it’s been one that has led to improvements in a product that has received enormous support from the community.
“It’s such a nice feeling to know you’re creating something that will have a positive impact on the planet,”
said Kate Cashman, Co-Founder of Tinkle Co
In addition to this, $1 from every sale gets put towards its community grants initiative which helps fund environmentally focused community organisations.
Check out https://www.tinkleco.com.au/ for more information on Tinkle Co’s products.