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Case study

Innovating recyclable TPU toothbrush heads with Desmopan®

Sustainable oral care start-up FRESH 32 needed a 100%-recyclable plastic for its new interchangeable toothbrush heads – featuring the right hardness, abrasion resistance, durability, and microbe resistance. Covestro had the solution: our Desmopan® 9385A GMP and 9392A GMP thermoplastic polyurethanes.
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Task

Reducing waste with innovative FRESH 32 toothbrush design

Fully recycling toothbrushes is very difficult – and for conventional toothbrushes with polypropylene handles and nylon bristles, it’s not possible at all. These toothbrushes may take 500 years to degrade or decompose – and each year, billions of them are thrown away around the world, piling up in landfills and polluting our oceans.

FRESH 32, a producer of oral care products and oral hygiene accessories based in Slovenia, had a better idea: developing a long-lasting toothbrush to help consumers cut down on waste from single-use plastic toothbrushes. 

FRESH 32’s toothbrush manufacturers designed a brush consisting of a sleek, ergonomic metal handle with a replaceable brush head made from thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). The metal handle can be used indefinitely, but the toothbrush head itself must be replaced regularly (approximately every three months) to ensure good oral hygiene and effective cleaning. FRESH 32 went in search of a raw material for the toothbrush components that would provide the ideal combination of performance and sustainability.  

FRESH 32 created replaceable toothbrush heads with Covestro’s recyclable Desmopan® TPU
Challenge

Finding a functional, more sustainable toothbrush material

With its focus on sustainability, FRESH 32 was determined to make its replaceable toothbrush heads from recyclable plastic, while also minimizing the overall weight of plastic used in the product.

At the same time, there could be no compromises on performance. The toothbrush head, including the bristles, needed to be abrasion resistant, microbe resistant, hydrolysis resistant, and wear resistant with the right hardness – all of which are critical to ensuring oral hygiene and health.  

Covestro was a valuable partner in developing our 3D Bristle Dynamics™ toothbrush – not just thanks to their recyclable thermoplastic polyurethanes, but also their material know-how and application development support. They’ve helped make our toothbrush production even more sustainable.

Domen Nemanič

Co-founder FRESH 32

Solution

Solving the challenge with Desmopan® thermoplastic polyurethanes

With support from Covestro, FRESH 32 designed its 3D Bristle Dynamics™ manual toothbrush heads using TPUs from the Desmopan® GMP series, particularly Desmopan® 9385A GMP (soft brush) and Desmopan® 9392A GMP (middle hard). 

Produced using injection molding, the heads are 100% recyclable, weigh only 2 grams, and offer excellent cleaning properties with no deformation of the brush fibers – for a long-lasting, lightweight toothbrush. The toothbrush material’s hardness properties are perfect for this application, and in combination with the metal handle, the product ensures consumers can achieve the right pressure during teeth cleaning. The Desmopan® GMP series also fulfills Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.

Sustainable toothbrush heads made from 100%-recyclable TPU

We’re very proud of our strong partnership with FRESH 32 – in particular, how our recyclable Desmopan® GMP has contributed to enabling more sustainable, effective, user-friendly, and long-lasting toothbrushes, and in turn, more sustainable dentistry.

Slaven Gojsic

Business Development TPU, Covestro

Key Benefits

  • 100% recyclable: Reducing the impact of plastic waste on the environment
  • Supports oral hygiene: Abrasion resistant and microbe resistant for effective cleaning
  • Long-lasting: Bristles stand up to use without deforming

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