- Title: Disposable toothbrush aims to keep both teeth and planet clean
- Date: 31st August 2018
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (RECENT) (REUTERS) CO-FOUNDER OF UKRAINIAN ECO-FRIENDLY PAPER TOOTHBRUSH EFFA, ILYA KICHUK, SQUEEZING TOOTHPASTE ON EFFA VARIOUS OF KICHUK CLEANING HIS TEETH WITH EFFA EFFA CO-FOUNDER, DARIA VASYLENKO, FILMING KICHUK CLEANING TEETH ON MOBILE PHONE KICHUK WASHING EFFA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EFFA CO-FOUNDER, ILYA KICHUK, SAYING: "To be honest, it (Effa) does not differ at all, it's like a regular toothbrush. Brush is the same, but we are focused on ecology. That's it." KICHUK HOLDING EFFA VARIOUS OF KICHUK DEMONSTRATING PIECE OF PROCESSED PAPER VASYLENKO AND KICHUK TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EFFA CO-FOUNDER, ILYA KICHUK, SAYING: "It's a big philosophy. As I said, you can buy a regular toothbrush at Alibaba.com. We sell more than just a toothbrush." VASYLENKO SAYING: "We are creating a brand and the whole philosophy. That's why it is white, it is thin. It means that the nature is very fragile, light and white. The whole product philosophy is connected with this notions." KICHUK HOLDING EFFA (SOUNDBITE) (English) EFFA CO-FOUNDER, DARIA VASYLENKO, SAYING: "Yeah, so we have decided to start with the toothbrush because it's like the hardest product to do, but it is closer to people. And not everybody understands that actually the toothbrush is the second polluter of the world."
- Embargoed: 14th September 2018 11:27
- Keywords: disposable toothbrush eco-friendly innovation Effa Ukrainian startup co-founders Ilya Kichuk and Daria Vasylenko plastic pollution
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Pollution,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA0018VINDX5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: It can take several hundred years for a plastic toothbrush to break down if ends up in the ocean, according to the developers of a sustainable, alternative way of keeping your teeth clean.
Named after the ephemeral butterfly which is said to live for just one day, Effa is a disposable toothbrush made of recycled paper, as is its packaging.
The handle is covered in a thin layer of organic plastic with upgraded nylon bristles which will decompose faster than regular nylon, according to co-founders Ilya Kichuk and Daria Vasylenko.
"To be honest, it (Effa) does not differ at all, it's like a regular toothbrush. Brush is the same, but we are focused on ecology. That's it," Kichuk told Reuters.
The team says Effa would be great for eco-minded travellers, and at least one hotel chain is considering introducing them.
Park Inn by Radisson in Kiev is considering introducing the eco-friendly toothbrush, which will cost just 7 eurocents, in their hotel chain.
The hotel says it could help reduce some of the plastic waste it produces, including from traditional plastic toothbrushes that are thrown away.
"If you imagine again with this plastic toothbrushes, can you imagine two kilogram of plastic each month and you just throw it away. And if you imagine that you are doing that and your neighbours are doing that, that your business partner is doing that, everybody is doing that in the same city, in the same country, in our planet and it's just endless," said the hotel's room manager, Gennadii Malyshev.
Effa's ambitious goal is to have Effa machines in every airport where green-minded customers will be able to buy eco-friendly toothbrushes.
The team plans to develop the plastic-free idea into producing travel and medical kits made of recycled paper.
Besides hotels, the team also discovered unexpected new markets, such as prisons, where the use of regular toothbrushes is prohibited due to the safety reasons.
The idea was shortlisted at the ClimateLaunchpad green business ideas competition in 2017.
The team says they now have orders from Europe and the U.S. and plan to produce the first batch by the end of the year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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