Anyone Got any of This "Rubbish"?

[Colr]

Are you, by any chance, brushing your teeth with the most resource-wasting, overcomplex piece of gadgetry that’s been witnessed by internet voters in the past 12 months? The £179 Sonicare electric toothbrush, made by Philips, has just been voted the winner of the first annual Landfill prize, the award for Britain’s cleverest rubbish – unnecessarily convoluted consumer inventions that help to increase the teetering junkpile of refuse we Britons produce every year.


I have to confess to the Power Fusion Razor.

I was tempted by the Slingbox.

Lots of sanctimonious middle class herumphing at:-


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle3376374.ece

I

[Dr Shrink]

I've got it.

And the fusion shaving kit...............

[ZemmamasBarnet]

Apart from the razor you mention, I've never heard or seen of any of that stuff!

Think I've got a Gilette fusion razor; the green one.

[SG7nil]

Nope I dont. However I was struck recently by the thought that whenever I change my toothbrush (an ordinary plastic manual - move yer arm to clean yer teeth job) I change the entire thing.. bristles and handle..and it's all plastic...
Why has no-one come up with a way to simply replace the head (a bit like razors) and re-use the handle? Less to landfill!

Thought it might be a go-er, especially if there was agreement on a "universal" fitting for handles that would allow all heads to attach to all handles..

Posh folk could even have solid gold toothbrush handles (if it floated their boat) and they'd only have to replace a wee plastic bit on the end with the bristles in it...

Do you think the dragons den would give me money to develop my idea? (or have I just blown it by going public on here?)

Save the planet and all that!!!

[Louis Prima]

Originally Posted by SG7nil

Nope I dont. However I was struck recently by the thought that whenever I change my toothbrush (an ordinary plastic manual - move yer arm to clean yer teeth job) I change the entire thing.. bristles and handle..and it's all plastic...
Why has no-one come up with a way to simply replace the head (a bit like razors) and re-use the handle? Less to landfill!

Thought it might be a go-er, especially if there was agreement on a "universal" fitting for handles that would allow all heads to attach to all handles..

Posh folk could even have solid gold toothbrush handles (if it floated their boat) and they'd only have to replace a wee plastic bit on the end with the bristles in it...

Do you think the dragons den would give me money to develop my idea? (or have I just blown it by going public on here?)

Save the planet and all that!!!

You wouldn,t happen to have the Dragons Den number by ny chance

[Dub]

Originally Posted by Louis Prima

You wouldn,t happen to have the Dragons Den number by ny chance

Four thats the number of people in the Den. Hope this helps

Anyway I'm off now to register my new invention

[SG7nil]

Originally Posted by Dub

Four thats the number of people in the Den. Hope this helps

Anyway I'm off now to register my new invention

Will I get a free toothbrush if they take it up?

[Stirlinghibee]

Originally Posted by SG7nil

Nope I dont. However I was struck recently by the thought that whenever I change my toothbrush (an ordinary plastic manual - move yer arm to clean yer teeth job) I change the entire thing.. bristles and handle..and it's all plastic...
Why has no-one come up with a way to simply replace the head (a bit like razors) and re-use the handle? Less to landfill!

Thought it might be a go-er, especially if there was agreement on a "universal" fitting for handles that would allow all heads to attach to all handles..

Posh folk could even have solid gold toothbrush handles (if it floated their boat) and they'd only have to replace a wee plastic bit on the end with the bristles in it...

Do you think the dragons den would give me money to develop my idea? (or have I just blown it by going public on here?)

Save the planet and all that!!!

Guys , a bit of insider knowledge here.

"Secondary operations" ie getting someone to screw the head together would cost far more than the single operation two step overmoulding of the ABS terpolymer and the TPO elastomer which constitutes a single toothbrush.

The bristles are FDA CFR21 approved PA 6.6 semi crystalline ETP, so they would not be easy recycled with the amporphous polymer that make up the body, again without secondary ops.

However, your idea is enviromentally sound, and I commend you.

[Louis Prima]

Originally Posted by Stennyhibee

Guys , a bit of insider knowledge here.

"Secondary operations" ie getting someone to screw the head together would cost far more than the single operation two step overmoulding of the ABS terpolymer and the TPO elastomer which constitutes a single toothbrush.

The bristles are FDA CFR21 approved PA 6.6 semi crystalline ETP, so they would not be easy recycled with the amporphous polymer that make up the body, again without secondary ops.

However, your idea is enviromentally sound, and I commend you.

And you scored 6 against Graeme High ( please note spelling) And managed to get out with all limbs intact. Stenny you're becoming a legend mate

[SG7nil]

Originally Posted by Stennyhibee

Guys , a bit of insider knowledge here.

"Secondary operations" ie getting someone to screw the head together would cost far more than the single operation two step overmoulding of the ABS terpolymer and the TPO elastomer which constitutes a single toothbrush.

The bristles are FDA CFR21 approved PA 6.6 semi crystalline ETP, so they would not be easy recycled with the amporphous polymer that make up the body, again without secondary ops.

However, your idea is enviromentally sound, and I commend you.

Stenny you could well be bullshitting me there... but.... if it is, it's one of the most convincing bits of bullshit that I've ever seen, so I commend you!!!

But why have the handles and "brush bit" secondary assembled? why not have two bits in the packaging that you have to self assemble (ikea style) when you get them home?

You could then buy mulitpacks of the heads and just unscrew/unsnap them whenever they needed changing...

and as I said before the handles could be made of virtually any material (environmentally friendly) with only the small bit at the end with the bristles in it disposable. OK you say it's hard to recycle that type of 'plastic', but it'd still be a lot less to landfill than we currently throw away.

[Stirlinghibee]

Originally Posted by Louis Prima

And you scored 6 against Graeme High ( please note spelling) And managed to get out with all limbs intact. Stenny you're becoming a legend mate

Lornshill had about 2300 pupils at the time, so it was a bit of a David and Goliath affair! My best pal, and one of the guys who was showered with praise in the article was an old Falkirk player called Davie Beaton. Davie is with Sauchie Juniors now.

If all the goals had been 2 yard tap in's it would have been fair enough... but I remember one of them being a 20 yarder on the volley!! Saying that the Ranger's scout most likely asked "How does that laddie spell his name?" and that was the end of any interest!!!

I never mentioned the two I scored against Gairdoch in the Brae's sheild final during Forth Valleys 2-1 win, did I Louis?? Who did you used to play for , again??

[Stirlinghibee]

Originally Posted by SG7nil

Stenny you could well be bullshitting me there... but.... if it is, it's one of the most convincing bits of bullshit that I've ever seen, so I commend you!!!

But why have the handles and "brush bit" secondary assembled? why not have two bits in the packaging that you have to self assemble (ikea style) when you get them home?
You could then buy mulitpacks of the heads and just unscrew/unsnap them whenever they needed changing...

and as I said before the handles could be made of virtually any material (environmentally friendly) with only the small bit at the end with the bristles in it disposable. OK you say it's hard to recycle that type of 'plastic', but it'd still be a lot less to landfill than we currently throw away.

Technically no reason at all why this cant be done. It is purely due to the high volume low margin nature of this type of work. I have seen the calculations that the guys who do these jobs do to win the business. Cycle times, Scrap rates, drying times etc etc all go on the spreadsheet and are submitted to the customer. The cheapest usually wins.

[Colr]

Originally Posted by Stennyhibee

Guys , a bit of insider knowledge here.

"Secondary operations" ie getting someone to screw the head together would cost far more than the single operation two step overmoulding of the ABS terpolymer and the TPO elastomer which constitutes a single toothbrush.

The bristles are FDA CFR21 approved PA 6.6 semi crystalline ETP, so they would not be easy recycled with the amporphous polymer that make up the body, again without secondary ops.

However, your idea is enviromentally sound, and I commend you.

Remember, get the marketing right and you should still be OK. Some people are prepared to pay more for green products - may be difficult to introduce it as a talking point at a dinner party, though.

[Stirlinghibee]

Originally Posted by Colr

Remember, get the marketing right and you should still be OK. Some people are prepared to pay more for green products - may be difficult to introduce it as a talking point at a dinner party, though.

I agree, It's a very good idea.

It really does comes down to marketing , someone needs to take the plunge and redesign their mould tools (~25000 GBP per tool) so the mating parts can be done. Material properties such as Tensile and Flexural Modulus (ISO 527 and 178) and Izod impact strength (ISO 180) would not be effected. If you add a Silver Zeolite biocide to the polymer you would not any fungal growth as well.

Seems a winner to me.

[wee 162]

Originally Posted by Colr

Remember, get the marketing right and you should still be OK. Some people are prepared to pay more for green products - may be difficult to introduce it as a talking point at a dinner party, though.

Wood handles from sustainable forests in Indonesia which is the habitat of endangered tigers which are currently being cut down to produce palm oil. Saves the habitat and you can be environmentally friendly at the same time. Tiger toothbrushes. I'm a marketing genius

Plus, tigers have feck off big white teeth!

[Colr]

Originally Posted by wee 162

Wood handles from sustainable forests in Indonesia which is the habitat of endangered tigers which are currently being cut down to produce palm oil. Saves the habitat and you can be environmentally friendly at the same time. Tiger toothbrushes. I'm a marketing genius

Plus, tigers have feck off big white teeth!

Boosting a developing economy - so its trade not aid, as well.

You can spin this environmental stuff any old way.

[SG7nil]

Originally Posted by Stennyhibee

I agree, It's a very good idea.

It really does comes down to marketing , someone needs to take the plunge and redesign their mould tools (~25000 GBP per tool) so the mating parts can be done. Material properties such as Tensile and Flexural Modulus (ISO 527 and 178) and Izod impact strength (ISO 180) would not be effected. If you add a Silver Zeolite biocide to the polymer you would not any fungal growth as well.

Seems a winner to me.

Stenny.. since you seem to know all about the plastics industry, thought this might be of interest to you....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7254939.stm

Self healing plastic....

[Stirlinghibee]

Originally Posted by SG7nil

Stenny.. since you seem to know all about the plastics industry, thought this might be of interest to you....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7254939.stm

Self healing plastic....

Very clever stuff. These guys can be proud of taking the piss! I would love to work with the resources that Arkema has.

"The as-yet-unnamed material - a form of artificial rubber - is made from vegetable oil and a component of urine. "

I think i know how they did this. I would wager a process of graft polymerisation with polar substance's such as Maliec Anhydride and Ethanoic acids. This would mean the C=O and the COOH groupings would form polar bonds. (This is a similar mechanism to the "IONOMERS" that golf ball manufacturers cover their products with).