I like entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs don't see problems. They see opportunities.For example, when Microsoft announced they were laying off 10,000 people, some might have felt pity for these 10,000 soon-to-be unemployed ex-workers. My guess is that a percentage of these, maybe 1000 of them (maybe more?), will leverage their experience and connections to start 1000 companies of their own. (Maybe a thousand more will be co-founders.)
All this to say that entrepreneurs see differently. So when they study contemporary issues, some people are actually looking to identify the problems of the world so they can, if able, become part of the solution rather than sit in the cheap seats and complain about how bad things are.
Around the globe people are complaining about, even protesting about, the widespread use of plastics. There are literally thousands of products made from plastics, which are a derivative of oil. The process begins with the distillation of crude oil in a refinery. As we attempt to reduce our dependence on oil, we will also need to simultaneously work on developing alternatives for the plastics we currently use.
Did you know 1.5 billion or 8 million tons of plastic toothpaste tubes (made of multi-layer plastic that can't be recycled) are dumped every year into our landfills and oceans? The problem with plastic is how long it takes for these products to biodegrade, up to 500 years or more. According to one source, by the year 2050, plastic will potentially outweigh all the fish in the sea.
This is what caught my eye regarding a creative solution to one facet of the much bigger problem of plastics pollution.
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The name of the company is Poppits. Their focus has been on producing an alternative to the utilization of plastic for toothpaste tubes. Most, if not all, toothpaste tubes are made of multi-layer plastic that cannot be recycled. Aluminum is an alternative material for toothpaste packaging. It's a natural element and is infinitely recyclable. The product Poppits is packaging is a toothpaste called PopGel™. Their slogan is "All the fantastic, without any plastic."
The company claims that this is the world's first 100% plastic-free toothpaste tubes, and they are inviting us to join their toothpaste revolution.
Poppits plans to offer PopGel™ in three anti-cavity fluoride styles, including cooling Cucumber Spearmint Whitening ($9.99, green tube), Peppermint Super Whitening ($9.99, blue tube) and Mild Mint Sensitive Kind ($9.99, purple tube). I've been using the Peppermint Super Whitening.
Designed by a dentist and FDA approved, these whitening toothpaste gels are free of SLS, triclosan, artificial preservatives, parabens and microplastics. These are the world’s first toothpaste tubes that are 100% non-plastic, packaged instead in sustainable aluminum with a recyclable metal cap.*
Wayne Solan, the company's founder, was born in Ireland and has been an entrepreneur since his youth. In 2001 he moved to the "Land of Opportunity" (America) and settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 2008 he formed Dental Development Systems LLC to pursue the development of new packaging materials using pharmaceutical-grade water-soluble films that might revolutionize portions of the packaging industry. Poppits LLC was founded in 2019, and its first product (PopGel) came out in 2022.
"We founded Poppits with one goal, to revolutionize the toothpaste experience," said founder/inventor Wayne Solan. "Our mission is to ditch plastic tubes and provide high quality toothpaste in recyclable earth-friendly formats. We’re all about creating a product that makes you feel good about using it every day. We are excited to announce that we have completed the first phase of our journey with PopGel, the world’s first toothpaste tubes that are 100% plastic-free, using recyclable aluminum tubes with recyclable metal caps. helping to reduce the 1.2 billion plastic toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills and oceans every year… we’re on a mission to make a difference.”
Currently the company has patented a toothpaste pod format that is still under development. It's an advanced delivery system for their toothpaste gels that Solan has touted as revolutionary. "Those who have been following us know we originally set out to introduce the pods first. We’re getting close and have discovered unique ways to make the concept even better. It’ll take more time but we’re very excited about it. Revolutions come in stages. We're just getting started!"
The "Copernican Revolution" took 100 years from the birth of the idea to global adoption. With our current inter-connectedness new ideas can spread faster than wildfires. It took less than three months for Wordle to become a worldwide phenomenon at the beginning of 2022. It looks like 2023 will be the year of ChatGPT... and bioidegradable toothpaste packaging.
Poppits also has an eco-friendly toothbrush made of bamboo wood as well as a plastic-free corn fiber floss that is purportedly an improvement over plastic floss. The Poppits floss comes in a superior package as well that can be recycled. The toothbrush bristles were somewhat stiff. It's my hope that a softer bristle will be developed as they customize the product line
PopGel is available now on www.popgel.com and Amazon. The pods are slated for lunch in fourth quarter 2023. In the meantime, learn more and follow the company here at https://poppits.com/popgel/
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