Menu
contact
Client
BAMBOO - O
year
2024
Project
Refillable Floss
Disciplines
Industrial Design
Colour, Material, Finish
Design for Manufacture
Art Direction
Colour, Material, Finish
Design for Manufacture
Art Direction
Earthmade wanted to shake up oral care by tackling one of its sources of waste, the plastic floss container. The mission - design a compact, user-friendly holder that reflects conscious design, feels good in hand, and aligns with Earthmade’s sustainability values. The holder needed to be easy to carry, clean, and refillable, turning what was once disposable into something you’d want to keep.
INtroduction
We started by exploring the constraints and opportunities of Bamboo-O — a compostable composite material combining bamboo’s toughness with starch’s flexibility. Prototypes tested locking systems, dispensing mechanisms, and ergonomic shapes, all while respecting the material’s structural limits. Focus groups revealed how people handle floss containers — revealing that twist-to-open mechanisms, tactile grip, and smooth spool rotation were key to success. Each iteration tuned the rotation mechanism and refined the compact form so it would feel intuitive under everyday use.
Materials
Next, we paired form with finish. We played with inner and outer surfaces — matte interiors for non-slip grip during refills, glossy outers for smooth wiping and visual contrast. The colour palette of fresh blues, greens, and clean off-whites was refined through mock-ups to signal hygiene without sacrificing warmth. Every surface, every edge, even the way the halves met — all had to feel deliberate, comfortable, and cohesive with Earthmade’s visual language.
Finishes
The final holder is pocket-ready, easy to operate, and built to last. It opens with a simple twist for quick refills and closes firmly so the floss spool stays put. The compact form slips into bags or drawers, and the tactile grip gives confidence when handling it wet or dry. It’s designed to elevate a small daily habit into something you feel good about.
The solution
More than just a container, it becomes a ritual of reuse. The dual finishes make it pleasing to the eye and the hand; the materials let it break down gently if composted at end-of-life. Earthmade’s floss redesign proves that small objects can carry big values — combining usability, longevity, and sustainability in one understated, effective tool.
Rituals
