The story behind Fongky is actually a pretty simple one.
While helping his two young daughters brush their teeth one night, Gavin looked at the brushes knowing they would eventually end up in landfill, and literally asked himself: “why do we throw out perfectly good toothbrush handles every three months?”
It seemed such a waste that a perfectly good plastic handle was thrown in the rubbish every three months because of the brush head, as per dentists’ recommendations. Considering this advise and New Zealand’s population, that meant approximately 20 million toothbrushes are being sent to landfill every year.
Long story short, after looking at other products on the market, Gavin decided to take the plunge and create a toothbrush alternative that did not compromise on quality, was sustainable, promoted reuse and waste minimisation; and, ultimately, was affordable to ensure that cost was no barrier as Gavin believes that everyone wants to contribute towards improving climate change and it shouldn’t be limited to those who can “afford it”.
Gavin wanted Kiwis who are passionate about reducing waste to have a quality, sustainable toothbrush option, but also wanted the toothbrush system to be affordable so Kiwis did not have to choose between good oral and dental hygiene and food when at the supermarket.
Using his vast experience in the wider manufacturing and supply chain sector, together with his passion and expertise in creating genuine, closed-loop sustainable solutions, Gavin worked with a company specialising in toothbrushes and dental hygiene products, to design and create Fongky, a range of reusable toothbrush handles and replaceable brush heads.
