According to studies that have been conducted, it has been estimated that we waste about 1-13% of our toothpaste. 17-25% of our lotion, 7-16% of detergent, and 3-15% of condiments simply because we could not get them out of their containers. Sure you could also cut them open but it’s just a messy process that not many people are willing to do. Well the good news is that such wastage could be a thing of the past as former MIT PhD candidate, Dave Smith, has taken his invention on the road and is negotiating with some of the larger consumer packaged good companies to incorporate his LiquiGlide lubricant, a lubricant which is so slippery that it promises to get every last drop out of that bottle, including glue!
Naturally Smith and his company are pretty tight-lipped about how their product actually works, but assures that not only is it tasteless and odorless, but it also only uses FDA-approved materials, meaning that it should be good to go right out of the door. On top of just preventing additional wastage, LiquiGlide estimates that it will save costs in the long run, since we would have to buy refills less often, but could also impact the environment in a positive way as well. Apart from just applying their technology to consumer goods, LiquiGlide envisions their products making their way into industrial applications as well, such as medial tubes where their lubricant could help prevent clogs.
According to the company’s President, Carsten Boers, “We have finished a number of coatings now that are ready for market, specifically for toothpaste, paint, egg yolk, mayonnaise, yogurt, and sour cream.” So the next time your ketchup, toothpaste, or mayonnaise comes sliding out of the bottle with ease, you might have LiquiGlide to thank for that.
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