Cheryl Rigdon on season 4 of ABC’s Shark Tank presenting The Spatty (Image Credit: The Spatty)
GUEST POST FROM CHERYL RIGDON OF ABC’S SHARK TANK
The Spatty was designed to get the last drop from bottles and jars with narrow necks (Image Credit: The Spatty on Facebook)
Hello all! First, I want to say, I am excited to be a guest blogger on We Hate To Waste. My name is Cheryl Rigdon. You all may know me from ABC’s Shark Tank. I was on season 4 with my invention, the Spatty and Spatty Daddy.
I have since updated the name to Extend Your Beauty: Cosmetic Tool for cosmetics and Spatty Daddy for food products. I created these products because I was so tired of wasting my foundation, lotion, eye creams, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ketchup (before I became allergic to it), etc. I hated seeing my foundation in bottles and not being able to get it out and having to just throw all that product and money in the trash.
Figuring Out How to Get That Last Drop
The Spatty is a mini spatula designed to reach those last drops at the bottom of hard-to-reach liquid cosmetic jars (Image Credit: The Spatty on Facebook)
This very incident one night caused me to create the Spatty. I was getting ready to go out to eat with my husband. I was putting my foundation on and I could not for the life of me get any more out. I had shaken it, hit it on the floor, etc. nothing was coming out. I tried a Q-tip and it just soaked up the makeup and left cotton on my face. I could not find anything around the house to use, so I Google searched for something I could buy, but I found nothing.
So I decided to make something myself. I knew there was a lot of product left over in my foundation bottle but I had no idea how much. Consumer Reports did a study that shows up to 25% of lotion like consistencies are left over in the containers when the product is no longer easy to get out. 25%!
The Spatty Daddy is a larger version of the original, which can be used to get the last drop of sauces and salad dressings (Image Credit: The Spatty on Facebook)
Don’t Waste Another Cent
Say you spend $30.00 on a bottle of foundation, that is $7.50 you threw in the trash along with 25% of your foundation, and this is just one product. Can you imagine the amount of money and product that is wasted a year just because the product will not come out of the container?
I have so many people send me e-mails or come up and talk to me about how glad they are to have the Spatty Daddy and Extend Your Beauty: Cosmetic Tools because they can now get every last drop of their products.
Many people have been able to get an extra week’s worth of makeup or several more uses of their mayonnaise with the Extend Your Beauty: Cosmetic Tool and the Spatty Daddy.
It still amazes me how much product is actually left in the containers when it is no longer easy to get out.Who knows how much money and product I have thrown away in my life. I don’t even want to think about it! I am glad to know there are so many like-minded people who are tired of wasting too!
How about you?
How do you get every last crumb, morsel and drop? Scroll down to our Comments box and let us know.
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Sounds like a good idea, although better packaging design could eliminate the need.
As a challenge, I’ve done several things with consumer packages that don’t allow full product use or to increase recycling:
1. cut open toothpaste tubes near the opening to get to the remaining product-usually at least 1-2 wks of product to use, then recycle the plastic tube, despite the lack of information on the plastic type on the tube (and requested information from the brand indicated it could be either one of 2 plastic types); This is not a major brand. I asked one of the 2 major brands and just got a “not recyclable” reply despite the CSR/recycling messaging on its website and much PR and awards. Many of the everyday items, including toiletries have much room for improvement: Ever look at how much stick deodorant is left in the packaging when it’s “used up” ? or if there’s a plastics # so you can recycle it ?
Similar, razor blades with recyclable metal/plastic…
(yes, there is a program for 1 brand and toothbrushes…)
How about electric lawn equipment (mowers, edgers) -recyclable as e-waste due to the circuitry ? I’ve asked, no definitive answers.
Nothing on websites.
2. deconstruct the container to divert from disposal. For example, Pepperidge Farm cookies in the paper bag-the bag is constructed with a foil inner bag that is easily removed, then the remaining packaging is a rigid paperboard piece and the outer paper bag, both of which can be recycled in a mixed paper program. Similar with a Breyers ice cream container-mostly paper with an unidentified plastic rim on the top. The old fashioned powder cleanser cans are made of a paper tube with recyclable metal end, which can be separated and recycled separately. Of course most folks won’t take the time to do this, so manufacturers still have alot more potential, despite some improvements over the last few years.
3. Inquire of manufacturers why their containers can’t be designed to allow more complete product use or labeled for better recycling. Cosmetic co’s in particular seem to be motivated by competitive advantage.
Ex: Campbell soup pouches that replaced recyclable cans (some frozen fruit pouches are labeled by plastic type and can be recycled); Punati room air freshener with “non-hazardous” odor control material-compostable ?
4. Ask your recycling hauler, but not always effective: Months ago I asked (2x) the top manager of our NJ Borough’s recycling vendor (a non-profit “Occupational Center” that several times per year leaves piles of glass shards on the street that “leak” from their packer trucks on commingled collection days) if they accept paper drink cartons in the paper recycling program and am still awaiting an answer.
5. Seasonal plant pots and trays are often #5 (some are #6), and can be taken to Whole Foods, although in NYC the new program is for all plastics-nice.
Ben,
I’m with you — packaging ‘evacuation’ rate (if that’s what they call it) could definitely be improved with better design. Would be interesting to see how often ER is on design specs; though I suppose it’s not so much of an issue in some categories. But in others, like mayo and ketchup, it’s a significant barrier to repurchase because of the nuisance factor.
I actually wrote a post on antiperspirants. TOO MUCH is winding up in the trash — all due to package design. Check out my post about this: http://www.wehatetowaste.com/every-little-drop
I will now only buy a foundation product in a tube. Not only for the waste factor in a bottled product, but also to cut down on contamination from fingers or a sponge.
I find it inspiring that not only is this product a necessary solution, but it also shows off the passion and lifestyle of more generally, being a waste-hater. I’m glad that you not only acknowledged the small bits of product that gets wasted without notice, but also took this awareness one step further to create an innovative solution, a solution that brings attention back to the initial issue. I’ve been rolling up my toothpaste and using a spatula (a much bigger and more clumsy one) to get the remaining jam and peanut butter out of the jar for years. I never viewed those activities as anything related to my less-waste-lifestyle. Though, they very much are. They really exhibit the big picture of how many little things and how many creative minds can connect and build a larger solution. It excites me to think of all the possibilities for innovation there are with such a large, widespread community of waste-haters. It is a pleasure seeing one of these innovative ideas come to life in such a successful way.
I’m with you, Michelle. One of the joys of moderating this blog all year was hearing from and about so many entrepreneurs in this space. Maybe they always existed, but it was fun learning about The Spatty, and other innovations like Control n Roll (to slow down the toilet paper), My Botto (a little stand to help turn the shampoo upside down), Snack Taxi (reusable pouch for kids snacks), People Towels and more. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention — and there’s lots of inventiveness around the need to reduce waste! Keep those cards and letters and product samples coming!
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An interesting discussion is worth comment. I do think that
you ought to write more about this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but usually people
do not speak about such subjects. To the next! Best wishes!!
Well, your inventions are amazing! I think that it is a real waste of money when we cannot use our products to the last drop. Thanks a lot for sharing!