Fussy is bringing the circular economy to deodorant by combining a refillable system designed by London studio Blond with a mail subscription service.
Fussy's natural deodorant blocks slot into a reusable case made from recycled plastic. Once the block runs out another can be inserted, helping to minimise waste.
These blocks are designed to fit in an envelope, so they can be posted through a standard letterbox. This means that Fussy can regularly send refills out to its customers in the mail.
Using a subscription service to make the process of refilling as easy as possible, the brand hopes to discourage its customers from switching back to disposable deodorants out of convenience. In this way, the product has a better chance of being sustainable in the long term.
This approach sets Fussy aside from some other refillable deodorants on the market.
Blond founder James Melia believes this kind of subscription model is perfectly suited to the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, which currently accounts for huge amounts of plastic waste.
"In the FMCG space, it certainly feels essential and the most logical way to curb our consumption," he told Dezeen.
Melia designed Fussy's case to be as attractive and enjoyable to use as possible. Taking cues from pebbles, he created a smooth shape that fits comfortably into the hand.
Unlike disposable deodorants, which are designed to stand upright to attract attention on supermarket shelves, this case lays flat on a matching dish so that it can sit discretely on a dressing table.
This slender shape means the case can also fit through the letterbox, just like the refills.
"At some point during the process, I was looking at my soap sitting in its dish, resembling a flattened ocean-worn pebble. From there, we had the design story in place," Melia told Dezeen.
The decision to use recycled plastic was not taken lightly. Blond researched a variety of different options before opting for this material.
Bio-polyethylene, a common bioplastic, was rejected because it has the same chemical make-up as traditional polyethylene, meaning it is recyclable but can be polluting if not disposed of correctly.
PLA was also rejected because it is only biodegradable under certain conditions.
"In the end, recycled plastics seemed the most suitable material as they prevent plastic from going to landfill, they have excellent durability and, eventually, can be recycled easily," Melia said.
This material is used for all component parts, meaning the product can be recycled without needing to be disassembled. This includes the matching dish, which can store two refills.
The cases are available in a range of colours that include mint green, burnt orange and ocean blue.
More refillable toiletries include deodorants and dehydrated mouthwash from By Humankind and Pharrell Williams gender-neutral skincare range Humanrace.