One of the big areas I’m interested in exploring after university is inventing creative solutions that could help the planet. Sustainable packaging is one of the most interesting areas I want to look into.
I found a good quote to explain my reasons for looking into this on The Dieline website:
“Upon learning that I am a packaging designer, a kind person once said, “Oh, so you design garbage.” Ouch. Harsh words for sure—but this comment brings up a very valid point that we all need to consider when we’re creating packaging: The real end user is the earth”.
I’ve put below some inspiring examples of sustainable packaging that I’ve come across recently.
THE BODY SHOP:
The Body Shop are a B Corp™. This means they are one of 3,000 businesses worldwide to have the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet.
They take this very seriously and have a number of long-term sustainability goals to work towards developing zero waste packaging.
They focus on using fewer plastic materials where they can, instead opting for plant-based and recycled plastic. They also help to encourage people “around the world to reuse, repurpose and recycle”. In fact, they reintroduced their pioneering refill scheme in 2019, which removed 21 tonnes of plastic from their Christmas gifts.
From gradually making 100% of their packaging 100% recyclable, to promoting a circular economy through refill stations for their products, to sourcing plastic from “marginalised waste pickers in India” they clearly have an incredible social conscience.
The Body Shop Sustainable Packaging
The idea behind their new delivery boxes though is what initially caught my attention.
They describe them as “super sustainable” as they help to save 226,710 metres of tape, 2,600 kilos of plastic and 6.7 tonnes of CO2e emissions every year. They’ve also cleverly made them reversible so that customers can upcycle them into gift boxes by utilising the design on the inside.
MAKING WASTE USEFUL:
Another method for making packaging sustainable is by using biodegradable materials. The examples below use them in fantastic, creative ways.
Pangea Organics embed seeds into their paper pulp packaging, so that customers gain a basil plant when they compost it.
Pangea Organics Biodegradable Packaging
Saltwater Brewery tackle the issue of plastic six-pack rings in our oceans by developing a biodegradable holder made from the leftover barley and hops in the beer-making process. They break down to become an edible treat and other marine life.
Saltwater Brewery Six-Pack Sustainable Solution
Biodegradable origami food bowl design by Anna Glansén and Hanna Billqvist of Tomorrow Machine. The bowl is made out of a bio-based and biodegradable material that customers pour hot water into through a hole in the top to transform it into a solid container they can eat out of.
Tomorrow Machine Biodegradable Origami Food Bowl
I think a personal project on creative sustainable packaging design has just been added to my design bucket list...
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