Glueless Pencil Packaging

CR: bag that dissolves in water

CR is working with Cyberpac on a range of experimental packaging solutions. Subscribers received our September issue in an envelope that could be re-used as a binder for our Monograph series (see here), while in October we gave subscribers one of six static prints of images from the Photography Annual (see here).

Why do a bag at all? We needed to bag this month's issue on the newsstand because it contains a free CMYK colour guide from Heidelberg. Rather than using a traditional polybag, we tried this. If subscribers would like one of the colour guides, please contact aminah.marshall@centaur.co.uk and we will send you one.

Subscriber issues come in regular, non-dissolvable, packaging this month - next month, though, we have something special for you.

UPDATE
More details from Cyberpac on how it works, also in the comments below: "The hot water is just to show you the biodegradability at speed. You don't need to boil it, just chuck it on the compost heap! We use this to package fish food as it dissolves in the water releasing the bait.

"Harmless-Dissolve is made from a hydro-degradable substrate which is 5 times stronger than normal polythene. It is a readily biodegradable, water soluble polymer which completely biodegrades in a composting environment, in a dishwasher or in a washing machine. It has no harmful residues and will biodegrade into naturally occuring substances - the bugs love it.

"It's non-toxic and is degraded by micro-organisms, moulds and yeasts. These organisms can occur in both artificial environments, such as anaerobic digesters, activated sewage sludge and composts and natural environments such as aquatic systems and soil. The micro-organisms use Harmless-Dissolve as a food source by producing a variety of enzymes that are capable of reacting with it. In the end the bag becomes carbon dioxide, water and biomass."

L'enfer des CD

Although CD and DVD formats will certainly be replaced in the near future, Ossama has addressed the issue in my packaging course. She proposes a classification system that reduces the handling of plastic cases and complex envelopes and gathers all disks in standard size DVD boxes. The material used is made of simple recycled Kraft chipboard and printed in one color. The design allows generous space for the identification and description of content.

Lacoste

In collaboration with Tom Dixon we worked on the packaging and launch graphics for two special edition polo shirts commissioned by Lacoste. Tom's concept was to explore two very different materials and the technology used in the production process of the garment. The most eco-friendly way to package the eco polo was not to print on the packaging at all but use embossing instead. The techno polo is vacuum-packaged in screen-printed foil.

Since the Eco Polo was hand-died in India we work with a group of Bollywood painters for the launch graphics. Based on our research into this particular style we designed 3 collages as templates for the artists. They were then emailed to India, hand painted on a large format canvases and later displayed at Dover Street Market in London.

Boxsal

The Brand Hatchery concepted the product idea and package design
of Boxsal as part of an internal agency assignment. They loved the idea so much they
formed Three Blind Ants, LLC, a new design company dedicated to picnic
and consumer focused fun products. Lots more photos after the jump.

"[Boxsal is] an eco-friendly, modern picnic box dressed
head-to-toe in a design style that allows you to tailor your picnic to
your personal style. Whether it's the romantic taste of Today's Date,
the inner-city style of Urban Picnic or casual coolness of Office Escape
— Boxsal is a place to pack your creativity along with some tasty
treats.

Each Boxsal is completely recyclable and
biodegradable right down to the knives, forks and spoons included in the
Boxsal Eatin' Tool kit. Utensils and cups are made of compostable corn
starch. The trays and bowls are created from sugar cane fiber. Each kit
also contains recycled napkins and a compostable trash bag for your
picnic left-overs. And while the Eatin' Tool kit is disposable, the
picnic box can be used over and over and over. It can even double as
storage box, luggage or portfolio case in the winter months.

The fact that each picnic box is fully sustainable was kind of a
given for the project. We figured that was really just the entry-fee
associated with fabricating a new product these days. The real magic
lies in the creativity that each Boxsal can bring to a picnic. You no
longer need a 100-year old oak tree to serve as the corner stone of your
afternoon getaway. Instead you can find the nearest rooftop or
inner-city park and toss down a blanket and some imagination."

I also like this comment

Alright, I'll admit that I love the packaging. The aesthetic is perfect for the product and its target market. But the concept of this product really irks me.

Here's where I'm lost: This thing is pitched as being "eco-friendly" and encouraging re-use, but that's just a clever disguise. Compostable items are still trash. They're manufactured, packaged, and shipped only to be thrown away. Why not include some nicely-designed plastic, aluminum, or steel utensils that can be re-used along with the box? For the money this thing costs, that should be a given.

Especially in spite of ongoing current events like BP's disaster, this thing is rather insulting. I think it's both financially and ecologically wiser to rescue a used picnic kit from a thrift store or garage sale. Although I guess for a product that's likely marketed towards trust-fund hipsters who merely want to appear ecologically responsible, Boxsal hit the nail on the head.

Sustainable Packaging - Material Alternatives

• Polylactide Acid (PLA) Plastics
• Bagasse (Sugar Cane Pulp)
• Palm Fiber
• Biomass Fiber Composite - AgroResin
• Reed Fiber - a Japanese Innovation
• PlasTerra - Biodegradable Plastic

(full article with images below...)

Polylactide Acid (PLA) Plastics

PLA is a transparent plastic made from natural resources (like
cornstarch). It can be processed as easily as petroleum-based plastics,
and can run on the same equipment. This makes it a very attainable
choice for those companies looking to change plastic components, like
thermoformed trays, to something more environmentally friendly. The
drawback is that it looks like ordinary plastic and if mixed with
recyclables, it can cause contamination, rendering the recyclable
plastic unusable. It can also be brittle at low temperatures, like
frozen foods.

Find out more about PLA plastics at NatureWorks and Mirel.

Bagasse (Sugar Cane Pulp)
Bagasse is a fibrous material
with a natural ivory color. When sugar cane is crushed to extract its
juice, what remains is bagasse. Bagasse is used to make insulated
disposable food containers, replacing materials such as Styrofoam.

You can learn more about bagasse on Wikipedia. Bagasse suppliers are primarily in Thailand and Malaysia.

Palm Fiber
Palm fiber is the leftover material
after the palm fruit is harvested for oil. This material is similar to
bagasse in that they're both used primarily to make packaging like
molded trays.

Earthcycle is a maker of FDA approved palm fiber trays. Visit their website to learn more.

Biomass Fiber Composite - AgroResin

AgroResin is a renewable and compostable material made from
agricultural biomass. It has a natural appearance, similar to palm
fiber packaging.

AgroResin® is made by PWP Industries (image shown above). This is another interesting alternative to petroleum-based plastic trays.

Reed Fiber - a Japanese Innovation
Reeds grow quickly.
They can be composted and return to a crop-soil-cycle. Also, grown on
the shore or riverbanks, reed doesn't compete for acreage with food
crops - as do plants grown for biodiesel. This material is from Japan
and is made from 100% reed fiber.

Made by Japanese manufacturer, Masuki (website in Japanese).

PlasTerra - Biodegradable Plastic
PlasTerra™ is a biodegradable and compostable plastic made using a blend of various
commercially available bioresins. Includes starch, PLA, and other fillers.

Download the PlasTerra data sheet.

PlasTerra may be offered by your usual plastic thermoformer (disposable trays). Plastic thermoforming companies like TrayPak, recommended this as a possible alternative to PLA, which can be brittle in frozen use settings.

The Sustainability Enigma

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2009/6/24/the-sustainability-enigma.html

an article about sustainable packaging, quite interesting,

"

Thus if your new sustainable packaging
designs result in any increased loss of product, through breakage, spoilage
or even reduced evacuation during use, the resulting impact can defeat
the goal of the pack in the first place, and perhaps even make your
environmental impact worse than it was. This may seem like an obvious
consideration, but it requires a disciplined approach to the design
of new packaging.

It is deceptively easy to become wrapped
up in the excitement around emergent materials and processes. But unless
these new technologies can meet or exceed the requirements of your current
product, they can be a major pitfall in the quest to become more sustainable."



Sustainable Packaging Vs. Product/Packaging Performance

The comments are also really interesting,



" The biggest tension in the packaging debates are that packaging designers are trying to shoehorn "sustainable" characteristics onto a product(s) and business model that are not and probably will never be sustainable.

My suggestion would be.. unless you are delivery a sustainable product or service, forget about thinking about sustainable packaging. "

I just like this ....a lot

I'm not really sure yet how this is relevant to my 'good', I guess they're packaging design, and they're just really nice and I like them A LOT. Lots of beautiful geometric and typographic designs on the packaging.

I'm not exactly sure when these were all made 70's?



The way that they're all photographed as well, its just really really lovely

These are just some of my favrouties, but loads more if you click here













I'm not really sure yet how this is relevant to my 'good', I guess they're packaging design, and they're just really nice and I like them A LOT. Lots of beautiful geometric and typographic designs on the packaging.

I'm not exactly sure when these were all made 70's?



The way that they're all photographed as well, its just really really lovely

These are just some of my favrouties, but loads more if you click here

Reusable Tshirt Packaging

Reusuable Wine Packaging

“The so Spanish preference for wine goes closer to ecology. On this way moves the ‘Cavallum’, a curious creation by Ciclus, a sustainable design Studio founded in 2001 by Brazilian-born Tati Guimarães. Settled in Barcelona since 1998, Guimarães starts to see amazing results of her original work, always addressed to sustainability y its three axes: reduce, reuse, recycle.The Cavallum is a box of cava (the Catalan equivalent to French champagne) or wine that transforms into an elegant lamp. The piece has been praised in prestigious ecologycal webs, like Treehugger.com, and will be featured in IDN World magazine, in Hong Kong. Spanish newspapers, such as Avui and La Vanguardia, are also publishing articles about the wine-lamp as a cool and ecologycal Christmas gift.