Ideas don't grow on trees? In any case, Berlin product designers Nicole Plock and Alexandra Matthies spent a semester abroad in India and came up with a product idea that literally lay on the ground in front of them.
India is a fascinating country. A rich culture meets great poverty. No less significant is the country's waste problem, which is home to almost 1.5 billion people.
When the then students Nicole Plock and Alexandra Matthies travelled to the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the subcontinent, they were struck by the ubiquitous betel nut or betel nut plantations. Areca palms on. Their fruits are often chewed and have a stimulating effect. The Berliners were fascinated by the „waste“ of the areca palms: their leaves. In the countryside, they observed how women collected the fallen protective leaves from the palm fronds, washed them, soaked them and left them to dry in the sun. The resulting material was then pressed into moulds. There were already small factories on the ground that produced moulds in this way. Disposable crockery which even proved to be ovenproof and frost-resistant.
Nicole Plock and Alexandra Matthies thought that they could make even more out of the areca palm and - back in Berlin - started a project for their bachelor's thesis. Their plan: they wanted to turn the areca palm leaves into Food packaging that replace the plastic trays used far too frequently in Europe.
With this idea, they laid the foundation for their academic degree and also became the founders of „Arekapak“. Your product: Chic bowls in terracotta colours, which are perfect for transporting and storing different types of fresh fruit.
However, Arekapak is more than „just“ an aesthetically pleasing Packaging concept around the compostable raw material of palm leaves. The young company's sustainability philosophy also includes local production and ensuring fair production and trading conditions. That is why, with the local support of Babu Ravanepalli, a co-operation with small manufacturers is currently being established there, in which women in particular can earn a living. The women thus strengthen their independence and do not have to move to the big cities to work.
The Sustainable packaging idea arrives. Since December 2017, Arekapak has been part of the „Cultural and Creative Pilots Germany“. The German government presents this award once a year to young companies „that make the world a better place with their ideas“. This includes a one-year scholarship with a mentoring programme, coaching, peer learning and much more.
Alexandra Matthies and Nicole Plock want to use the creative pilot year to further develop Arekapak. „We want to fully utilise the potential,“ announces Nicole Plock in an interview with „packaging journal“. She and her colleague are currently working on prototypes for new Packaging designs and research the product properties in more detail. Arekapak is not equally suitable for every foodstuff.
Nicole Plock reveals that there is already interest in her product concept from the packaging industry. An eventful year under the banner of palm leaves therefore lies ahead. Arekapak's market entry may well be the successful end of it. But Nicole Plock is already taking positive stock: „It's really exciting to experience everything that a start-up involves.“
