The ecosign/Akademie für Gestaltung in Cologne combines sustainability and design. The curriculum also includes projects with real cooperation partners from the business world. The current project involves sustainable pepper packaging.
In the final semester, the students were asked to develop ecological packaging and storage solutions for the fair-trade Cambodian pepper from Hennes‘ Finest develop. To date, this has been offered in packaging made from composite materials, which is now to be replaced by a sustainable solution.
The two budding designers Jade Meyer and Charlotte Neff have developed a solution for their The sharp box one of three prizes from the co-operation partner received.
„Our aim was to design packaging that could be shipped cheaply and emission-free, as well as being easily recyclable, practical and user-friendly.“ Charlotte Neff
The specification from Hennes‘ Finest: The delicate Kampot peppercorns must be vacuum-packed. The two students of the ecosign set out on a search for a compostable packaging solution and found them with the Sustaina-Pouch from a British company. The certified home-compostable vacuum bag is made from rice, potato and corn starch and is actually used for sous-vide cooking.
Pepper packaging fits into the envelope
For the outer packaging, the two designers used sheets of recycled solid cardboard from the Baden-Württemberg family business Horn Wertheim The packaging was selected, the corresponding packaging dimensions developed and the samples produced. The packaging was designed so that it could be shipped at a favourable price, that it fits into a standard mailing bag. The outer carton should also be stable and decorative. Its shape now also allows it to be easily transferred to other containers, such as a pepper mill.
Carton manufacturer Horn Wertheim also supplied thehe sustainable soya ink for printing.
„The current pepper packaging from Hennes‘ Finest does not mention the origin of the product. However, it was important to us to show the origin in Cambodia.“ Jade Meyer
This is why the illustration of the pepper plant on the cardboard packaging not only shows how the pepper grows - the peppercorns ripen on long ears - but is also reminiscent of the ornaments of Khmer art, thus communicating the origin of the hand-picked grains.
The extensive research has certainly paid off, as Hennes‘ Finest has announced that it will soon be realising the concept - possibly in a modified form.
Multifunctional bag made from washable paper
A different approach was taken by the design students Laura Kissner and Katharina Pfeil, who realised another idea for sustainable pepper packaging in the semester project. In order to counteract the creation of even more packaging waste in the growing mail order business, the two developed a Reusable multifunctional envelope for Kampot pepper and other high-quality foods.
The highlight: the bag is made of washable paper and is a shipping envelope and storage option in one. The material used leather-like material PapFab is made from 100% cellulose fibres, is FSC-certified and has a BPA- and PVC-free, food-safe latex coating. The bag can be washed at 60 degrees and even ironed.
„Our envelopes are relatively easy to produce because they are very minimalist in design and make circular use possible“, say Laura Kissner and Katharina Pfeil about their semester project. An enclosed prepaid return label is intended to motivate consumers to send the envelope back to the manufacturer after eating the pepper.
