The circular economy can only succeed with avoidance, recyclable packaging design, the use of recyclates and significantly more reusable packaging. Impulses also come from the universities, where young designers are working on sustainable solutions that are often honoured. Such as the following two projects, which received an NRW award.
Sarah Klein and Jola Schwarzer have in her Sustainable Design degree programme at the ecosign/Academy of Design in Cologne developed two reusable packaging solutions that won this year's Young Talent Award. MoreValue NRW have received. The award is presented by the NRW Consumer Advice Centre in cooperation with the NRW Efficiency Agency and NRW.Bank and aims to put the spotlight on innovative solutions from students at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Food-to-go wrapped in a reusable bag
Whether falafel, burgers or fries: the Silicone sleeve for food-to-go by Sarah Klein can be flexibly folded or wrapped. It is durable, food-safe, dishwasher-safe and recyclable.
„Personally, I was missing such packaging that offers various folding and wrapping techniques to pack food in,“ says the student. „The handling and production is so simple that switching to this reusable product is as easy as can be. My concept envisages a deposit system, but the packaging can also be purchased by consumers.“ After use, ReWrap can be returned to the shop, where it can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher and then used again.
Thanks to the properties of silicone rubber, the silicone sleeve can be used in the reusable system and has a good environmental footprint. The material can be recirculated up to 4,000 times and then recycled. It should Replace packaging made of coated paper and aluminium foil and contribute to waste avoidance.
With its simple handling and sleek design, the designer's main aim is to New, young target groups sensitise people to more sustainable consumption.
Cosmetics in returnable packaging
As part of her final thesis in product design, Jola Schwarzer developed the reusable packaging „dR Refill“ (dokeshi Refill) for care products, which can be recycled using a deposit system, and counteract material waste through a long utilisation period should. After use, the deposit packaging is returned to the participating shops via a deposit machine.
„There are four packaging sizes that can be used flexibly. This means that every skincare product, from day cream and body lotion to shower gel, has its own suitable packaging,“ says the designer. A dispenser attachment for dispensing liquid products must be purchased once.
In addition to the liquid products, there is also room for so-called „solid pieces“ in the system. They do not require packaging, but are given a sealable tray for storage at home or when travelling. „All of the cosmetics packaging I have developed is made from HDPE, which comes from recycled plastic waste from the yellow bag“, explains Jola Schwarzer. „They can go through up to 30 cycles before they are returned to the material cycle. With twelve million packaging units for care products being produced in Germany every year, this could save up to 320,000 tonnes of plastic.“
The reusable concept also includes Customised transport boxes that can also be sent by post. Soft padded inserts provide the necessary transport protection. The crates transport both the filled packaging to the shop and the empty containers back to the manufacturer, who cleans and refills them.
