At Vienna’s “Graphische”, a vocational secondary school, young people can not only take their A-levels but also train for a media profession. Two graduates in the field of printing and media technology developed packaging for cut flowers as their final project and have now been awarded for their diploma project.
The Höhere Graphische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt in Vienna, known as “the Graphische” for short, is the only one of its kind in Austria. Here, students take the Abitur and at the same time are trained in graphic and communication design, photography and audiovisual media, multimedia or printing and media technology. The training concludes with a project carried out with partners from the business world. In the case of the Innovase diploma project by Annelie Leonhart and Christina Wu, Fleurop Interflora Austria was on board.
“For our diploma thesis, we developed a packaging in which cut flowers can be transported, well protected, and the packaging is not simply disposed of afterwards but instead has a secondary use. Our idea was therefore to use the packaging as a vase. For this purpose, it is lined on the inside with a waterproof cover made of stone paper.”
Annelie Leonhart
The waterproof interior can be easily separated from the cardboard packaging before disposal. But before the packaging ends up in the waste paper, it can be used as a storage container for a while.
“We have developed two versions of Innovase: a commercial version that can simply be put together and a high-budget version that is a bit more elaborately designed and has a bayonet lock. It is intended for festive occasions such as weddings or birthdays. The main focus of the commercial packaging should be on everyday use with an emphasis on sustainability. For the high-budget version, we focused on visual impact and aesthetics.”
Christina Wu
Both versions stack well for transport due to their hexagonal honeycomb structure. “Above all, we wanted to develop a packaging that can be unfolded easily and quickly and that is stable and durable at the same time.” Both versions do not need any glue at all and are simply clipped together.
The project has a good chance of being realised by Fleurop Interflora Austria. The company was not only a sponsor but also a client for Innovase. “At our school, it is customary for each diploma group to find a client for their project and also other sponsors. And our project supervisor, Walter Rauscher, was a great help to us in realising the project and a great support.” The Austrian Print and Media Association (VDM) has now awarded the Innovase project as the best diploma project with a golden Gutenberg and a winner’s premium.
More packaging news
Noodles in the river
The introduction of paper pouches prompted Pasta Premium to equip three new packaging lines with multihead weighers from Ishida.
Transformation from machine manufacturer to solution provider
Weber Maschinenbau GmbH has changed its name to Weber Food Technology GmbH. We spoke with CEO Tobias Weber about the changes.
Women in Packaging: Well-connected expert in the packaging industry
Sonja Bähr joined Tilisco in 2018. The former Managing Director of dvi and bdvi was initially unsure whether consulting was the right thing for her.
Beverage deposit system launched in Romania
Romania has introduced a centralised deposit return system for drink packaging. The deposit per bottle is the equivalent of around ten cents.
A light (weighty) game
The new truffle packaging from Kultasuklaa shows how cardboard can be used as a sustainable packaging solution even for premium foods.
Predictive obsolescence management
With forward-looking and proactive obsolescence management, plant performance can be maintained for decades without jeopardising production.