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Sustainable Packaging Design and Architecture

Kardiogramm

Hi, I'm currently doing a group project looking at sustainable packaging design. We were thinking that somehow we could link it towards architecture (since construction and maintaining buildings is the biggest producer of CO2 emissions). Maybe it is a reusable material that gets incorporated into cladding material or as insulation. It could also go back to the farmer or just be reused at home and once thrown away it would be biodegradable and eventually decompose. We would like it to engage with the community.

We have spoken to our tutor about possible ideas, but they are shot down every-time. I was hoping we could tap into the wealth of knowledge on these forums and get some ideas. Is there anything about product packaging you find annoying and would like to change? how would you incorporate product packaging in the construction process?

Or if anyone has links to any helpful resources that would be great too.

We have researched:

-The fresh produce market and how items are heavily over packaged.

-Pre-grown herbs and how they have a short life since people don't know how to care for them.

-Packaging trays that are incorporated into sustainable green roof construction.

-Marketing fresh produce to children with packaging that appeals to kids.

Thank you

 
Oct 19, 07 12:11 pm
mdler

if you want to save the planet, stop trying to sell e shit

Oct 19, 07 12:33 pm  · 
 · 
mdler

^ sell me shit

Oct 19, 07 12:34 pm  · 
 · 
outed

if you can incorporate biodegradable material(s) into whatever you're looking at, do that. if i can throw it out back, into a compost pile, that's sustainable. if i can't, then (especially for food), it seems to be counterproductive.

and, i'd look at the whole lifecycle process of getting food to market - from the bulk packages to how you might be able to downsize or reduce amounts of package material through alternative transport means.

finally, it seems like a great idea to figure out how to eliminate as much package material as possible. i know they're doing that in the plastic packaging side of the world (how can you make a bottle thinner, etc.).

marketing and recycling are fine, but reducing and reusing are two higher priorities (imho).

Oct 19, 07 12:37 pm  · 
 · 
Kardiogramm

thank you for your help, we seem to have convinced our tutor on our project proposal and things are finally moving forward. If anyone else has anything useful to add it would still be much appreciated.

I fucking hate e shit, damn it i don't need any viagra or drugs from Canada!

Oct 23, 07 10:16 am  · 
 · 
larslarson

i'm interested in what you decided on...i've had an idea of
packaging that was also part of the furniture it wrapped or
something like that...but it's hard to imagine a world in which
packages are handled in such a way as to make that feasible.

i also read mcdonough's book and he talks about how if you
don't consider it 1000 years down the road or the like then it's
really not worth it...not just thinking about the next use, but
it's next 100 uses for instance...completely biodegradable inks
and such. i wish i'd gotten more solutions out of his book...or
at least companies to contact...but the ideas were interesting.

Oct 23, 07 10:26 am  · 
 · 

@ Frem001

There was a recent article in Metropolis Maga about packaging and lifecycle issues,
Although it didn't cover packaging converted for architectural purposes

Link here
The Perfect Product
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2998

Oct 23, 07 10:34 am  · 
 · 
treekiller

world bottle made by heineken back in the '70s

Oct 23, 07 1:26 pm  · 
 · 

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