Second Usage

Design Roundup: Dual Use Packaging Reduces Waste

WorldChanging Team, 8 Dec 08

By Gretchen Hooker
Most of us are aware that product packaging is a largely unnecessary source of waste, but the scale of the problem may still come as a surprise. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, packaging accounts for the greatest share (32 percent) of all the waste generated in the U.S. In the EU, packaging waste accounts for about 20 percent of the weight, and 40 percent of the volume of municipal waste. Not only does that packaging represent a significant volume of wasted material, but it’s also money out of consumers' pockets—twice. We pay for excess packaging first as part of the sticker price of a given product, and secondly in disposal fees for getting rid of the empty boxes, Styrofoam, and plastic wrappers.
Packaging that is designed for multiple uses is a solution that can both add value to products and help reduce their environmental footprint.
Fuseproject’s design for Y Water got a great deal of attention from design blogs earlier this year as a prime example of just this sort of dual use packaging. The organic children’s beverage is packaged in 4-lobed bottles that interlock with natural rubber connectors to become a building set when empty. And when no longer in use, the bottles can be recycled.

 

Second uses for pacakging

Having a second use for pacakging is a great idea as its using the cradle to cradle scheme. These pieces shown above are some ideas which people have created to reuse a piece of packaging again, A t.v. stand and a lamp shape. Shown below is another example of this by using games. 

This is where i have had the idea of using a chess board as a second use for my packaging. The Box i have created is large enough to place a drawing of a chess board and with room to have the pieces.With second uses involved in a design you can sometimes loose an aspect of design. But by usign only one side of my box and the safety protector for the condement i am able to Use very little cardboard for a multiple useage. I am also planning on introducing checkers aswel. This fits in with my target auidence as they are the age group playing these sort of game. 

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009145.html