"Designing the Afterlife" is the development of seaweed-based, biodegradable packaging for solid cosmetics that dissolves as the product is used, is disposed of via wastewater, and degrades completely in the sewage treatment plant. The packaging series "Water to Water" focuses on the experience of the product and brand communication. The packaging itself communicates how it is disposed of simply. A QR code leads to a video playfully explaining the afterlife in a clear playful way.
Local
Germany
Berlin
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
The idea of biobased and biodegradable packaging materials as an alternative to petroleum-based, non-degradable ones is nothing new. One major reason they have not been used for a long time is the lack of a disposal infrastructure – especially in Germany. There is also the question of how these materials can be recycled—the afterlife. That moment when something is disposed of and which designers or product developers have had little or no involvement in.
The project "Designing the Afterlife" deals theoretically and practically with the development of disposal scenarios for algae-based, biodegradable packaging materials (developed with mujō) with the aim to close the biological material cycle using the currently existing urban disposal infrastructure.
The result is the "Water to Water" product series: packaging for solid and oil-based cosmetics that dissolves in water (the first time the product is used) and is disposed of in the sewage system, as it breaks down completely by microorganisms in the sewage treatment plant.
The work focuses on the communication of the product to the consumer. The packaging communicates how to dispose of it properly, with disposal designed to be simple and straightforward. Part of the communication strategy is a QR code printed on the packaging, which leads to a video that explains the afterlife of the packaging clearly and playfully. Besides, further information is provided in the context of the theme.
It is an exemplary case of how the afterlife can be designed for fully circular products. It is also a plea to equally co-design the afterlife in product development.
packaging materials
biobased
biodegradable
circular
experience
1. The Establishment of a circular, local product-life-cycle with all stakeholders involved, building win-win relationships with:
Seaweed farmers, raw material suppliers (France), film producers and packaging manufacturers (Germany), waste disposal companies (Germany).
2. The whole product (foil, printing inks and adhesives) is compared to other biopolastics 100% bio-based, vegan and chemically unmodified, making the packaging quickly biodegradable in nature. The main ingredient of the packaging is kelp. It is a fast-growing brown seaweed which doesn’t need additional water, nor does it need agricultural land. Instead they produce oxygen (20 times faster than trees) and purify the ocean water. The cultivation potential is therefore huge (About the size of the Amazon: 6 million sq km), making the product scalable. The alternative to these water-soluble packaging materials is PVA, which is based on fossil fuels.
3. The biodegradability in the sewage treatment plant has been tested and proven (after 7 days it is degraded).
4. The first pilot plant for production is under construction for the production of small batches.
The concept focuses on the positive experience of the packaging and the experience of the disposal. The aim is to make the end-of-life of a packaging fun, which is why the packaging design and the entire communication design is very detailed. All of a sudden, you don't throw the packaging into the residual waste but can go bathing with it, for example, and watch it dissolve. The video explains in a playful and understandable way how the packaging biodegrades.
The following goals have been set for the concept and design:
1. Every packaging should close the biological cycle and the consumer should be empowered, to dispose of the packaging in the disposal infrastructure. In cities, hardly any households have a compost but every household has running water. The packaging can be used and disposed of by everyone closing the biological cycle as it breaks down in the wastewater treatment plant.
2. Disposal should be practical and and comfortable, and it must be communicated to the consumer clearly and simple. The design of the packaging is also very inclusive, explaining the science content very simply so that children or people without a scientific background can understand it too.
The desirability of the concept/product by all stakeholders involved was researched during the creative process and tested through interviews, tests and close exchange. This is key in order to build a resilient, economically strong circular ecosystem. End consumer surveys were also conducted and included in the development of the concept. Especially in the bathroom, there are usually no separate waste bins, which means that most bathroom waste is incinerated.
The concept was developed through interviews with the waste management companies. I really wanted to understand why biodegradable packaging has fallen into disrepute. Composting plant operators in Berlin told me that compostable packaging is not desired. Two main reasons for that are: they do not degrade fast enough under real conditions and dilute the compost (as they don't add nutrients). In the worst case, the compost has to be incinerated because of bioplastic residues. One has to take the business model of the disposal companies into account when designing the packaging. I then spoke to the local wastewater companies and tested the film in the laboratory for degradability. These people were very excited to be involved in the design of a packaging. As this is not very common in the packaging industry. Building a circular ecosystem by including all stakeholder interests is hugely important for the future implementation of circular packaging. If every stakeholder benefits from the existence of the packaging, they all have an interest in making the product work in the market. Water to Water" is intended to be a beacon project for this.
The following stakeholders were involved in the process:
End-of-life: microbiologists, material scientists, composting plant operators and Berlin's wastewater companies,
Packaging market experts
Material development: material scientists and chemists for the development of the material and biorefineries that extract the polymers from the seaweed
Communication design: end users for user tests and me as designer of the packaging series
Printing: various artistic workshops such as screen printing workshop
I interviewed and gathered feedback from all stakeholders at various points in the process to incorporate their Needs, Pains and Gains into the concept.
The conventional packaging industry thinks linearly and does not involve the disposers of the packaging in the design process. The approach of placing the packaging in the foreground of the end product and making the disposal a learning experience for the consumer is also innovative.
1. Involving all stakeholders when implementing a circular product can and should be applied in any field. One should always ask oneself the question: Who are the producers, consumers and destructors of my product. Taking responsibility for returning the product to the biological cycle in the existing disposal infrastructure should be the responsibility of everyone who designs products. If the product is a "win" for each stakeholder, it can circulate in the cycle in the long run.
2. Any assumptions made about stakeholder needs should be verified through interviews and testing. This can also be transferred to other products.
We have built a complex global packaging system. Until now, petroleum-based, high-performing plastic packaging was the "one-size-fits-all" solution for all products. The end-of-life of this packaging in Germany is 60% incineration and 23% export. Due to the microplastic pollution of packaging in the environment, truly circular packaging must be developed that optimally protects the product and can be disposed of in the local disposal infrastructure after use. This means that for each product an individual packaging including the right disposal has to be designed, as there is no sustainable "one-size-fits-all" solution. To tackle the big plastic problem, we need to build local circular ecosystems: From raw material origin to disposal.
