Experiments in bioplastics using modifications to existing recipes. The materials shown here use agar powder—a gel-like substance from red algae—glycerine for flexibility, water, and plant additives. The materials shown here reflect a lot of trial and error—some were more successful than others. While the agar causes considerable shrinkage, they offer the potential for scaling up. The plan agar sample (upper left) is incredibly pliant and flexible.

 Sustainable Material Explorations and Methodologies in Package Design (forthcoming)

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that packaging waste comprises 28.1% of total waste produced annually in the United States (epa.gov). In the U.S., packaging waste increased from 27.3 tons in 1960 to a staggering 82.2 tons in 2018 (epa.gov), marking a significant increase in waste from consumable packages, including packaging materials for food, beverages, cosmetics, and other goods. As design educators, we must address sustainability issues in packaging courses. Despite the plethora of innovative packaging materials available today, traditional package design pedagogies often focus on developing graphics, crafting influential messaging, and designing appealing brand identity on packages with normative package structures and materials.

Given our consumable, capitalist, and convenience-driven economy and the drastic measures required to adapt to climate change, how can today’s design educators expose students to sustainable materials and thinking methodologies in a package design course? By understanding life cycle assessment, questioning packaging conventions, and utilizing low-impact materials, designers can address sustainability. I will explore how design educators can include sustainable thinking processes and material explorations in package design pedagogy.

Package designers can minimize waste and environmental harm by experimenting with eco-friendly and renewable materials that are sustainably sourced and produced. This paper includes material studies and test models of sustainable packaging structures made from environmentally friendly materials such as mycelium, post-consumer waste, and alternative papers.

Rethinking package design and reimagining consumable packages through a sustainable lens is imperative to mitigate climate change. Incorporating a sustainable design model is essential for package design pedagogy now and in the future.

Additional key factors for the package designer: reduce environmental impact throughout a package’s life cycle, including materials, minimalism (less ink, minimal paper), biodegradability and compostability, design for reuse, sustainable inks, and life cycle assessment.