PolyPack

Driessen, now part of CCE group, has been the world's leading airplane catering equipment manufacturer for the past decades. But the packaging of their products had not changed in about 15 years, and needed serious improvement.

While many fellow studio members focused on reducing materials of the existing packaging, I was curious about the feasibility of a reusable packaging system. When switching from single-use to multiple-use, the whole system needs a redesign. A life cycle assessment (LCA) serves as the common thread in which each design adjustment is integrated to see its effect on the carbon footprint. This project included a lot of research, with some of the research questions listed below:
How can we redesign the packaging to be more user-friendly?
Which material to use for durability vs sustainability balance?
How many shipping cycles are needed for CO2 benefit?
What logistic changes are required for reusability of packaging?
How to make the system financially feasible?

The end result was an envisioned product system design with serious improvements in user interaction and carbon footprint reduction. The main disadvantage was the initial investment needed in these reusable packages as well as the extra logistical challenges for the clients. Driessen was nevertheless very satisfied with the outcomes: 'Even though the proposed outcomes of your project might be ahead of their time, you have given us an insight into the future of packaging for our company'

With this project I completed my bachelor of Industrial Design Engineering.