"Eco-Packaging" Finalist: Good Mornin' Earrings
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 04. 3.06
Finalist Tiffany Threadgould didn't have to look far to find a good example of eco-packaging - she uses it herself. We have covered her company, Tiffany Tomato Designs before, but this particular product may be one of her most inventive packaging ideas. Tiffany's "Good Mornin' Earrings" are pieces of real cereal dipped in non-toxic protective coating and, according to Tiffany, "packaged on reclaimed cereal boxes." She adds, "It also comes with a gift box which is an old individual serving cereal box." Now if that isn't creative re-use, we don't know what is.
I have an art piece with a rendering of a hairy, shirtless Alan Ginsburg eating breakfast with Froot Loops coated and glued on. I love it.
Doesn't this imply that someone had to buy the individually packaged cereal (and EAT it!)? Those little packages get one of my highest "too much packaging" annoyance ratings. Like individually packaged applesauces, individually wrapped string cheese (in a plastic bag), and celebrities with the perpetual to-go coffee cup in their hand. What? They are too poor to buy a travel mug??
Ingredients: Corn; wheat; and oat flour; sugar; partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (one or more of: coconut, cottonseed, and soybean); salt; sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C); yellow #6; niacinamide; reduced iron; natural orange, lemon, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, lime, and other natural flavor; red #40; blue #2; zinc oxide; turmeric color; pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6); blue #1; riboflavin (vitamin B2); thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1); annatto color; vitamin A palmitate; BHT (preservative); folic acid; vitamin B12; vitamin D. source
Ain't that bad... I've read worse! ;o)
Wow, Anonymous, I am surprised that sugar only appears in one form in Froot Loops!
KPod, I think your critique is misdirected. Shouldn't you actually target Kellogg's about making their ingredients healthier and packaging different (perhaps compostable some day)? Sure refined foods are probably never as healthy as fresh local produce which everyone should be eating for breakfast and doesn't so I guess I think that's a different beast somewhat. Perhaps you don't want to somehow indirectly support Kellogg's - This product and packaging could be made out of the USDA certified organic Cascadian Farm Clifford Crunch if you prefer (maybe all refined cereal should just be made into jewelry, definitely has the nice bright colors). I think the larger point at hand is there are different ways to "close the loop" (pun intended). If you go to this finalist company website you see that they are definitely trying to incorporate stuff that is already in the waste stream (there is a cool trivet made from wine corks). They are attempting to collect stale cereal and manufacturer's packaging misprints/overruns (they're in Michigan so no accident that they're using Michigan companies waste packaging: Jiffy and Kellogg's. Starting a dialog with a company about changing or thinking differently about their packaging is a good thing. Who knows where it might lead). Actually, this may be the best packaging finalist because it's the only one that has packaging not specifically made (and purchased) new to be packaging for that product - until there is zero waste in the world, reuse always wins in my book. I'm a fan of compostable packaging and in fact have been researching things like the corn starch packaging depicting in 2 of the finalists for the produce I sell from my small farm (although I don't wrap my radishes at all). When selling at the farmers market, before I use "new" packaging or shopping bags (whether it is compostable bio bags or the cheaper biodegradable-plastic bags) it's always better (and economical for my business) to reuse packaging and shopping bags that I have and customers bring to me. If those resource don't exist any more, then I move to the more greener new packaging. On this same token, I think this finalist would design green new products and packaging if the materials to reuse didn't exist. I commend this finalist on bright, energetic fun looking products and packaging cleverly made from crap that's already in the world. Looking cool should not be underestimated (McDonough says something along the lines of sustainability needs to be fun or else we're not going to do it). Plus, we need to sell products that are more sustainable. Certainly, treehugger readers might consider buying all 5 of these products. The more important question is what products with eco-packaging would all of the non-treehugger readers consider buying. I think this one ranks pretty high. Overall, I think this is a good cross section of finalists. There is minimalist packaging with the soap and more efficient packaging with the (individually packaged) yogurt and DVDs (I'm thinking the best eco packaging for movie rentals is probably eventually just downloading them legally on the internet). There is compostable packaging examples (which incidentally really need to be composted, not land-filled, or it defeats the purpose). And lastly there is packaging made from reused materials.
Whew. So much response to a parenthetical aside! I just think Froot Loops are yukky tasting. And I do find individually packaged products pretty wasteful.
Yea but, I wouldn't get caught dead with Fruit Loops dangling from my ears.
Ugh! Why when I try and select text from someone else's comment to quote it does it select pretty much everything BUT what I want it to! Annoying!
Anyway - All I wanted to say to Amy was - but it is REAL cereal! Not imitation / fake cereal hanging from your ears!!!! (LOL It just sounded like a typical ad "REAL diamonds" but in this case REAL cereal!)
Great idea! Good use of a pop culture item and recycling.
KPOD lighten up!
I happen to know that these earrings were the product of a "wasted" package of Froot Loops - the bag of cereal was found intact and unopened in the garbage. Tiffany's eco-artistic statement is doubly poignant when you consider the lack of nutritional value of products like Froot Loops (and thus the waste of money, time, energy, natural resources used to produce them), along with the wastefulness of its disposal (whether nutritious or not). She's making an incredible statement here. Please vote for her!
Do you people not have lives?? There are more important things to do in this world than listing the ingredients to FRUIT LOOPS!!!! Its on the side of the box!!! And why waste a perfectly good box of fruit loops!What is this world coming to???
They are attempting to collect stale cereal and manufacturer's packaging misprints/overruns. Actually, this may be the best packaging finalist because it's the only one that has packaging not specifically made new to be packaging for that product - until there is zero waste in the world, reuse always wins in my book.