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mysoultokeep said: "I have to confess that I am a huge fan of TerraCycle. I fall on the recyclable side of this -- biodegradable still treats packcaging as a..." [read]

said: ""I wonder just how much difference this fridge will make to energy consumption.. Yes I gather that it could mean big loads off the grid, but I want..." [read]

brennan said: "As an owner of the KOR bottle (swag from an IDSA conference), I can say that it is definitely not a better alternative to disposable bottles. ..." [read]

Gabe said: "landon, I think you're missing something. You're focusing on just energy and not looking at the bigger picture. You also have to look at w..." [read]

fredinflagstaff said: "I find the idea of putting this on your car or bike hilarious. You're just converting your gas or leg energy into wind and then into electricity. ..." [read]

It's A Wrap: Clever Packaging from Japan

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.21.08
Design & Architecture

tofu in balloons photo

When I was in Japan I was appalled at the amount of waste in packaging, where things were often wrapped in three layers of plastic and paper; all magnificently designed and beautifully done, but generating a lot of garbage. Things may be changing; Ping Mag covers innovations in packaging that reduce waste significantly. Two of my favourites are the tofu packed in balloons; when you pierce it with a toothpick only a tiny bit of plastic remains. Also available with pudding.

egg cups closed photo

This package still has more layers of protection than it really needs,

egg cups open photo

There is the egg box, the foil top, the paper cupcake wrappers, all surrounding- pudding in real eggshells. Extravagantly lovely. Lots more at ::Ping Mag

It's a Wrap: More on Packaging Design in TreeHugger

Is This Too Much Packaging , You Think?
The Ecopak: Moulded, Printed, Biodegradable Paper-based Packaging ...
Packaging the Sorapot
Over- Packaging is a Low-Hanging Fruit to Help the Environment ...


Comments (6)

Those eggs look like they had the tops removed by lasers!

Really interesting packaging, but I agree that it could be less wasteful. As someone who works for a packaging company (sunpack.com), I can understand the creative work that has likely gone into making the packaging that you mention above and know that it serves an important purpose: attracting consumers and increasing sales. However, I do believe that packaging can be professional and creative and still be sustainable, whether recycled, recyclable, both or biodegradable, it is possible and more packaging companies should work to make their creative packaging efforts less wasteful. Thanks for the interesting topic!

jump to top Kirsten says:

Over packaging is a terrible waste. One of the worst offenders is sadly something I enjoy: Listermints. They have the little plastic case in a foil and cardboard case that is inside ANOTHER cardboard case. Terrible.

jump to top Joe says:

It's nice to hear things are changing a bit but it'll likely be a long time before Japan completely rids itself of its habit of excessive packaging.

jump to top Shane says:

Bravo! A packaging idea which apparently inspired by the heroin smuggling trade. As if tofu weren't creepy enough to begin with?

jump to top Anonymous says:

This isn't a recent innovation it has apparently been used for decades (pre-war), especially for Japanese sweets like mizu yokan.

jump to top AndyM says:

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