Circular Design Challenge

For OpenIDEO, the heart of the Challenge was bringing this diverse group of innovators together, and engineering ways to support different teams, based on their resources and level of technical experience. Using the power of collaboration to innovate and create new solutions to today’s problems.

Now, we will be introducing some winning solutions from each category and investigating how it effectively helps to reduce the generation of plastic waste.

The designs

One of the success factors of plastics packaging is its ability to adapt to various customer needs, from large-scale packs in our supermarkets to the small packaging items like sachets more common in emerging markets. Yet many plastics packaging items found in our shops today are not economically recyclable and often end up polluting the environment.

MIWA introduces a digital solution that connects all stakeholders along the value chain – from the farm that produces the food to the customer that buys it. It allows anyone with a mobile phone to order any desired amount of a product to be delivered in reusable packaging to either their nearest store or directly to their home. This solution does not only design out unrecyclable plastic packaging, it also helps to minimise food waste.

This system can be scaled to work in supermarkets as well as local stores and farmers markets.

For more information: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/miwa

Evoware has created an edible alternative to the commonly used multi-layered plastic sachet. It manufactures the material directly from plant matter, making it not only edible but also nutritious. You can literally eat your burger with the wrapping still on, or dissolve your coffee granules along with their sachet in hot water and drink it.

Indonesia is facing a problem where a lot of seaweed go to waste, and many seaweed farmers are very poor. Evoware's innovation using seaweed as main material hence gives a positive impact on not only the environment but also the seaweed farmers livelihoods.

The ability of single-use sachets has many benefits, but because they are so small they often escape collection and end up on beaches, in rivers, or the ocean. Evoware's solution is thus a great example of how a biological feedstock can be used for a technical purpose and then safely biodegraded. Evoware plans to increase its local capacity and is positioned to expand internationally since seaweed has the capacity to grow on almost every coastline.

Edible Bioplastic Sachet

1. Food based packaging

2. Using natural and halal materials

3. High fiber, vitamins and materials

4. Has 2 years of shelf life without preservatives

5. Biodegradable & can become fertiliser

6. Printable and heat sealable

7. Customised for taste, colour & brand logo

For more information: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/evoware

TheTrioCup blends a simple, logical, tri-fold lid design onto the paper cup that is visually stylish and distinct. This design does not come at the expense of higher manufacturing costs, as the lid integrates seamlessly into existing coffee cup production methods with only minor adjustments. Furthermore, the cost of the extra paper needed to make our cup is more than covered by saving the cost of the plastic lid, ensuring our cup can be cheaper than the typical coffee cup and lid.

For more information: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/triocup