Recreate Packaging was organised for the second time by Stora Enso and Aalto University’s International Design Business Management (IDBM) Program aimed at challenging conventional thinking and the use of materials in packaging. Actually, Stora Enso is convinced that tree-sourced polymers could replace many oiled-sourced polymers, in particular in packaging applications.
“A key motivator of the competition was the recognition that current packaging practices and solutions are not always innovative and do not use the full potential of new materials and design,” said Prof. Mikko Koria of the International Design Business Management (IDBM) Program at Aalto University School of Business and the head of the international jury of seven representatives from the beauty care, transport, packaging and design business sectors. [1]
“Have a Nice Trip”
And the winner of the first prize of EUR 8,000 is the beauty care travel packaging concept “Have a Nice Trip” by German designer Arthur Schmidt. The moisture-proof primary dose packs of shampoo, shower gel and body lotion are covered by a protective sleeve that offers generous printing space for branding and communication.
The jury of the competition especially appreciated the simplicity and ease of use of the package, which is “logistically efficient and protects the contents well” and “could be easily incorporated in a beauty care product family as a supplementary travel version.”
The international expert jury evaluated the competition entries based on their functionality, market potential, innovative use of materials and suitability for production, retail and logistics.
“I worked with the materials that were provided with great pleasure and it was quite easy. I believe that moisture-proof primary packaging made of board has great potential in the global market. In addition, I am sure that this kind of paperboard and corrugated board will replace plastics in many fields of packaging in the future,” highlighted Arthur Schmidt.
Other winners and honorary mentions
Second prize in Recreate Packaging 2014 was granted to “Travel Shaver”, a shaving product kit designed by a team made up of freelance designers Ville Merisalo and Antti Ojala together with August Salo, a student of the Lahti Institute of Design, from Finland.
The suggested packaging solution for liquid, gel and aftershave products offers the possibility to use a combination of renewable carton board and corrugated materials instead of plastic packaging, and enhances the user experience in many ways.
Third prize was won by Duncan K. Anderson and Jenna Parkkinen, students of the Lahti Institute of Design, Finland. The jury liked the shape and functionality of their concept, called “Reloaded”, which uses barrier-coated board for primary packaging and corrugated board for secondary packaging. The concept is also suitable for other product segments, from cosmetics and beauty care to confectionery and foods, consumed at home or on the go.
The Recreate Packaging jury also gave three honorary mentions: the “Pocket Travel Kit” by Marta Wrzodak, a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland; “Get&Go” by Ivan Pajares, Jordi Ros and Koldobika Goikoetxea, students of ELISAVA, Spain; and “?” by Serena Bonomi, a student from IED Design Milano, Italy.
“The designs from Recreate Packaging serve as our inspiration and are attracting interest from our end-user customers across all segments. They are a platform for discussions on completely new packages and I look forward to seeing some of these designs being further developed and finding their way to retailers’ shelves shortly. I hope to see one or two of them in my own hand luggage,” concluded Lasse Johansson, VP Commercial, Stora Enso Consumer Board.
