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Designing Out Waste - Cycles System
RSA Design Directions 2006 - Winning entry


1.
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The brief asked for design proposals that would minimise waste, and offered the opportunity to look at the problem from a "broader systems or holistic approach" rather than providing "merely a quick fix".

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  Development Process

For many of us, waste is not something that we regularly think about. In between working, looking after children and playing
Poker with friends, it can be easy to pass by. This project was a chance to address the issue and raise public awareness. After the first research phase I decided to focus on the problems relating to food, including production, consumption and packaging.
Department for Environmental , Food & Rural Affairs
 
 
 
 
             
    Graph   "The UK produces over 8 million tonnes of packaging a year - enough to fill 19,000 jumbo jets."
Source: Environmental Information Exchange


"We use more food packaging per person than any other country in Europe."
Source: John Vidal, "Drowning in a tide of discarded packaging"

             
    Brainstorm   After selecting the specific issue of food packaging, my research became more focused and I was keen to find as many related problems as possible - I visited and analysed restaurants, buying co-ops, farmers markets, fast food outlets and supermarkets.
             
       
             
   

The second stage was to contact the experts whose opinions I felt would be useful during the design process and whom I could work with to create a valid solution:

I worked with three main people during the design process; Derek Davies
(The Co-operative's Packaging Innovations Manager) in order to gain a better understanding of the issues that affect a retailer.
Wendy Jedlicka, who was incredibly helpful, and almost acted as a third tutor during the project. As a sustainable packaging expert, she was able to give me detailed advice; especially in relation to source pathogens and other hygiene problems. Finally I consulted with Mat Hardwood, from Abel and Cole, mainly regarding distribution and logistics.

             
   

Edible Fast Food Packaging

  Bulk Buy Delivery   Drop-in Packaging
             
    Based on my research findings I generated a large variety of different concepts including:

> edible fast food packaging

> large-scale bulk food delivery service
> starch-based packaging that could be dropped straight in the pan

> reusable food packaging service

After liasing with the others I selected the idea of large-scale bulk delivery and then worked to refine the concept until I had a feasible and realistic result.

             
    Testing   Sketch of valve   Diagram
    Testing        
    Testing   Sketch   During development I decided that this concept was not going to provide me with the bold solution that I had initially hoped for.
Instead I chose to return to one of my earlier ideas: a standardised packaging system where containers are cleaned and reused.
             
             
    Final Proposal        
    Website   New Delivery System   Containers
             
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