This article is about garlic that is packaged by a company (name not given) and how it inspired students to make a difference. I chose this article because I will be graduating this year and will be getting a job having something to do with my major graphic design.
In this article it says that these local students from Portland went to this "Waste Not" seminar where they were shown garlic packaged in a very unsustainable way. What made its packaging unsustainable was that it had garlic wrapped in individual bags and all these individual bags were then placed in another bag. This is a huge waste of plastic. So these students spurred an idea to encourage packaging ideas that were more sustainable. This involves having products packaged in the least amount of materials possible and in a smart way that won’t harm the environment. The students from this certain group then “envisioned a system whereby customers would be rewarded with points for purchases that generate less waste.” The students will then have “an event to inform, inspire and engage peers, clients and students about sustainable design thinking and practices.”
People, including graphic designers and now me as well, need to start thinking about how to be smarter with the environment and not be so wasteful. You see examples of wasteful packaging everywhere such as a bag of candy that has several bags in bags then is put in another bag at the grocery store. When you think about it packaging has become all about getting the product out there and sold. The consumers buy that product and don’t think about how much is wasted after there done consuming it. Graphic designers can create a better way of designing packaging by using the least amount of materials as possible. Think about it as a challenge to better the environment by creating good inventive packaging or if you’re buying a product get the product with the least amount of plastic or cardboard used.
Question:
As a consumer would you like to see more smart sustainable packaging?
Would you buy it over another product because of the better packaging?
http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2010/11/graphic_designers_in_portland.html
I really like the idea of providing incentives for purchasing products that have less packaging or more environmentally friendly packaging. I was at the grocery store the other day and saw a guy getting fresh produce and put it all on the conveyor belt at the checkout stand without any of the plastic bags. I thought it was kinda gross because all sorts of stuff gets spilled on those belts and I don't want it getting on my food. Although I realized that those bags I use have such a short life span. From the time I pull them off the roll at the store to the time I throw them away at my home can vary from 1 hour to a couple days. That is so much waste for something that provides so little benefit. It will be interesting to see how designers solve the problem.
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