ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I, Neha Menon, express my profound gratitude to Ms. Shilpi Chopra, for her
kind support and guidance to successfully complete my project.

The completion of this study could not have been possible without the
institutional support and facility provided by Ms, Shanti Menon, our beloved
principal.

A debt of gratitude is also owed to Ms. Tina Sebastian, our Headmistress, for
rendering us both critical and constructive inputs, when required, which
helped us to design the primary framework of our project.
 INDEX

SR TOPIC PAGE
NO. NO.
1 Objective 2
2 Introduction 3
3 Ideation 5
4 Research 6
5 Prototype 8
6 Bibliography 10

1
 OBJECTIVE

It is 2022, and we hear the word “sustainable” everywhere. But the

implementation of a “sustainable world” is the part that's not being done. We
have been so used to using plastics, cotton and other unsustainable materials
that we don't stop to think that these materials are damaging the very
environment that we live in.

In total, we use 100 million tonnes of plastic per year. 300 million plastic
bags end up in the Atlantic ocean alone. 100 million marine animals die per
year from plastic waste. 100,000 marine animals die from getting entangled
in plastic per year. These statistics go to show that plastic should be
considered our worst enemy. But it isn’t. We continue to use plastic
mindlessly. Of course, plastic is only one out of several other unsustainable
products we know and use.

The purpose of this project is to highlight the issues with unsustainable

materials and to find a more sustainable packaging method. This includes
research, ideation, building a prototype, testing the prototype, and finally
presenting the end product.

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 INTRODUCTION

Food companies provide plastic covers, wrappers and boxes all day to us,
their customers. It is reported that FMCGs and grocery retailers are
responsible for the bulk of single-use plastics on the market. This is primarily
because, in my opinion, packaging materials and methods are decided based
on convenience and price, instead of health and sustainability. This means the
easier and cheaper it is for a company to use a particular material for
packaging, the easier it is for them to ignore the negative effects it has on the
environment. Some scientists have even discovered that certain microplastics
that pollute the soil and ocean eventually make their way into the food chain
and end up being ingested by humans. The statistics for this are, that every
decade we consume over 2.5kg of plastic, and in our lifetime, we consume
over 20kg of microplastics. So the problem is well established, but what is
the solution?

Sustainable packaging refers to the sourcing, development, and use of

packaging solutions that have minimal environmental impact and footprint.

According to this definition, there have been some objectives set by the US
government on what packaging methods are sustainable. According to these
objectives, packaging materials or methods are sustainable if they:
● Meet market criteria for performance and cost
● Sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable
energy
● Optimize the use of renewable or recycled source materials
● Manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
● Made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle
● Physically designed to optimize materials and energy
● Capable of being effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or
industrial closed-loop cycles

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Some materials used in packaging globally even today that don't follow these
objectives are:
● Bubble wrap
● Cardboard
● Styrofoam
● Aluminium foil

The following sections will entail the ideation process of a more sustainable
packaging method.

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 DESIGN PROCESS

1. Ideation + defining the problem

2. Research
3. Prototyping + testing
4. Summary

IDEATION + DEFINING THE PROBLEM

The list of materials safe for the environment is long. There can be several
options: cob, recycled steel, straw bales, sustainable wood, cork, recycled
plastic etc. But considering just this is not enough for deciding on sustainable
packaging options. We need to consider several other criteria, like, the
material should be safe throughout its entire life cycle, the production
methods should be clean and safe, etc. for example, you could use a
plant-based material as a sustainable option, but that would mean clearing out
land to grow those crops, which again poses a disadvantage for the
environment in a different way.

Therefore, the problem statement here is to find a suitable sustainable

material for packaging that is not only eco friendly in its packaging form, but
also in its production methods, life cycle and carbon emissions.

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RESEARCH
The research process for this project included going over a vast range of
pointers to finally decide on bamboo packaging for skin and hair products.
Upon going through several articles and videos, I was able to come to the
conclusion that bamboo is not only sustainable and safe, but it goes above
and more by having properties that can positively affect the contents of the
skincare/haircare products.

Production: With India being the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo

at 3.23 million tonnes annually, there wouldn't be the worry of having to clear
out land to produce more bamboo. Further talking about accessibility,
bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, growing up to 35 inches per
day. It also doesn’t require pesticides or irrigation to grow these plants. This
means a lower impact on the environment, which is highly essential in the
process of sustainability.

Making the product: There are two ways to make bamboo packaging. One is
used to make disposable products and the other is used to make reusable
ones. The disposable method includes collecting, cleaning and boiling the
sheath of the bamboo, which is the outer layer or skin of the bamboo that
falls off after it reaches a certain age. This sheath is then laminated and
pressed into the shape or form required for the packaging.

The other method is for reusable and durable products and is the focus of my
bamboo skincare/haircare packaging. This method uses the entire plant and
not just the sheath. Once the bamboo has reached maturation, the entire
bamboo part is ground to a fine powder. Using a patented process, this
powder can be moulded or pressed into any shape or form required for the
packaging.

Advantages of bamboo packaging over other unsustainable materials: The

benefits of using bamboo are plenty. Firstly, as mentioned above, bamboo

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ranks high in accessibility. The renewable nature of these plants ensures that
this process is eco-friendly. Secondly, the carbon footprint of bamboo is to be
noted. Bamboo releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than the same
volume of trees. Third, bamboo is said to have greater tensile strength than
even steel. This means the packaging quality is very strong and is an added
bonus to sustainability. Further, bamboo products look elegant and luxurious,
without the need for bleach, or other toxins.
On a separate note, bamboo is said to be rich in silica which is very good for
your skin and hair. By using this for skincare/haircare products it may be able
to positively affect the contents or products of the container too.

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PROTOTYPING
*The actual working prototype of the container has not been made due to a
lack of appropriate resources to do so. If this prototype were made using
professional bamboo grinders and molded into the container’s form, then the
end product would be 100% zero waste, recyclable, sustainable and durable.

Further, the container cannot be painted because the materials used in paints
are not environment friendly. They include heavy metals which can be
hazardous waste. It also emits carbon dioxide. If, in a working prototype, the
container had to be given colour for appeal, non-toxic and eco-friendly paints
are available to buy for bulk in the market from companies such as Asian
Paints, Berger Paints, Nerolac, etc.

Steps to build an actual working prototype:

1- purchasing a bamboo plant
2- cutting the bamboo at around 3 inches from the end
3- cutting another piece at around 0.5 inches from the end to create a thin
base
4- supergluing the base to the 3-inch body of the container
5- supergluing the base to the 3-inch body of the container

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SUMMARY
The objective of this project was to communicate the vitality of sustainable
packaging methods, especially in today’s consumer-oriented world. As the
concern for climate change and the ecosystem is increasing, customers in
every part of the world have been recognising the requirement for eliminating
plastic and replacing such materials with eco-friendly ones. My idea was to
use bamboo for skincare and/or haircare products. It is not only sustainable
and safe, but it goes above and more by having properties that can positively
affect the contents of the skincare/haircare products. The process of
implementing the idea included ideation, researching and building the
prototype. The final product is zero waste, can be reused multiple times due
to its significant durability and is very environment-suitable.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.futurebridge.com/

https://www.ebrocolor.com/sustainable-packaging-report.html

https://www.nspackaging.com/analysis/sustainable-packaging-desig
n-importance/

https://www.goodstartpackaging.com/guide-to-bamboo-packaging/

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sustainable-construction-m
aterials.php

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