Take Back
Designing a returnable and reusable takeaway packaging innovation concept.
Project description
Challenge
More than 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year, which tells us all we need to know about the poor waste management of plastic and just how little plastic is successfully recycled globally. Single use plastics in many formats are due to be outlawed from 2021 – we need a better solution and fast.
What if we could simply take back some of the plastic packaging we as consumers use? What if it could then be reused – extending the life cycle of the packaging and helping to reduce our negative eco footprint?
The majority of takeaway meals are packed, transported and served in single use plastic containers, most of which is then either burnt or dumped in our oceans. On top of this, takeaway packaging is ghastly – it’s cheap, flimsy and however appealing the meal inside, the packaging completely detracts from the consumer experience.
Solution
‘Take Back’ conceptual packaging design innovation offers a simple and smart solution, one that not only reduces the eco footprint through use and reuse, but also one that positively enhances the consumer experience.
The packaging design is easy to clean for reusability and stackable for ease of storage. The double walled construction helps ensure the temperature of the meals is maintained through delivery. The structural design of this particular example is reminiscent of a pagoda for specific use by Asian cuisine proprietors and purposely unbranded for flexibility of use by different restaurants. The design also serves as a desirable container beautiful enough to be proudly placed on the dinner table.
The concept innovation envisages a returnable system whereby the container provider hosts a platform for use by members – namely, local restaurants and cafes. Members deliver meals in ‘Take Back’ containers, consumers then keep hold of them and return them during their next delivery. The infrastructure for tracking the location of the containers for retrieval is already in place via platforms such as Deliveroo and Just Eat and one can easily imagine a small deposit system paid for by consumers to help validate the investment in the reusable packaging.
