First prize: Expandable Eco Street Food Ware
Designed by: Christine Gamboa and Gaudy Danao III
Country: Philippines
The design
Comprising nothing more than a pre-creased disc of paperboard with a 10”diameter, the Expandable Eco Street Food Ware concept is a plastic-free packaging design offering a simple solution to a big problem. Highly adaptable, the container can be folded into eight different ergonomic shapes – ranging from a cone to a plate – to hold different serving sizes and food types, both wet and dry.
The Expandable Eco Street Food Ware also minimises the space occupied by the container during storage and disposal, making it perfect for street food vendors.
What was the thinking behind the design?
The design aims to replace single-use plastics in the global street food industry, which has become one of the most prolific contributors of single-use plastic.
Could the design be adapted for other uses?
With appropriate changes and improvements, Christine and Gaudy believe the design concept could have industrial-scale application beyond the street food packaging market.
What are the challenges to creating beautiful and functional packaging that is also sustainable?
According to Christine and Gaudy, the challenges largely arise from an implementation perspective. They believe that while there is no shortage of beautiful, sustainable ideas, making those ideas a reality can be inhibited, sometimes by production capability and budget but, more often, by the fear of making changes that the customer might not like.
What does sustainability mean to them?
With regard to sustainable packaging, it should be the perfect balance of biomimicry without compromising the user experience.
What advice would they give to others looking to create “better with less”?
Keep the design simple. The less material involved in production the better: better for your design practice and better for the environment.
