Sustainability / Packaging · 2018
FRESHII — Food Packaging Alternative
A reusable, refillable, hygienic alternative to single-use fish packaging — compact in the fridge, stretchable for bulk refill at the supermarket, with an internal vacuum pump that pulls the elastic walls onto the food to keep it fresh.
Avoiding unnecessary food packaging waste with a user-friendly, reusable, hygienic packaging solution for fish — refillable from bulk storage at the supermarket and designed to keep food fresh through an internal vacuum.
- Role
- Research, ideation, model making, CAD, rendering
- Duration
- Semester project
- Tools
- User research, FSAI requirements review, Sketch, Foam / model making, SolidWorks, KeyShot
Objective
To avoid unnecessary food packaging waste through the design of a user-friendly, reusable and hygienic packaging solution for fish products. The solution must be refillable from a bulk storage solution at the supermarket.
Process
User and product maps were created to gain insight into each stage between farm and fork. Fish processing methods and the FSAI requirements for transporting and labelling fish products were researched.
Existing packaging methods were studied, and consumers were interviewed to understand their needs, purchasing habits, frustrations with existing products, and the greatest influencers of consumer choice. The lifecycle of fish products was studied to grasp how items may be best preserved.
Once a list of needs statements had been compiled, I ideated possible solutions, then refined through model making and CAD development.
How it works
The product is compact, minimising space occupied in a fridge / freezer. It can then be stretched to the required size when filled from bulk storage at the supermarket. An internal pump allows for the formation of a vacuum seal within the product, which draws the elastic polymer walls onto the fish — maintaining freshness for as long as possible.
Once the item has been consumed the product can be taken apart and easily cleaned thanks to its modular design.
If adopted, the concept would dramatically reduce the packaging waste associated with fish products — or any other meat product the user might want to store in the container.