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28 Recyclable Packaging Designs

Posted by Gisela Gutierrez on Mar 21, 2011 in Inspiration, Packaging Designs | 0 comments

Incorporating green business practices in packaging design has been a trend in the manufacturing and production industry. In fact there is this growing trend of in the use of recyclable packaging designs that are not only environment-friendly but also attractive and catchy. Since designers are always in the lookout for inspiration when working on a new project, we decided to come up with an extensive list of 25 recyclable packaging designs. The packaging designs that made it to this list are either made using recycled materials or those which can be recycled. We also included designs or packaging that have some kind of afterlife or uses. To know more about each of the recyclable packaging designs listed below, just click on the preview image. Visiting the source website will also allow you to view more images which are in bigger resolutions. Without much ado, here are what we believe are the 25 best recyclable packaging designs we found from all around the Web. Enjoy viewing them and we hope that you will be inspired just by looking at them.

For more product packaging design ideas, checkout also our related posts of the following topics:

01-Homemade Olive Oil
Commissioned for a producer of homemade olive oil, the packaging design was primarily focused on creating a label that reflects a recyclable theme since this product is intended to be given as gifts and not for sale.

02-Amazon Kindle DX
One of the main criteria used when designing this packaging was the use of minimal packaging, which in turn helps in reducing costs while at the same ti reenforces Amazon.com’s principle for efficiency and durability by using environmentally friendly materials. This recyclable packaging is 90% recyclable and 90% made from recycled materials.

03-Starbucks Recycled Mugs
This Japanese made ceramic mug was recycled in a zero-waste factory in Japan using the clay of old mugs and dishes. Everything from mug to package are made using recycled or reusable materials.

04-M13 Functional Juice
The designer of this juice bottle made sure that maximum amount of functional ingredients were incorporated into each bottle this is to make sure that the requirement for extra packaging will be minimized. To make it more environment friendly, the design also made use recycled products.

05-Recycle Easily
A packaging design concept for Brett Allcorn that aims to encourage users to recycle. The packaging has a back label that can be easily peeled off to reveal the prepaid return postage that the users can use to send the product back easily for recycling when the life of the product has come to its end.

06-Dream Ball Project
An idea by Unplug Design, the Dream Ball Project aims to show how packaging is affecting people in a positive way by helping improve quality of life, giving box a second life through recycling, which in turn form a bond between two people.

07-An Eco-friendly Phone by Samsung: Reclaim
Labeled as an environment-friendly overachiever, the design of Samsung Reclaim from Sprint features environmentally-responsible components and fully recyclable packaging. It therefore positions itself as the perfect wireless phone for the environment-conscious consumer.

08-Sennheiser Eco-Friendly Packaging
This is one of the best environment-conscious packaging we have seen so far. The packaging made use of cardboard and is fully recyclable. In fact, you will not find any nasty plastic component in this packaging.

09-Microsoft Kin One and Two
Microsoft Pink handsets which are known as the Kin One and Kin Two are being positioned as feature phones for “Generation Upload” . The Kin One is in its greenish recyclable packaging. The Kin Two is in its black recyclable egg-carton-esque packaging.

10-Proverb Packaging for Domino’s Pizza
Here is another genius idea from a pizza company. The design on the pizza packaging is so nice that customers will surely not throw them away. The illustrations on the box of Domino’s Pizza are features proverbs that are delightful and a perfect reflection on what the Pizza company stands for.

11-Recycled Bols Genever Packaging
You can actually convert bottles into glasses? Bols Genever actually used spirits bottles in making glasses and barware using a specialized handmade process.

12-Litl Webbook
Reinforcing the company’s vision of providing technology to everyone, the packaging design for Litl web book is simple yet appealing to a wide range of ages. In addition the packaging also made use of recyclable paper. No plastics or foams were used and the packaging doubles as its own shipping box.

13-Student Spotlight: Funflops
The photo below is the visual identity for the international flipflop brand, Funflops. Flipflops made bythis company is all made out of recycled materials such as old vehicles tires.

14-Packaging and Identity for Mode Tea
The Mode Tea project was an exploration in sustainable packaging methods and processes. Through extensive research of the principle of sustainability, a packaging scheme was devised which could be fully recycled or reused. The materials proposed would all come from sustainable sources and would not be harmful to the environment.

15-LOCCITANE – Skincare Regimen Boxes
These boxes were designed to house L’OCCITANE’s natural ingredient-based skincare products. In the true spirit of the brand, both the boxes and the packaging within were made with recyclable materials.

16-Flicker
Flicker takes a package for a light kit and transforms it into an interactive lamp which is also 100% recyclable.The design removes the need for additional packaging, filler material and instructions cutting down on waste.

17-Packaging for HP Inks
This packaging enables the HP Ink consumer to send back their empty ink cartridge in the self addressed, same box that the new ink cartridge is bought in. Conceptually, HP would start a “refilling” option, where the user would order their next cartridge online ahead of time and receive a discount by entering a the code found on the box. Recycled chipboard was used as material and screen printing was used for the graphics (using only process inks cyan, magenta, yellow and black).

18-Imoeba iPod Cases
The cases themselves are made from recycled leather, and the packaging is 90 percent recycled paper.This packaging is only using 10 percent raw materials, and the rest of the content has been rescued from landfills. In an ideal world the packaging will be recycled again.

19 - Cutting Board Package
A recyclable polypropylene packaging for bread which may be collapsed and used as a cutting surface. The package protects the bread while acting as a reusable storage system and kitchenware item.

20-Us vs. Them x Incipio
Savage Diplomacy teamed up with clothing brand Us Versus Them to design a package for their first iPhone accessory collaboration with Incipio. The design made use of screen printing approach on chip board.

21-Domino’s Pizza Proverb Packaging
Is it weird to want to frame a pizza box? These illustrations of Domino’s Pizza’s Pizza proverbs are delightful and a perfect reflection on what Domino’s Pizza stands for.

20-Lee Never Wasted
The ‘Never Wasted’ shopping bag that can be reused in one way or another. Some for fun, some for function, but nothing ever goes into the trash. Not only did this make the idea long-lasting and interactive but also conveyed the message in a fascinating manner.

22-Manymals
Manymals is a collection of five necklaces that features wild animals which hang from the chain as they would naturally in their habitats. The packaging is made from 100% recycled paper pulp and features a factual story about the creature contained within.

23-Scrap Drives
Designed by Matt Ritchie, this series of recycled USB flash drives inform their user of ways to recycle their electronics. Each drive included a hand-made package and digital resources.

24-GE CFL Light Bulbs Packaging Concept
The redesign of General Electric CFL light bulbs is aimed to bring a friendlier shelf presence through the use of basic informative graphics. The new design is packaged with post consumer cardboard rather than calm shell plastic. This ensures the use of less natural resources and therefore less impact on the environment.

25-Vim Popcorn
With a target audience of sophisticated, environmentally aware and health conscious snackers the Vim popcorn packaging came alive as a green product using only recyclable materials. The innovative packaging design allows the user to feel in control as they decide how much of the product they wish to consume.

26-Billerud’s FibreForm
This is a new biodegradeable, recyclable packaging material by Billerud, a Swedish company. The material is very flexible, can easily be shaped into soft, natural shapes and can stand up to being embossed. It is touted to have a variety of applications from product packaging to food packaging: Marks & Spencer has taken to using the material as packaging for their sliced meat over traditional plastic packaging.

27-360 Paper Bottle
Extremely innovative new packaging from Brandimage, who was responsible for everything including concept development, branding, prototyping, engineering, and product design. The 360 Paper Bottle is the first of its kind in the world, and a true environmentally-friendly solution to the problem of plastic water bottles

28-Recyclable Packaging from Spire
Spire has started using less packaging, and what remains is conveniently more recyclable. The company redesigned the packaging for all of its coolers, such that text, logos, and images are printed on a plastic wrapper rather than directly on the box. Separate the plastic from the cardboard, drop each into the appropriate recycle bin, and clean up is done.