Japan Packaging Contest 2006

Japan has long been notorious for their excessive packaging, such as individual packs for each piece of cracker. So I was pretty impressed to see the efforts they put into recycling when I traveled to Japan in 2006. They sell drinking water bottles with easy-peeling labels  and easy-sqeezing materials for comsumers to diminish the hassle when recyling . Apparently they are more aware of the eco-friendly issues now. Here are two award winning packages which delivered the message of sustainable design.

New Proposal Pouch : DIPO^®, no need to repack, friendly to environment
TOYO SEIKAN KAISHA, LTD.
With the advent of the easy-to-use pouch, there is no need to refill bottles any more. It saves packaging material, reducing environmental burden. Liquid soap, shampoo or kitchen detergent can go in this container.

Fold-up Package for LCD-TV “AQUOS”
SHARP CORPORATION
OJI CHIYODA CONTAINER CO., LTD.
After the purchase of the LCD-TV, the package can be cut into two pieces and folded without using a cutter. This volume reduction facilitates the recycling process. The concept of universal design was applied.