Taking life cycle thinking home

- Packaging as Mean of Consumer Information   

Poster: Packaging has endless possibilities

LCM 2013 like to invite the creative potential in schools, universities and companies to design packaging and products that increase consumer awareness and behavior in line with life cycle thinking.

Packaging and product design can provide a function of communication, we seldom assess in LCAs. There is a lot of space that can provide information e.g. on the content of the pack, environmental labeling or even environmental performance. In some countries the space is even used for societal communication like photos of lost children. However, the space available offers a stage for more. As a part of managing everybody’s everyday life cycles, bringing knowledge to those interested is a challenging, but useful task. Packaging and product design could be used to make life cycle thinking easier to grasp and apply for the general public, by raising awareness or even changing behavior in favor of social, economic or environmental improvements in a life cycle perspective. Ideas could include how to further “known” messages like how the product shall be recycled, but also add new ones like: “Environmental burden from food loss – empty your package completely!” or “Insulate your homes to inhibit global warming”.

Call for contributions from industry, academia and students

The exhibition is open for contributions from students and researchers as well as companies and non-commercial organizations. It embraces both realized and concept stage products. Take this opportunity to challenge your design team, or include the topic in student courses!

Submissions

Proposals shall be submitted in a pdf file consisting of one or two A4 pages:

The first page should include the project’s title, pictures, renders, plans or illustrations of the package/product
The second page should include a short written description (max 1 A4, text size 12 pt single spacing). The written description could be included in the first page if desired
Other than the project title this file should be anonymous: No name or reference to the submitting institutions or persons should be present anywhere in this file.

Deadline for submissions is March 28, 2013. On acceptance to the LCM 2013 exhibition, the exhibitor shall provide a sample of the designed packaging or product, together with a poster presenting the idea. Notifications of the selected designs will be done by the beginning of May, 2013.

Selection of exhibits

The exhibits will be chosen by an international independent committee. Contributions showing new/innovative design solutions, encouraging life cycle thinking and/or having the potential to lead to real changes in consumer behavior will be prioritized. A best contribution award will be given to the most prominent student work.

Contact

Hans J Garvens, LCA Consultant and Review, h.garvens/at/lca-cr.de
Isabel Ordonez Pizarro, Chalmers Design and Human factors, isabel.ordonez/at/chalmers.se