‘A Litre of Light’ solar bottle

Waste plastic water bottles used for harnessing sunlight for poverty-stricken homes in the Philippines

The idea
‘A Litre of Light’ (‘Isang Litrong Liwanag’) is a sustainable lighting project using discarded plastic bottles, which aims to bring a sustainable solar bulb to low-income communities.

The idea was designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and implemented by MyShelter Foundation. The product is based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.

The need
There is an ongoing problem of access to light and legal electricity throughout the Philippines in many urban and rural areas. Small, crowded communities are often covered in darkness even during the day because of the lack of ambient light. Using electricity during the day, as well as at night, raises household expenses by around 40%, which makes a significant impact on the low income population where 32.9% of people live below the poverty line (2006 est).

The product
The solar light bulb is made from used water and soft drink PET bottles. The discarded bottles are recovered, cleaned and filled with a solution of water, chlorine and salt, which prevents bacteria growth and discoloration. The bottles are then fitted into the corrugated sheet roofs of the community dwellings, leaving the top half of the bottle exposed to the sunlight above the roof line, and the bottom half of the bottle exposed in the room below.
Due to the powers of refraction, sunlight is diffused into the rooms, providing a cheap and sustainable source of light.

Future objectives
The project began with lighting 10,000 solar bulbs in the City of San Pedro, Laguna and has a vision of lighting a million homes by the end of 2012.

Apart from the actual number of installations, this project also aims to empower individual citizens to take a step towards using sustainable energy, whether by the use of the solar bottle bulb; volunteering in the project implementation; or being inspired to come up with their own ideas.

For more information visit:
http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/about-isang-litrong-liwanag-a-liter-of-light-project/

Design packaging for secondary use

The scope of a design brief is usually the pack’s primary function. Sustainable design goes further

Thinking beyond the product
A well recognised and responsible approach to developing more sustainable packaging is following the principles of: ‘reduce; re-use; recycle’. However, we also need to think innovatively about optimising packaging use beyond its perceived lifespan.

“Pack designers must maintain a ‘re-use’ mindset”
The primary purpose of packaging is to protect the product and this principle should never be compromised. Designing packaging for a secondary use does not necessarily mean compromising its primary purpose.

A recent article by a world-renowned chemist highlighted the need for designers to think differently about packaging design, and particularly pack structures. To move away from a ‘disposable’ mindset to one of ‘re-use’, in an effort to reduce packaging waste. “Packaging designers should plan for a product’s potential recycling or re-use at the end of its life before it is even made”.

Identifying social and environmental needs
The idea of re-useable packaging is clearly not new. Many pack formats are designed for re-use to reduce the negative impact of material waste on the environment. However, a more innovative approach is to ‘design in’ a secondary function, beyond its intended primary use, for social and environmental benefits.

‘A Litre of Light’ plastic bottle project
This project, featured in our ‘Bright ideas’ blog, is an innovative and inspirational concept demonstrating how packaging waste can contribute to social and environmental issues.

The idea is practical and provides a straightforward means of implementation. Imagine what additional value could be created if this concept was ‘designed in’ at the outset of the bottle structure design process.

Secondary function focus
Plastic bottle disposal is one of the most widely publicised negatives of packaging waste. What an opportunity this presents for a brand courageous enough to embrace the problem and find an alternative solution to conventional waste disposal.

The ‘Litre of Light’ bottle concept could be optimised further by not only considering the bottle’s secondary function but also designing in features to promote that use.

Primary function focus
One of the delights of innovation is transforming a constraint into an opportunity. Designing plastic bottles is a complex task, with many factors influencing the pack structure, such as material, size, product type, etc. One key factor is maintaining integrity of shape throughout the supply chain, particularly during the liquid filling process. A design feature often used to serve this purpose is the ‘anti-ovalisation’ ring, which creates a point of strength and therefore rigidity in the bottle structure.

This structural detail could provide the means to greatly improve the installation of the ‘Litre of Light’ bottles, thereby demonstrating how ‘secondary function’ can lead and optimise ‘primary function’. Contact us for more information on this concept.

Collaborative design
This innovative approach to packaging design requires collaboration. Strategic thinking aligned with the aspirations of the brand, together with design and technical expertise, can facilitate thinking and ideas beyond packaging’s primary function.
A shared responsibility for packaging production, set within the broader context of social improvement, is a powerful and convincing proposition for any brand.

Gaia vodka bottle from Pramia Organics

This PET bottle achieves a 70% lower logistics carbon footprint than an equivalent glass bottle

Pramia Organics from Finland have launched a range of alcoholic drinks products with a highly sustainable business model, from the production of the raw ingredients to the packaging materials and their re-use.

Gaia vodka, Rhea gin, Medeia rum, Apollon cognac and Botnia liqueurs make up the diverse product portfolio, which all use a 100% recyclable PET bottle, with four of the products using a common bottle structure with different colours and finishes.

From the sourcing of organic ingredients, through to the carbon neutral production processes, which uses only wind power for the production lines, while producing emission-free energy for use outside the company.

For more information check out their website – www.pramia.org