At a time when the whole world has been rethinking consumption habits and actions and how they affect the planet, Samsung has rethought the use of packaging resulting from products sold daily by the brand and launched theprograma Eco-packagingwhich, in just a few years of existence, has reached the potential of transforming around 300,000 tons of TV packages per year into useful objects, such as houses for pets, games and even furniture.
The proposal is simple: through molds and instructions that can be found on the program’s website, consumers choose what they want to transform their packaging into. Using the guide already printed on the cardboard, just follow the step by step and that’s it, the box that would be discarded is now an object with a new use.
Giving importance to creative and sustainable solutions, the Eco-Packaging project emerged in 2019 in the form of C-Lab (Samsung’s startup program) and was quickly approved and definitively implemented the following year. The three creators – Jonathan Whang, Sungdo Son and Daehee Yoon – presented the proposal to the business unit, which turned it into a product. In about a year, the idea had already been implemented in the packaging of Samsung TVs and, currently, it has been expanded to the boxes of new products, such as monitors and home appliances.
Creating objects is simple. On the portal www.samsung-ecopackage.com, there is a huge variety of parts to be assembled, organized by product model (QLED TVs, Lifestyle TVs, Monitors, Soundbars, Vacuums, Air conditioners or Kitchen Products). There are designs for all box sizes (such as cat tunnel, bookcase, shelves, etc.), and some for specific dimensions (50, 55, 65, 75 inches). Each model has the difficulty level and estimated time for assembly.
Once the object to be created has been selected, there is a detailed step-by-step guide from preparation, material needed (ruler, knife, etc.) and whether it is suitable for assembly with children accompanied by adults to cut and assemble. Templates are constantly updated, including award-winning ideas from the Out of the Box Competition.
Competition for Innovation
Samsung’s FurTheWin Challenge is a global competition that challenges participants to design innovative household objects that can be made from recycled cardboard packaging. The first edition took place in Korea and currently involves 16 countries. Participants recycle their own eco-friendly packaging to create decorative objects and share them on social media.
Because it is an innovative and functional project, many curiosities and doubts about the subject arise. To understand the details of how the sustainable solution works, the creators tell about the emergence of the idea and the implementation of the project in the brief interview below:
How did the idea come about?
Our thought process started with the packaging that is used in most of our products, but that is the first thing to be discarded. We think about how to reuse this packaging giving it value and we analyze our TV users and their behavior. Many consumers who were purchasing products like The Serif TV also purchased additional drawers or cabinets to store television accessories. We started studying corrugated products on the market and visited small furniture manufacturers. As corrugated cardboard is very resistant, we thought of a solution to make several products using our product’s packaging box.
And the program, how does it work?
To make it easier, we placed a dot matrix pattern on the surface of the cardboard so that consumers could easily draw sketches along the dots. We also provide easily accessible online manuals to guide this audience in the manufacture of cardboard furniture. Thus, we enable the participation in the process and the production of various furniture with TV boxes.
About the pet solution, how did you get to it?
We have noticed that a lot of pet furniture is made from cardboard. Initially, we built a large house for pets in general. But when we tested it with cats, we found that they prefer a narrower, darker space. That’s why we changed the design to create a more cat-friendly home.
How was the implementation of Eco-Packaging on Samsung products?
The following three design features were the key points applied to our products:
1) Simple solution with matrix pattern
As the solution uses a dot pattern printed on the surface of the cardboard, it is a solution that can be easily applied without increasing the use of unnecessary materials, additional processes and environmental pollution.
2) Online guide (www.samsung-ecopackage.com)
Consumers can use a QR code on the package to access the Samsung portal, where they can find various designs and instructions on how to create objects from the package. It is also a sustainable approach as it provides manuals to users without using paper.
3) Structure with easy assembly
The furniture that can be built with the reuse of the packaging box has a joint structure that allows to assemble them easily without the use of adhesive or tape. Consumers can create their own accessories and use them in a wide variety of environments, such as a magazine rack or a table to place next to the sofa or TV.
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