Treepac story after the jump …

Press Release :
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paper products are the biggest single component of community waste, with 85 million tons generated in 2006. Though much of this is recycled, the sheer volume compelled the team at product development consultancy Essential to examine their own consumption habits. Frustrated by their findings, the team devised a solution—the Treepac. Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) judges took notice and honored the concept with a Silver International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) in the Ecodesign category.

Treepac is a reusable shipping container intended to replace cardboard boxes. The structure is made entirely of sustainable wood-based polymer cellulose acetate, Treepac is used like cardboard packaging but is designed to enable and encourage people and companies to improve their environmental footprint. The more times each pack is used, the greater its positive effect on the environment.

“When we examined our everyday use of cardboard, we became aware of the quantity of packaging materials we should recycle, appalled at the amount of material we couldn’t, and frustrated by an inability to reuse most of it,” said Design Researcher Dave Siedzik. “We were disheartened that recycling cardboard is a completely inefficient process.”

The Treepac concept mirrors the good features of cardboard boxes while adding new attributes that lower the overall environmental impact of packaging. Essential researchers, designers and engineers estimate that a recycled cardboard box can have up to eight uses but must be reconstituted in an energy-draining production facility each time. The Treepac, on the other hand, can be reused again and again.

Developing the Treepac is one way the Essential team aspires to create a positive environmental and social impact through their work. “By thinking of new opportunities to reduce overall energy consumption while not fundamentally changing the current shipping and delivery infrastructure, the Treepac concept has the potential to both improve the industry and help the environment,” said Founding Partner Scott Stropkay.

Designer : Essential Design

The automated epinephrine injector device is more compact, rugged and convenient than a standard EpiPen. It also notifies users when injectors need to be replaced. The system works in concert with proposed food labeling standards that would use graphical icons and colors on packaging to identify potential allergens before an exposure occurs. Essential, the company that designed Sensix won a bronze International Design Excellence Award for our Sensix Allergy Alert System design concept.

Sensix Tot Monitor

The period of uncertainty that precedes the confirmation of a severe food allergy can be stressful for parents of an infant or toddler, especially when the child begins to attend day care. This body monitor will alert parents and caretakers to any major change in body chemistry through light and audible alarms. A parent applies the monitor to their child via a soft disposable decal to ensure constant skin contact.

Sensix Child Monitor

This wristband is a constant companion for children who are frequently under varied adult supervision. The colored bands identify the wearer’s specific allergies and passively notify others that certain foods may trigger an allergic reaction. The noninvasive blood sensor actively monitors physiological indicators for early signs of a severe anaphylactic episode.

Sensix Teen Monitor

This advanced Sensix model eases the transition to independence for pre-teens and teens who are beginning to make their own decisions about diet and exercise. The detailed display helps build the correlation between symptoms and their associated physiological changes that is critical when managing a severe allergy in adulthood. The aesthetics of the Sensix monitors helps ease the stigma that children may face from their peers when trying to manage a severe food allergy.

Sensix Injector

An epinephrine injector is useful only when it is available in a time of emergency, and the Sensix model is designed with portability and convenience as a priority. The Sensix injector is therefore more rugged and portable than current solutions. It can be carried in a pocket, clipped to a backpack, or stored in pouches designed to carry mobile phones.

The injector can also help parents ensure that the child has the injector in their possession by sounding an optional alarm when the monitor and injector are separated.

Designer : Essential Design