Up-Cycled Dinnerware

CONCEPT

UP-CYCLED BOWL CONCEPT

UP-CYCLED MUG CONCEPT

MUG ON THE GO!

DIAGRAMS

UP-CYCLED BOWL DIAGRAM

UP-CYCLED MUG DIAGRAM

PROPOSAL

Considering that out of need comes ingenuity, I thought of the things that people make for themselves from everyday containers instead of throwing them away. Some use left over sour cream containers to hold nuts and bolts in the garage, others reuse jarred tomato sauce containers to hold their homemade soups. Then I considered what people would be able to make, but chose to buy anyway, such as paper plates, bowls, and cups. From those observations came the idea to create an ‘up-cycled’ set of reusable dinnerware.

Society, now more than ever, is looking to become more environmentally conscious as well as lessen their carbon footprint. By being able to reuse the BOXED WATER IS BETTER water carton, those that purchase it would feel even better about their choice because it adds to what is already ‘green’ about the carton and its company. Those that can appreciate good design, a safer product, and enjoy the craftier side of life would be most likely to purchase and create the up-cycled dinnerware, though it is not limited tho that specific audience.

Dinnerware is such a staple item in most every household that we don’t even really think about how often we use it. Almost every single time you go for anything from a snack to a banquet dinner, we use dinnerware. As a college student with no kitchen or dishwasher and a ‘low flow’ bathroom sink that clogs with the slightest overuse, I have become fond of the paper dinnerware. The convenience of being able to make something quick and then dispose of the evidence makes it appealing, but I know full well that paper plates are not the most environmentally sound objects on Earth. The up-cycling and then continued re-use of the BOXED WATER IS BETTER up-cycled dinnerware gives those of us in need of paper products a better substitution to your average, store-bought, single paper dinnerware.

By slightly modifying the existing water carton, one can easily create their own set of paper dinnerware. Many companies now are encouraging the re-use of their products by challenging their consumers to come up with the best possible ways to reuse their products. Those reinventions were the main inspirations behind the up-cycled paper dinnerware. The idea of need yielding ingenuity is where the idea for this up-cycled series came from, as well as one set of plastic dinnerware that I came across that unhooks and lays completely flat. Also, the aesthetic appeal of angled edges and shapes influenced the overall shape of the dinnerware. Most would be more encouraged to use their up-cycled dinnerware if it were aesthetically pleasing to them.

A Tissue Issue.

Tissue Box Proposal

A tissue is a great weapon against germs. From one Boxed Water carton came a useful product idea to design a refillable dispenser for tissues or wipes of some sort. Boxed Water itself is an eco-friendly and recyclable product. When one buys a Boxed Water carton, a diagram will be supplied within the package of step-by-step visual instructions. The box itself will also have solid and dotted guidelines to show where to fold and cut the new box. This redesign is a simple, straightforward, fast paced, sustainable, eco-friendly mini-craft activity. Whoever purchases the Boxed Water, won’t have to purchase so many Kleenex boxes anymore, they can now buy the little travel sized tissue packets and stuff them in. The best part about this tissue box design is its refillable capability using just a simple tab to open and close the box. You will now always be prepared when you cry during a movie, are happy your family is together, or when your nose goes for a run.

Cup Conundrum.

Box Water Proposal:
Upcycle a drinking cup out of your favorite, low impact, water container with Boxed Water. Drink whatever you want out of it! Hot or cold, this will hold everything from coffee to a margarita. Simple as being environmentally conscious, all you need is scissors, a bone folder, and some glue (for best results use food safe silicon). Everyone could use a few more cups around the house and why wouldn't you reuse this perfect packaging? It's simple, smart and sustainable!

Inspired by camping equipment, and ingenuous people like yourself, this cup was born from a mixture of curiosity and necessity. Starting with the simple, flattened box, through research and trial and error this design was arrived upon. Mimicking the shape of a tea cup, it is designed to hold up and stay water tight even after many uses. Building takes no time at all. Make your own today!

-Stuart Golley

Bulk Dispensin'

Bulk Dispenser: A“Boxed Water is Better” Proposal

We’re all doing our part these days to be green and recycle, but it doesn’t just stop there, what if we took the old and useless and improvised from that to create a totally new, useful product? Cartons are already more green than plastic bottles since they are already much more easily recyclable. Branching from the idea of a container, I approached this Upcycling project with the idea of extending it’s shelf life to beyond just drinking, but a container to help with the place at home where all our drinks, food, and water come from, the Kitchen. By simply adding some instructional lines and a cut or two, the humble carton can be transformed into a fully container dispenser.

This dispenser -carton design can be used to store numerous types of dry goods from Walnuts to Peppercorns. Users are among any kitchen user, from the stay-at-home-mom to the young students of a university. The dispensers can be hole punched to run a line through and hang on wire like many studio apartments have. This wire hanging system is a popular invention brought on by the IKEA corporation with their many hanging shelving units. With the simplicity of these kind of furnishings, the appeal of a disposable, yet still reusable dispenser, would be large. Why the hassle of transforming this carton into a dispenser? Cartons and dispensers are used so much in our kitchen lives, it would only make sense to merge the two worlds and create a more unified and self-dependent kitchen. With enough cartons a large system of removable, reusable, and disposable can become a large part of a person’s kitchen, thoroughly extending the humble carton’s life past the hands of the drinker.

-Drew Rios

Animals Need Water Too!

Proposal

Many companies are finding was to make thier product eco-friendly. Some of these companies are producing packaging that can be upcycled. Puma shoes came out with a boxless way to package thier shoes, they now package thier shoes in reusable bags, Aquileqia Wine is staying away from plastic and using wood to package thier wine, thier package also turns into a wine rack that builds up as you buy more of thier product. Boxed water is a great way to get the water industry out of bottling water in plastic. The reason for boxed water is to be more eco-friendly and help save the environment. By making this boxed water packaging into a dog bowl you can up cycle the carton and get in touch with the environment. Going on a hike is healthy and helps you enjoy being in the untouched environment. When going on a walk it’s always fun to bring your favorite companion, a mans best friend. But it’s not that easy because animals need water too! When your trying to pour water into your dogs mouth, you waste more then the dog actually gets to drink. This design makes it easier to bring you buddy with you. If you refill the carton with tap water you can bring it along for the hike. When your dog gets thirsty you can rip the carton down the side and have a perfect dog bowl already filled with water.

Up cycling and reusing this product is important because we don’t need to make new materials to just throw away when we have old ones we can just reuse. This design is a great way to up cycle because you are reusing the carton in a way that can help you appreciate nature, which is ultimately what we are destroying by not recycling and reusing. Water is necessary for not only us to survive but also for animals so the carton is being up cycled in a practical, and useful way.

-Melissa Mlynarczyk

Automatic Dog Food Dispenser

Proposal:

Pets, even though we love them they have a tendency to nag us for food, while getting under our feet. Having a bowl out for a dog or cat works for a short time. Sometimes that short time will leave your beloved pet hungry while you are at work or out of town for a few days. With a few simple modifications to your boxed water, you can have a continuously filling pet food bowl.

These simple modifications are just a matter of a few cuts to the box. By making a bowl already out of the box, there will be another box upright that connects to that bowl. For extra storage of pet food, it would mean simply hollowing out another box, and stacking it above the existing upright box. If more storage is needed you simply collect more boxes and stack them up. As the food is eaten, the remaining food will drop down refilling the bowl.

This concept would be ideal for any pet owner that is not always home on a regular schedule. It would also be helpful for those who want to limit the chore of constantly feeding their dog. Since dogs do not typically eat on a schedule, the interruption can get annoying.

By upcycling this product, you will gain a few extra minutes during the day. To some that means a lot. Boxed Dog Food Dispenser fits in a corner of the room and, instead of having a round bowl that is pushed all over the place, the boxed bowl is now secure. Having the box be designed with minimal graphics, it will have a modern feel, and fit in many different settings. Another bonus is, since it is a container for a liquid, the inside is coated to make sure it is clean and watertight. The coating is smooth, so it will be easy to wash and dry. Other than recycling, the advantages will benefit any life style.

First Round Mock-Ups

Melissa's On-the-Go Dog Bowl.

Rakel's Christmas Ornament Series.

Alex's Paper Dinning Set.

Tim's Automatic Dog Food Dispenser.

Drew's Ingredient Dispenser.

Stuart's Cup.

All of our projects together!