Cardboard water bottle concept shows a more sustainable way to stay hydrated

We’re often advised to drink lots of water every day, but that isn’t always feasible unless we have a bottle of water with us all the time. It’s for this reason that water bottles have become quite popular these days, but many of these containers are large, heavy, and sometimes unsustainable. The latter is especially true for PET bottles, the most overused kind of water container there is. Its small, lightweight size makes it easy to carry around and its plastic material might make it seem like a good idea to reuse the bottle over and over again. Whatever the context, plastic is a harmful material in the long run, so this reusable and sustainable water bottle looks elsewhere for inspiration, one that’s easily overlooked and taken for granted because we simply throw away milk and juice boxes the moment they’ve been emptied.

Designer: Rishikesh Sonawane

It might have different names in different countries, but “TetraPak” is a common sight in groceries and refrigerators, holding liquids like milk, juice, and sometimes even soup. These cardboard containers are indeed designed to be thrown away, but there’s no reason one can’t design a variant that can hang around for quite a while before you have to part ways, primarily by recycling its parts. It lets you keep yourself healthy by drinking lots of water while also keeping the planet healthy by reducing the number of PET bottles out in the wild.

reU is the design concept that puts those ideas together, utilizing a layer of cardboard, aluminum, and polyethylene to provide form and structure to the water bottle shaped like an overgrown flask. These three materials were specifically chosen after much consideration because of their long-term benefits and ease of production, despite there being more sustainable alternatives available. Cardboard is better than paper mache when it comes to integrity and finish, aluminum is cheap and easily stretched into extremely thin sheets, and polyethylene, which is used in only 5% of the total design, is easy to produce.

The design, however, goes beyond just using sustainable materials. The shape of the “bottle”, for example, was chosen for space efficiency and easier grip. The dotted bottle cap made from bioplastic offers not just texture for turning the cap but also a visual contrast to the vertical lines running down the side of the bottle. The rubber tab keeps the cap in place and functions as a strap to hold or hang the bottle, but it can also be retracted to keep the cap from swinging around while you’re drinking or pouring out its contents.

Despite being a reusable bottle, reU isn’t meant to last forever. In fact, it’s designed to wear out to the point that you’ll have to properly dispose of it by recycling each distinct component separately and properly. This ensures that the water you drink will always be clean and safe, something that PET bottles can guarantee after repeated use. And given how cheap it is to produce and how easy it is to recycle, there’s little harm in replacing the reU with another reU, over and over again.

The post Cardboard water bottle concept shows a more sustainable way to stay hydrated first appeared on Yanko Design.

Foldable cardboard desk is a sustainable but funny way to work anywhere

The new hybrid work life has made it more popular to work anywhere you can put down a laptop, whether it’s on a desk or an actual lap. While that might be the easiest way to work away from home or the office, it isn’t always the most comfortable or the most feasible. Sometimes, you might not even have a table available for use, or those tables are too cramped for all of your work tools. In times like those, you might end up wishing you could always carry your own worktable where ever you go, and this lightweight foldable desk offers that possibility, and it’s kind on the planet as well. That is if you don’t mind looking a little odd in the process of carrying and working on cardboard.

Designer: Refold

There is definitely something liberating in being able to choose your work area, but that also comes with its own problems. You can’t literally work anywhere you want because there might not be enough space on a table or no tables at all. Laptops these days don’t really work on laps, at least not comfortably. You can take a foldable desk along with you, but most of those are heavy, awkward, cramped, or all of the above.

Refold solves all of that, except perhaps the awkwardness, using a material that is familiar to many DIY projects: cardboard. With just a few pieces that can fold down into a relatively thin rectangle, you can have a standing desk or a sitting desk, or both; anywhere there’s space for you to set up your ad hoc workspace. Yes, you will get amused or even judging looks while carrying a large canvas and setting up a cardboard desk, but you’ll be the envy of those same people when you show off how you can work peacefully in the middle of nature anytime you wish.

Of course, most of the incredulity will stem from the choice of cardboard as the one and only material for the desk since it doesn’t exactly have a good reputation for durability. Fortunately, that’s not the case here, with a triple-weaved, cross-paneled design that allows the table to hold a laptop, a monitor, and more. Cardboard isn’t also good with liquids, but an optional waterproof top gives you some peace of mind while also giving the desk a distinct white accent.

Admittedly, the Refold desk’s novelty won’t appeal to everyone, but it definitely looks like a more sustainable option for those that do find themselves trying to set up a desk outdoors. That said, it can also be used indoors as well, either to provide a unique aesthetic or to have a space-saving desk that you can assemble and disassemble in just minutes. Not only is it good exercise for your body, it can also act as a “bookend” to start and end your work day.

The post Foldable cardboard desk is a sustainable but funny way to work anywhere first appeared on Yanko Design.

This collapsible lantern kit is the only light you need to keep the darkness at bay – indoors well as outdoors

Extreme weather and natural disasters are becoming frighteningly more common these days, so preparedness for any eventuality is no longer really optional. People are advised to have an emergency “go bag” always ready with important supplies and tools that will help them survive a disaster or a few nights in an evacuation center. One of those essential survival tools, whether for emergencies or camping, is a flashlight, but the harsh directed light that it produces isn’t always ideal in all situations. When you need a softer light to illuminate an area, you’ll probably reach out for a lantern instead, and this handy, space-saving lantern kit ensures that you’ll always have one in your bag and within reach whenever you need it.

Designer: Yuji Yanagisawa

Click Here to Buy Now: $35.10 $39 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends on August 15th.

Flashlights, especially the smaller LED ones, are great for shining light on a specific spot, not so much for lighting up a room, a tent, or shared space in some evacuation center. The bright, directed beams of flashlights can, in fact, be harmful, intrusive, or even disconcerting for people seeking shelter from an emergency. A lantern would be the best solution, but even the smallest ones are bulky and take up space inside your go bag. Some creative people place a PET bottle with water on top of a flashlight to diffuse the brightness, but that setup is flimsy, inconvenient, and not always possible in some circumstances.

With those limitations and ideas in mind, designer Yuji Yanagisawa envisioned the Tomori Lantern Kit. Rather than providing a ready-made lantern, Tomori is actually a kit that lets you quickly set up a lantern and then quickly put it away when you no longer need it. The best parts about this lantern kit are that it takes up almost no space when collapsed and can also use any conventional flashlight that can fit inside its clamps.

The base of the kit is a foldable cardboard piece that serves as the flashlight holder and stable structure of the lamp. The kit comes with a rather nondescript LED flashlight that you can use on its own when not docked inside the lantern. In fact, the cardboard base can hold any cylindrical flashlight that is less than 30mm in diameter and 160mm in length. This means that you can use the same flashlight for the lantern as well as for typical uses, or you can have a set of backup flashlights when one’s battery goes empty.

A lantern wouldn’t be a lantern without a lamp shade, of course, and the kit comes in three varieties. Gray/Gradient tries to mimic a more traditional lantern look, with a gray cardboard base and a yellowish plastic shade reminiscent of well-used vintage lanterns. Blue/Stripe has a more modern aesthetic, sporting a blue interior and a translucent plastic cover with thin white stripes encompassing the lantern. Last but definitely not least, Yellow/Cross adds a bit of visual flair with a yellow body and a clear lampshade marked by crisscrossing lines.

The entire kit, excluding the flashlight, folds down to a flat A4-sized package, perfect for stashing in bags or drawers, ready for use in an emergency. While the design and purpose of the lantern kit were originally intended for those emergencies, its usefulness extends far beyond dire situations. It can be used for camping, for example, as long as you keep it out of the rain, or it can be used to gently light a room at night. Its open design makes it possible not only to use different flashlights but also to create different lampshades of your own. The lantern kit’s simplicity belies its sophisticated design and flexibility, promising you a stress-free night in the darkness, wherever you may be.

Click Here to Buy Now: $35.10 $39 (10% off). Hurry, sale ends on August 15th.

The post This collapsible lantern kit is the only light you need to keep the darkness at bay – indoors well as outdoors first appeared on Yanko Design.

Man Constructs Functional Cardboard GameBoy Advance SP

Because dream it, and you can achieve it (even if that dream takes way too much time that could probably be better spent doing something else entirely), YouTuber Peter Knetter deconstructed a GameBoy Advance SP to remove the hardware, then built a custom case INCLUDING CONTROLS entirely out of cardboard, then put the hardware inside to create a functional cardboard GameBoy Advance SP. Personally, I would have called it the GameBoy Unadvanced SP, but that’s just me and I’m incredible at naming things.

Peter actually seems pretty surprised when it works, as was I. He’s even able to play some Tony Hawk Underground on it to put it through its paces. Sure you probably aren’t going to be able to play your very best on the system, but that’s a small price to pay for a GameBoy that gets soggy in the rain.

The next logical project will be constructing a duct tape GameBoy Unadvanced SP. Honestly, it’s only a matter of time, and not very much time if Peter is as proficient with duct tape as I imagine he is. I’m already looking forward to the video!

[via TechEBlog]

This chair design concept uses anthropometric studies to construct ergonomic seating from cardboard

Cardboard Chair Process Book is a chair design concept that constructs custom chairs from cardboard based on anthropometric studies and client interviews.

Goldilocks was right–the comfort of a chair depends on many different factors. Everything from a chair’s frame to its upholstery and everything in between comes into play. At the end of the day, a chair’s comfort depends on what we use it for–a plush loveseat might be the perfect spot to nestle up in and watch a rom-com, but it’s not the spot for working at our laptops. It’s just not the vibe! Lissette Romero unlocked the vibe with a new design concept called the Cardboard Chair Process Book that constructs bespoke chairs from cardboard using a set of criteria collected from client interviews and anthropometric measurements.

Designer: Lissette Romero

Built from 5 4’x4’ sheets of single-ply corrugated cardboard, the custom chairs require no hardware, fasteners, or adhesives for construction or assembly. Before settling on the chair’s overall structure and ergonomics, Romero imagines conducting client interviews to determine each chair’s main function according to the sitter’s needs. For instance, a client looking for a lounge chair to play video games will end up with a very different chair design from a client who’s looking for a desk chair to use for studying.

Describing the design process as Romero envisions it, the designer notes, “The chair is to be tailored to [the client’s] body measurements, personal aesthetic, and tasks that they will be performing while seated. To achieve this, an anthropometric study of the client will be performed, seated tasks will be observed, and an interview will be conducted.” During this ideation phase, Romero prototypes three different conceptual chair designs, each of which takes on different design languages.

While conceptualizing Cardboard Chair Process Book, Romero conducted a research phase with a client named Julio. During this phase, Romero learned that “Julio has a need for a chair that has a shorter profile, a good backrest, comfortable armrests, a cup holder, and a place to prop up his iPad.” Using this set of criteria to settle on the chair’s shape, tilt, height, size, and assets, Romero settled on a final prototype.

The client ultimately decided on a chair with a round form language, large armrest, body frame tapered in two directions, a backrest that falls just below the shoulder blades, and integrated cardboard beams that connect everything together.

Upon collecting the client’s anthropometric measurements and task interviews, Romero found three possible prototypes.

The first chair finds a round form language influenced by Julio’s need for an ergonomic backrest. 

The second prototype is reinforced by wide, triangular cardboard beams. 

The third prototype emphasizes a short seat depth.

The chair’s final form brings together every aspect of the criteria collected from interviews and body measurements. 

The cardboard chair is built from 5 4′ x 4′ sheets of corrugated cardboard.

The post This chair design concept uses anthropometric studies to construct ergonomic seating from cardboard first appeared on Yanko Design.

Giant Marble Run Constructed from Cardboard: Start Collecting Boxes

Marble runs: I remember constructing them as early as kindergarten with wooden block sets. Those were simpler times. And to think back then, all I wanted to do was grow up and be an adult already. What a mistake that was. But enough about a life of regret, this is a video of Marble Run Machine 37 Spin-Off constructed by marble maniac and YouTuber B-dama Friend almost entirely out of cardboard and a dream.

I estimate the marble run to be made out of approximately 98% cardboard and 400% glue. Those also happen to be two of my own favorite building supplies. Throw duct tape in the mix, and you have the holy trinity of all my do-it-yourself projects. I wonder if, during its construction, he ever accidentally glued a piece to his hand like I always do.

The machine releases green, red, yellow, and blue marbles in order and diverts them along different paths throughout the run with spinners so that by the time they reach the bottom, they’re dropped into trays consisting of only their own color. How about that! For comparison, whenever I built marble runs, I was lucky to have a marble reach the bottom at all unless it jumped out of the track at the very top.

[via The Awesomer via Laughing Squid]

This Mario Kart hovercraft is made from cardboard and looks like it’s floating off the ground




Being a hardcore fan doesn’t always mean having the real deal. Sometimes, it also pays to also step outside the box, like these cardboard masterpieces that actually work.

Among the many games attached to the Super Mario franchise, Mario Kart is perhaps one that is loved by almost all demographics. It isn’t as serious nor as demanding as other Mario titles, particularly the platformers, but is just as fun and perhaps even more so because of its wacky antics and controls. There have been many attempts at bringing this game to the real world, with some leading to sometimes legally questionable stunts, but one YouTuber goes the extra mile by making versions that are eco-friendly to some extent.

Designer: DanCreator

Things in the maker and design communities have changed drastically in the last few years. The Raspberry Pi and similar single-board computers or SBCs kicked off a variety of small and DIY projects that needed an affordable and small computer to run the show. 3D printing also made it possible for almost anyone to create parts for those creative endeavors. Nothing, however, truly says “creative” than creating something out of almost nothing using one of the most common materials available: cardboard.

YouTube=r DanCreator is more than just a gaming fanboy. He is also an artist and a maker that recreates childhood memories using cardboard and with very minimal electronics and even fewer non-recyclable materials. Of course, when making something that somewhat realistically recreates the feeling of Mario Kart, he does have to make some compromises. For example, he had to basically use a Nintendo Switch for one project while using a sheet of wood for another. It was, however, all worth it.

The creator loved Mario Kart so much that he did more than just one cardboard-based project. The first is perhaps a bit more common, an arcade cabinet that plays the game the way it is meant to be played, with a steering wheel. The more interesting project, however, is the hovercraft, a vehicle that is admittedly not present in the game. Granted, it’s also less sustainable, with the use of large fans and electricity to lift the lightweight construction off the ground. Seeing it slide over a smooth indoor gym floor, however, might make you forget that, even for a brief moment.

The Mario Kart hovercraft doesn’t exactly levitate over the ground. Instead, it uses inflatable tubes whose transparent bottoms give that illusion. At least he does reuse the steering wheel from the cardboard arcade cabinet on the hovercraft to reduce unnecessary duplication of parts, even if it’s merely decorative.

The post This Mario Kart hovercraft is made from cardboard and looks like it’s floating off the ground first appeared on Yanko Design.

You can easily make your own products out of recycled cardboard too, like the Olympic beds





The technique isn’t too different from making papier-mache products, and all you need is a set of molds to really compress the cardboard pulp, creating a robust, durable product.

The response around the ‘anti-sex’ Olympic beds has been pretty amusing if you ask me. Cardboard’s definitely got a really bad rap as a material, because of its ‘packaging’ status. Paper can actually be pretty durable and robust if you get your physics right (try whacking yourself on the head with a hard-bound book); something Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan even demonstrated by jumping up and down on the Olympic village beds to prove their durability. YouTube-based creator XYZAidan’s worked out his own way of recycling cardboard into durable products too, by shredding old corrugated board panels and turning them into a pulp, which he then proceeded to cast into 3D-printed molds. The result is a lot like engineered wood, except made from disintegrated cardboard instead of sawdust. It’s just as durable, and if your molds are designed properly, the end product can come out looking pretty clean and finished. You can check out the process video above, or scroll down to get access to the mold 3D files that XYZAidan made available on his Thingiverse page.

Creator: XYZAidan

If you’re familiar with how injection-molded plastic products are made, the process for working with cardboard pulp is rather similar. You’ve got liquidized raw materials that fit inside a mold, which helps form and compress the fluid mass into a tightly packed design. Once ready, the mold separates into its different parts, releasing the final product. XYZAidan started by first preparing his raw materials. Grabbing any cardboard he could find and finely shredding it in a paper shredder, XYZAidan then proceeded to blend the cardboard strips with water and a water-soluble binder. To keep things eco-friendly and biodegradable, he opted against synthetic PVA glue for a more natural rice paste, made by mushing cooked rice in water over a stovetop to create a starchy pulp that would hold the cardboard fibers together in the mold.

Depending on the kind of product you want to make with your recycled cardboard, XYZAidan recommends using 3 or more mold parts, so that the product can release from the mold easily. Given cardboard’s fibrous, absorbent nature, the product tends to expand inside the mold, so you best create a mold that’s easy to disassemble, or you’ll either break your product or your mold in the de-molding process. XYZAidan took to a 3D printer to make his molds, ensuring that they were robust and had a strong inner support structure since the mold would need to be clamped together.

Once everything’s ready, just assemble your mold and pour the liquid pulp in. There’s no fixed ratio or volume, and a lot of it has to be done by eye. You’ll need to over-fill the mold, since the pulp has to be compressed into shape, and you’ll also need to have separate drainage holes for the water to exit through. Just clamp your mold in shape and leave it for a day, allowing the cardboard pulp to set in shape.

Once you’ve let an entire 24 hours pass (add a few more hours for good measure if you’re doing this in the monsoons), disassemble your mold and your product should be relatively set and easy to pull out. It’ll still be slightly wet, which means you’ll need to leave it out for another day to completely let it dry. Once dried, just trim the flared cardboard bits and you’ve got a final recycled cardboard product that’s robust, solid, yet incredibly lightweight. Depending on the quality of your mold, it’s possible that your product could have those 3D printed step-lines or layers too (see below). The best solution is to either to sand down your mold or sandpaper your products after they’ve completely dried. Then just finish them off with a layer of paint and you’re ready!

The possibilities are absolutely endless. You could create shoes for yourself, stationery-holders like pen-stands or cups for paper clips, robust laptop stands, or even textured sound-absorbing panels to mount on your walls! XYZAidan’s been kind enough to make all his 3D printing mold-designs available for free on Thingiverse, and you can even visit his YouTube channel to see what else he’s been up to.

Top 15 flat-packed designs that reimagine how to ship & store everything from automotive to architecture!

As the world grows smaller, physically and metaphorically, we need product designs that save space, are easy to store and portable, especially as our lives have become more flexible with remote work taking over. This is why flat-packed designs intrigue me because they check all of these boxes! But when you think “flat-pack”, the only thing that comes to mind is packaging and that is why I wanted to curate a list that showed that pretty much anything can be flat-packed – scooters, tiny homes, electric vehicles, pet shelters, photobooths, furniture, and more. The following list has 15 designs spanning over multiple verticles that showcase just how versatile this design principle can be. These designs not only rank high on space efficiency but also eliminate the usage of heavier space-consuming designs. They are functional, ergonomic, minimal, modular and just outright brilliant!

ooo

It’s worth noticing how the OO Stool does such a great job of combining sustainability along with technology and a pinch of heritage. Made from a single board of bamboo plywood, the stool is CNC machine-cut in a way that integrates every single aspect of the stool into its design. Everything you need to build the OO Stool sits within that flat-packed jigsaw puzzle of bamboo pieces, minimizing waste by using as much negative space as possible. The legs form the outside, while the dual-layered seat of the stool sits on the inside, with the negative space being filled by tiny rectangular pieces that help lock the stool in place, and even a bamboo hammer to help assemble the stool! The OO Stool uses absolutely no glue, screws, or nails… just really smart designing and Japanese joinery techniques.

plus

How cool would it be if we could roll up our furniture just like we roll up our clothes to save space right? Well, designer Richard Price kind of make it happen by creating Plus+ – a flat-packed furniture system that maximizes living space and minimizes storage space! Plus+ fits your needs and comes with multiple configurations. The flexible furniture system increases its likelihood to adapt by using a snap-together frame with a joint system across the whole range. The modular design can be easily be assembled and upgraded with new features or additional accessories which enables it to grow with your needs or new spaces.

Products can be functionally beneficial and aesthetically beautiful without having to be complicated. Fold Lamp proves just this. Destined for a life within a domestic dining room, the magnesium lamp is elegantly suspended from the ceiling, introducing a gentle glow to the room. However, elegant aesthetics aside, it’s the consideration to the manufacture of the product that makes this project so intriguing. Constructed out of a single piece of magnesium that has been efficiently metal-stamped, Fold Lamp doesn’t require any additional hardware! So, what benefit does this have? Well visually distinctive form aside, in the unfolded orientation, it can significantly reduce shipping expenses from international manufacturers!

Created using merino felt wool and birch wood, the Wool Lodge is a safe haven of sorts for your pet. You can arrange and form the flat-packed structure by yourself easily. The lodge features merino felt roof, with the rest of the structure being made from wood. Defleur’s lodge basically has two functions. Spacious enough to fit your cat’s litter box, the lodge shelters the box within its structure. Your cat can sneak away, and pee or poop in privacy, away from any prying eyes. On the other hand, you can install a soft cushion or mattress instead of a litter box in the lodge. This creates a personal space for your pet, it could be a cat or a doggo on the smaller side! Whenever your pet wants to simply relax and getaway, they can hop into the shelter, safe from any external noises or extreme temperatures.

spinel

This flatpack design unfolds into a layered lamp! Spinel is a hanging light designed to be easily transformed. The main goal was to create a product that didn’t take up too much space and was also sustainable. “Our responsibility as designers is to produce objects that occupy the smallest possible volume. The purpose is to use the least amount of raw material, producing long-lifespan objects that can be easily recycled,” says Guille Cameron. The origami-like form is minimal, elegant, and certainly unique. Unfolding the lamp adds a dynamic layer to the product and the wooden design itself is a warm addition to any space.

foldio3

With the Foldio3, tongue-tantalizing photographs are just literally a portfolio case and 10 seconds away. While most traditional photo set-ups comprise a room full of equipment and hours of setting up, the Foldio3’s innovative design puts all of that into a small flat-packed case that can fit right under your arm. Open it out and assemble it using the magnetic locks and you have yourself a studio-grade lightbox for your product photography. On the top of the box are 3 LED strips too, negating the need for those massive bulky studio lights. The Foldio3 comes with two backdrops too, black and white, depending on the kind of shot you need. You can even use your own green backdrop for those green-screen applications.

The Folpen is tinier and more compact than your usual pen, however, what sets it apart are its components. The pen comprises of an ink refill and a plastic sheath. Surrounded by a ribbed plastic sheath, resembling the covers used to protect our iPads and tablets, the refill is enveloped by the sheath, forming the pen’s body. With the sheath folded around the refill, it snuggles comfortably within and only its much-needed nib peeks out. On folding it, the cover forms a triangular flat-packed structure around the refill, creating a pen with an ergonomic form that is easy to hold and operate, as well as to carry around. The end of the cover has been equipped with a magnet, so you simply wrap the folded pen onto a book, and it attaches itself to the book instantly.

This minimal and elegant piece by Annabella Hevesi called the O TRL lets many of us living in tiny spaces enjoy the luxury of having a movable cart. This tray table is a versatile piece of furniture – use it to store your stationery, kitchen knick-knacks, or as a makeshift desk in work from home emergency scene – the pure and minimal aesthetics of this design make it a perfect match everywhere. The trolley has a slim and sleek silhouette and is constructed using a black MDF board, powder-coated steel, and rubber. Do not be fooled by its humble looks; this tray can bear its fair share of weight and move around smoothly, given its large weight-bearing wheels. Sleek, versatile, and fun, this tray table defines the blueprint of what functional furniture design must be like, a 2020 version of Bauhaus, if you will.

Jupe is a portable off-grid shelter that flatpacks so you can pick any spot on the planet and pitch your tent. The futuristic silhouette is inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey which explains the aluminum pole frame and glowing Firesist fabric exterior which also make it suitable to withstand different climate conditions. Designed by a team of multidisciplinary experts from across the housing, architecture, and engineering industries, including former SpaceX, Tesla, and AirBnB, Jupe is the best in the game. It can be assembled in hours and gives you a 111-square foot space featuring tall ceilings, finished Baltic birch wood floors, a queen bed, and a storage area – think something right in the middle of a tiny home and glamping pod. Mobility is at the core of the design and hence chassis foundation has been created in a way that involves no decking or foundation to be built which makes the shelter adaptable to any terrain, level or not, and leaves the land minimally disturbed.

Höga is a vehicle that adapts IKEA’s winning philosophy of production, packaging, and practical use to give the users a comfortable ride that’s highly functional. This is intertwined with Renault’s advanced mobility platform to create an urban commuter with sustainability in mind. The vehicle’s body is recycled into other products after its lifecycle keeps the waste to a minimum. Design inspiration for the practical commuter comes from the classic Bauhaus principle of clean and purposeful design. The car ships right out of reusable crates to cut on transportation costs, and once it reaches the destination, the containers are reused to ship back broken furniture. Just like IKEA, Höga can be assembled by one person in few hours thanks to its simple LEGO-like attachable frame elements in a perfectly symmetrical design. There are 374 total parts and 114 individual parts, but don’t worry the instructions are easier than those of IKEA!

Switch is designed to make commuting in the city easier and solve the troubles one faces like the frequency of public transport, crowded parking, and poor infrastructure. Currently, you have electric rideshare scooters that are popular in urban settings like Bird, Lime, and Yugo but they come with an added responsibility of parking and crowding the sidewalks. It’s different from its competitors because it is truly portable. The flat-pack mechanism allows you to just fold it up and carry it along even if you’re walking or using a public transport service, you won’t have to worry about loading it and unloading it. It has a sleek build that blends in with your lifestyle and is as easy as carrying a backpack. The scooter comes with a fingerprint-enabled unlock button which is located below the handlebar. One of the coolest features is how the accelerator and brake pedals have been incorporated into the handlebar – it simplifies the user experience and interface!

The Lu chair folds without effort and can be carried around easily. A lot of designs we see are foldable but even after folding not easy to carry around or takes too much time to fold. Made up of plastic, this makes the mechanism work perfectly. As Lu explains, “Many times we find ourselves having to put away objects, perhaps to make room, perhaps to clean the house and sometimes even to take them with us, but above all for furniture of a certain level it is always very difficult. This is where “Lu chair” was born, a dining chair suitable for different types of target, from the most elegant and sophisticated with an eye to detail but also to a younger, fashion-conscious audience. The design is innovative and elegant at the same time and the name “Lu” derives precisely from “luggage” because of its ease of being resealable and transportable wherever you want.”

World’s first paper disposable razor unveiled in Japan! This gives a completely new meaning to the word ‘papercut’! Paper Razor is a sustainable alternative to disposable plastic razors. It is crafted from water-resistant paper like the ones used in milk cartons and it can also withstand temperatures up to 104°F (40°C) in case you like to shave with warm water. The razor weighs 4 gms and only 5 mm thick thanks to its all-paper body with a metal blade-head on top. Designed to be flat-packed, the single-use razor comes completely unfolded and can easily be put together in seconds by folding in the sides and the top to create a rigid, ergonomic razor with a grippy handle. Its origami-inspired design gives it as much strength and maneuverability as a plastic razor while minimizing the use of plastic by as much as 98%. The result? A razor that can be easily flat-packed and shipped, used and then disposed of…safely, of course.

singlemoldchair

Chair 1:1 was born after a rigorous 5 year long design process that gave us a mountable/demountable chair whose every piece was molded in one go. This optimized the mold size, speeded up production, and reduced waste drastically when compared to a traditional chair. “It is sold just as it comes out of the mold, bypassing several steps; it will be the buyer who will complete the process: this is what we call hyper-seriality,” says the designer duo. “When looking at the Chair 1:1, it is inevitable to have a blast from the past, remembering the boxed toy kits. There are no screws nor bolts: assembly is effortless + quick. Mounting an object makes a bond with it and makes you feel its full value; it builds an affection that stops you from getting rid of it.” The fastening elements of the individual parts are made to be easily producible and extremely resistant. It has been designed to be easily stored, shipped, and transported – 26 boxed up chairs take up only 1 square meter which is the key to increasing online sales as well as shipping sustainably!





This cardboard chair is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and easy to assemble! The MC 205 Cardboard Chair can be flat-packed and requires no tools to put together – something better than puzzles for game night? There were 13 prototypes before the MC 205 was finalized and now the company has released MC 207 which has been tweaked to be more comfortable. The team has also built upon the chair by adding more furniture like couches, tables, and counters made with the same principle. Imagine this but in the shape of the Iron Throne!

These sci-fi-inspired detailed sculptures with LED lights + moveable parts are made from cardboard!

Based in Melbourne, Greg Olijnyk (@gregolijnyk) creates detailed cardboard sculptures inspired by sci-fi and fantasy! From a sci-fi-inspired retelling of David and Goliath to a quirky robot riding a Vespa, all of Olijnyk’s works display intricate detailing, exquisite craftsmanship, and almost realistic technicality. Besides cardboard, he also amps up his sculptures with LED lights, glass, springs, and even toothpicks when needed! It’s hard to believe that these intriguing futuristic pieces are actually carved from cardboard! But one thing is for sure, Olijnyk’s work will leave you completely mesmerized and wanting more!

This sci-fi-inspired retelling of the tale of David and Goliath is one of Olijnyk’s most famous works! It features an oversized robot being struck down by a samurai.

Titled The New Neighbours, this piece features a pair of eerie and almost ominous-looking buildings. Flickering lights add on to the creepy-ish vibe of the cardboard sculptures.

The Dragonfly as its name suggests is a robotic jet-powered dragonfly! The beautiful hexagon pattern on the wings is a specimen of amazing craftmanship…and that too on cardboard!

This is the first robot Olijnyk created, and he aptly named it #1! The sharp edges and intricate detailing are excellent, especially for a first project. Did you notice the clock encased in his chest?

Named The Caption, this sculpture features an impressive ship out at sea, with a legendary captain on board! Olijnyk intended the sails to double up as solar panels which in turn power the fan that blows the panel when there is no wind! Quite interesting, no?

Titled #9, the upper spherical section of this sculpture actually rotates and tilts the way a telescope would, while the lower reactor section pulses!

The Vesbot features a robot riding a Vespa! Tire treads, curves on the body panel and spinning wheels make the Vespa look super realistic and technical. This has to be one of my favorite sculptures!

This futuristic piece represents an assembly line. A retro robot is being assembled and put together by modern robots! Quite ironic, no?

This quirky one-eyed robot has been amped with little wheels and plenty of technical detailing! It’s hard to believe this is all cardboard.

This mecha-inspired robot was built by Olijnyk, based on a design by Dmitriev Vasiliy. The weapon work is incredible!