Weekly Packaging Design Wrap-Up: Plastic bags and water bottles could make for affordable 3-D printing filament, researchers envision protein from squid tentacles as new packaging material, paper multipack protects individual fruits from bruising

Elyse Blye

LOS ANGELES , July 18, 2014 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Plastic bags and water bottles could make for affordable 3D printing filament



The OmNomProject aims to recycle plastic packaging into useable 3-D printer filament. With prices of filament ranging anywhere from US$20/kg up to over US$50/kg for a spool, the material is anything but cheap. The project was started by husband and wife team Michael and Mary Beth Howland, who created a prototype machine called the nOm II that works by inserting items like water bottles, milk jugs, grocery bags, and food packaging of mild density into the top loading powered grinder. Once the material is ground into a satisfactory shaving, it is collected into a drawer below the grinding unit, which can then be dumped into the extruder and extrude 1.75-mm or-3 mm filament, said Mary Beth Howland in an interview with 3DPrint.com. The machine could potentially have major benefits, not only for 3-D printer owners, but for the environment as well.

The primary source of this information is 3DPrint.com, Cape Coral, Florida


Researchers envision protein from squid tentacles as potential new packaging material



More than just seafood, squids have long provided humans other uses, such as with ink as a cooking ingredient. Now researchers have discovered that the proteins from a squid’s tentacles may be used to manufacture an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel-based plastic packaging. Squid tentacles feature hundreds of suction cups, or suckers, each of which has a ring of razor-sharp teeth. The proteins found in these teeth could form the basis for a new generation of strong, malleable materials that could be used for eco-friendly packaging, as well as other products, according to a study published in the journal ACS Nano. “We envision [the proteins] as artificial ligaments, scaffolds to grow bone and as sustainable materials for packaging, substituting for today’s products made with fossil fuels,” said researcher Ali Miserez.
The primary source of this information is the American Chemical Society, Washington, DC


Paper multipack protects individual fruits from bruising



Student designer Ágnes Gyömrei has created a paper multipack that offers the same portability of a mesh fruit bag but with enhanced protection for each individual piece of fruit. Ideal for round fruits like oranges, or fruits that bruise easily like plums and apples, the VitaPack links fruit together in individual, square-shaped paper chains. Each chain features perforated lines, allowing for individual servings to be torn off from the pack. Complete with a handle, the package can be carried as a loop or stored by hanging.

The primary source of information is Packaging of the World, Summit Media Group Inc., Chicago, Illinois

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