The collection and recycling of packaging is financed by the companies that market packaged products in the Netherlands. They do this by paying a levy on their packaging to Afvalfonds Verpakkingen (the Packaging Waste Fund), which reimburses the costs incurred for the collection and recycling of household packaging waste.
Afvalfonds Verpakkingen aims to get as many stakeholders as possible to join the discussion about waste processing. They commissioned us to create a design object to enthuse stakeholders showing the beauty of recycled waste material.
Afvalfonds Verpakkingen represents the entire packaging producing industry. So the choice was huge for a suitable material to work with.
In order to define the brief for a products that fits with Afvalfonds Verpakkingen, we organized a work session to find the brands archetype. The most characteristic aspects of Afvalfonds Verpakkingen are that it brings all parties to the table, discusses, decides and then sets the new industry standards.
We chose recycled plastic caps as a basis for the plate material. It is an easy-to-use and recognizable material from which you can still clearly see its original purpose.
As our starting point we esthablished “The Leader” as the brand archetype for Afvalfonds Verpakkingen. It is an archetype that wants to create clear rules so there won’t be any confusion in the industry. The product we were about to make had to help stimulate conversations and fit the decision making process.
As always, we conjured up 3 ideas and made photo realistic sketches for our clients to have a good feel for the end result. Afvalfonds Verpakkingen chose the meeting table made from green recycled bottle caps as their favorite.
Meanwhile they sent us bags of green caps to experiment with.
Together we experimented with different designs and created a stunning looking table top on which you can still recognize the caps.
After the approval of the plate material, we examined the design for the undercarriage. This should not distract too much from the eye catcher: the table top. To prevent the large top from sagging, we welded an extra support to the table legs.
The table was eventually delivered with a certificate of authenticity on which the origin of the materials can always be found.
Due to the success of the meeting table we were asked to design a reception table. The color scheme we used matches the corporate identity of Afvalfonds Verpakkingen: blue and apple green.
Sven Noordhoek
E. sven@wastecraft.nl
M.+31 (0)6 15 86 53 97