E-co : AIO plastic straw-free carton

What it does

E-co is an environmentally friendly beverage carton design that does not use plastic straws, lids, vinyl. The value of E-co lies in its ability to reduce non-recyclable waste without compromising functionality compared to traditional cartons.

Your inspiration

One day, while tearing off the plastic straw on the back of a chocolate milk carton, I witnessed a friend drinking coffee with a paper straw. In contrast to the trend of refraining from using plastic straws, I realized that beverage cartons with attached plastic straws are very common in our surroundings. This immediately led to the question, what if there were cartons that had the benefits of a straw without using plastic? Ultimately, this sparked the idea of a design that integrates the straw and the container into one. Taking inspiration from the dotted lines on snack packaging, I applied it to the creation method of the straw structure.

How it works

The only difference between E-co and conventional is the structure of the jucntion part. Unlike the jucntion part of traditional cartons, which is solely intended for jucntion, the jucntion part of E-co consists of a jucntion area, a non-jucntion area, and dotted lines. The jucntion area not only creates a three-dimensional structure but also seals the interior and exterior, while protruding the jucntion part outward to create the straw structure. The non-jucntion area exists in an unjoined form, constituting empty space within the straw. Lastly, the dotted lines are located in the center of specific jucntion areas, allowing users to tear off a certain portion of the folded jucntion part, enabling free movement of the straw. The completed jucntion part, when tilted sideways, allows the carton to maintain its cuboid shape. People using E-co can simply follow the dotted lines, tear them along, and drink the beverage through the non-jucntion area.

Design process

Before creating a beverage carton with an integrated straw, directly examined and analyzed various beverage cartons by tearing them apart. Most of them had rectangular-shaped planar figures and formed three-dimensional structures by overlapping the joints with the opposite side, while the top and bottom areas were pressed and folded sideways for assembly. Based on the analysis, considering various possibilities, I concluded that protruding the joint outward to create a straw structure would be the most suitable approach for our purpose. To improve usability and reduce the risk of damage, I designed the carton with dotted lines. When the dotted line is intact, the straw structure remains fixed, but after tearing the dotted line, the straw can be freely used.

How it is different

E-co maintains its cubic shape, providing advantages in storage, loading, and transportation, while enabling convenient consumption through the straw structure. E-co realizes environmental value by not using materials like plastic straws, lids and vinyl. Additionally, being composed of a single structure, E-co eliminates secondary waste and enhances recycling efficiency, contributing to its environmental value. Functionally, E-co is designed to accommodate sterilization processes for beverages that require barrier protection both internally and externally. Its simple structure also demonstrates process friendliness, showcasing the originality of E-co. As seen in the planar figure of E-co, it maintains simplicity in the manufacturing process with minimal alterations while maximizing utility. Considering its environmental, user-centric, and manufacturer-oriented aspects, E-co embodies the greatest originality in being a product that caters to all these factors.

Future plans

The goal is to further develop and produce the actual product based on the prototype. By utilizing machinery, I aim to verify how usability can be maximized through precise production of E-co and make necessary adjustments until reaching a certain level of quality. Subsequently, I'm planning to enhance E-co by adding a cover structure that can encase the straw, enabling hygienic usage. Ultimately, the objective is to commercialize E-co.

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