Laura Howard, a 29-year-old University of Louisville graphic design student, has created a bioplastic symbol that will be stamped on Cereplast Inc.'s bioplastic products and packaging. Cereplast sponsored the "Make Your Mark" contest, which looked for a design that would help consumers identify bioplastics and differentiate them from the familiar number-in-a-triangle symbols that mark petroleum-based plastics.
Howard's bioplastic symbol was one of 200 final designs chosen from a field of 1,500 entries. Nearly 3 million votes were cast before a panel of judges that included famed industrial designer Karim Rashid and Dr. Gary Anderson, (the inventor of the "recycle" symbol,) made the final call. The bioplastic symbol netted Howard a $25,000 prize and may one day be as ubiquitous as Anderson's triple-arrow recycling symbol.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Bioplastic Identification
- Creating new symbols or designs to help consumers identify bioplastics and differentiate them from petroleum-based plastics.
- Sustainable Packaging
- Incorporating bioplastics into packaging materials to reduce environmental impact and meet consumer demand for sustainability.
- Eco-friendly Materials
- Developing bioplastics as an alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote environmental preservation.
Sectors Adopting This
- Packaging
- The packaging industry can explore incorporating bioplastics into their products to offer eco-friendly alternatives and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.
- Design
- Designers can focus on creating innovative symbols and visual cues that help consumers identify and understand the sustainability aspects of different materials and products.
- Plastics
- The plastics industry can invest in research and development to enhance the production and properties of bioplastics, further promoting their adoption as a sustainable alternative.
