Artichoke inspired the ‘packaging’ industry

Alara Ertenü (21), student at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Department of Industrial Design, produced bio-packaging using artichoke leaves and pea pods. The bio-packaging project named ‘Packioli’, which can be used in food products, cosmetics and cleaning industry, and stands out with its environmentalist and easy to produce feature, was exhibited at the Netherlands Design Week and was published in 10 international magazines. Stating that she developed a special water-resistant material for soaps in her latest project, Ertenü said, “I wanted to develop a design that could compete with plastic packaging in the market and create awareness with its eco-friendly feature. I am happy that I was successful in this as well. I also applied for a patent for the bio-packaging I produced.”

Alara Ertenü, a fourth year student at IUE Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Industrial Design, completed her project, which offers an environmentally friendly solution to plastic packaging in the market, in about 3 months. Inspired by the leaves of the artichoke and the shell of the pea, which is one of the leading Aegean flavors and therapeutic, Ertenü made a difference with her extraordinary project. Ertenü, who first dried the artichoke leaves and pea pods, then ground them into powder. Finally, IUE student Ertenü succeeded in producing bio-packaging from these wastes by using various binders that are completely organic.

ALTERNATIVE TO PLASTIC MATERIALS

Ertenü stated that the patent process regarding the bio-packaging she had implemented continues and said that she aimed to enter the sector with this product. Pointing out that the use of plastic materials poses a serious threat to the environment, Ertenü said, “A significant part of the artichoke comes out as waste. We do not use most of the leaves and stems of the artichoke. Likewise, a serious amount of waste comes out of peas. I thought about how we can make use of these wastes and decided to produce bio-packaging from these wastes. I obtained all the wastes necessary for this by going to the farmers’ market. In the market, I talked directly with the farmers and got their opinion. According to research, the global cosmetics industry unfortunately produces more than 120 billion non-recyclable packages that end up in the ocean each year. These numbers mean a problem for all humanity. It is possible to get rid of the plastic problem to a large extent by evaluating the wastes in nature. We have proven this once again in my project.”

HAS A MOISTURIZING FEATURE

Sharing detailed information about her project, Ertenü continued as follows: “Bio-packaging, which I call Packioli, can be integrated into any form thanks to its flexible structure. It is water resistant for up to 1 week, even in contact with water. It also has a moisturizing feature. It can be used with natural colorants obtained from plants and does not contain any chemicals. It also has a surface quality suitable for printing or bioprinting. All these increase the preferability of the bio-packaging we have prepared. My project has been exhibited at Dutch Design Week until now and has been featured in important international magazines such as Designboom, Dezeen, Yanko Design. I will continue to work in this field in the coming period.”