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<\/a>The material itself is derived from the cellulose of sustainably managed trees, a naturally biodegradable material. However, it looks and feels like traditional plastic. These properties mean the product is certified industrial and home compostable* but maintains the ease and hygiene consumers prefer in single-use articles. Replacing traditional plastics with compostable products helps protect the environment and our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200b\u201cEntirely too many single-use plastics are ending up on the side of the road, in waterways, and even in landfills where they’ll just persist for hundreds of years,\u201d said Lizz Sapia, Eastman\u2019s Growth Process Steward Center of Excellence manager. \u201cCurrent plastics aren’t a viable long-term option, but single-use plastics are here to stay from a consumer ease and hygiene perspective. Consumers love their plastics, but the research shows that they’re also concerned about the ultimate fate of these materials. The project with NC State looked at redesigning those single-use articles from a different material, one that’s compostable and has a better end-of-life story without compromising the consumer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project came at an opportune time: All work was completed during the 2018-2019 academic year, before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States in 2020. The pandemic made to-go food even more important for eaters and restaurateurs, as dining rooms closed to protect public health. Take-out became one of the only ways to support local businesses as the coronavirus raged on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love working with students because of the creativity and the natural passion they have for the projects they’re working on,\u201d added Sapia. \u201cThey have such great questions because they’re genuinely excited about the materials, the design process and, most importantly, the why behind the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Designing for People and Planet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Thorough research was needed before creating the packaging. Students interviewed those who manufacture the packaging, those who would handle and pack the take-out containers \u2014 like restaurant workers \u2014 and those who would eat from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe surprising thing about the project was the different layers of who would be using the product,\u201d said Kevin Milz, a student in the Master\u2019s of Industrial Design program. \u201cThere\u2019s Eastman, and then there\u2019s Eastman\u2019s customers \u2014 the fast food industry, which would be using these products. Then you\u2019ve got to think of the people handling it \u2014 the restaurant employees \u2014 and how efficiently they can use this. Then you\u2019ve got the end user, who is the person actually receiving the product. We had to think of all of these different levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Liu agreed, explaining: \u201cAt first you think, \u2018Oh, packaging food, it\u2019s a very simple mechanism \u2014 it\u2019s just boxes.\u2019 But then when we went deeper, we realized even the little details, the relationship between the materials and the people\u2019s experience, there are a lot of areas we can improve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Senior design projects are a vital experience for many NC State students. Companies sponsor the projects, which students complete during the academic year. These projects weave together academia, industry, research and innovation. Students take on a practical, hands-on learning experience that bolsters their skills and prepares them for the workforce. Companies benefit from students\u2019 fresh perspectives and insight into new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eastman\u2019s project builds upon a culture of sustainability at NC State. In a senior design project sponsored by Under Armour, four students in the Wilson College of Textiles developed a nonwoven material that incorporated down insulation waste. Short fibers that remain after processing down often end up in landfills. The students identified how to control down material in facilities and use it in a nonwoven material. They then developed a puffer jacket prototype for Under Armour using the more sustainable material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you think it can’t be done, you should give it to a student because they don’t know that it can’t be done,\u201d said Dawn Mason, Global External Innovation Manager at Eastman.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHands-on Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n