When three high school students received a damaged package, they decided to come up with a solution by creating eco-friendly cardboard packaging that can prevent the issue from happening to others.
As KillerStartups reported, Zhi Han (Anthony) Yao, Flint Mueller, and James Clare, students at Stuyvesant High School in New York City, developed Kiriboard, a plastic-free alternative to the polluting and toxic materials commonly used in bubble wrap. After receiving a shipment of damaged motors in the mail, they were determined to find a way to better protect products during transport.
"We're like, well, we should do something about this packaging, because clearly the packaging wasn't good enough," Mueller said.
The teens took inspiration from kirigami — a Japanese art form where 3D designs are created by cutting and folding paper — and Kiriboard was born. The material is cut into lattice-like shapes, allowing it to bend and provide cushioning between an item and the sides of the box.
It sounds simple, but the invention could be game-changing for the shipping industry. The patterns in the cardboard make the material durable, protecting products and minimizing impacts during shipping without the harmful side effects of bubble wrap or Styrofoam.
In April, their invention earned global acclaim after it won the $12,500 Earth Prize, an international environmental sustainability competition for teens. KillerStartups stated that they plan to use the money to purchase a CNC router, which will automate the cardboard cutting process and enable them to scale up production.
"Something like this is the wave of the future," Jerry Citron, the teenagers' environmental science teacher, told Business Insider.
As public awareness grows about the impacts of climate change and pollution, more young people are taking it upon themselves to develop sustainable innovations that can drive progress and promote a healthier planet for future generations. The teens' invention is just one of many examples of eco-friendly solutions that are both cost-effective and practical.
Any packaging ideas that eliminate plastics are much-needed, as microplastics shed from the materials and end up virtually everywhere, from the bottom of the oceans to the tops of mountains. They've also been found in human bodies and are linked to numerous health problems, from reproductive dysfunction to various types of cancers, and even neurodegenerative disorders.
"I didn't realize it was as big of an issue as it was," Yao told Business Insider. "I mean, companies have made sustainable initiatives and greener initiatives, but they haven't really fully replaced plastic packaging."
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The way it looks 😍 After conducting a series of tests to determine the weight the cardboard could withstand, the trio was confident that their product could be used in real-world settings. The Kiriboard was able to absorb impacts from heavy items, such as metal water bottles and staplers, dropped from significant heights. Now that the product has demonstrated success, the next step is to test it further by shipping packages to see how the Kiriboard holds up in real-world conditions outside the lab. After that, the teens plan to pursue a patent and pitch the product to retailers such as Home Depot, Amazon, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service.
If all goes to plan, the product could be the next big thing in shipping, helping to cut costs and drive sustainability across multiple industries.
"Not bad for three teenagers and a damaged box of motors," KillerStartups concluded.
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