Mytilus
Sustainable packaging, University project
Project – University project, 2017
Status –
ID concept – Manon Le Sant
Development – Manon Le Sant
Visuals – Manon Le Sant
Mytilus is an environmentally friendly packaging that helps with the harvesting of mussels and their preservation from the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This packaging is a collapsible waterproof cardboard folding system that can accommodate 60 to 80 mussels (1 to 2 portions).
Blue mussel fishing is an activity that has been practiced for generations. It is an accessible fishery because it does not require a fishing license. However, blue mussels do need special conservation, and overfishing is frequently observed.
The goal was to design packaging to optimize fishing, quantities per person, and the conservation of the mussels.
I studied the optimal short-term storage to simulate the natural state of the mussel as much as possible; this consisted of a saline and cold environment with an air inlet.
These conservation criteria guided the brainstorm, in addition to other aesthetic and functional standards: it must contain a quantity for one to two people and be easy to transport, deliver, and store, from the supplier’s point of view and also from the customer’s point of view.
The final packaging has various advantages: Optimal preservation, Candidate for environmental certifications, Completely recyclable (BoPET film is laminated on PET and then attached to cardboard. When the paperboard is crushed in the recycling centers, the film comes off on its own), The volume of the packaging itself is smaller than the size of the product, when not in use, Locally produced from local resources: reduction in transportation costs and greenhouse gases.
