Kelzai

Design: Nikunj Bafna
Location: India
Project Type: Student Project
School: Indian School of Design and Innovation
Tutor: Utkarsha Malkar
Packaging Contents: Mineral Water
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Biode-gradable PET bottle, Recycled Labeling

The thing about recycling plastic bottles today is that it consists only of the bottle – To recycle one out of many component pieces of a plastic bottle is not successful recycling. It is estimated that 180,000 tonnes of waste labels are land-filled in the UK each year and labels contribute to a majority of ocean plastic waste. What happened to Reduce of the 3 R’s? Relatively little is recycled, because typically there are various materials together, plastics with different chemical compositions, adhesives and inks. Separating them in the recycling process is either labour intensive or not possible, and so far there is no practical solution.

The answer – Plastic-free, easy to separate labeling is the future. Label printing creates micro waste which is difficult to separate from the product. Many organisations around the world have taken the label-free route. New paper-based labels are intended to reduce environmental impact by reducing the amount of waste generated by plastic labels affixed to PET plastic bottles, and eliminate the effort of removing the labels prior to recycling.

CONCEPT: A label which does not stick. The Kelzai mineral water bottle is a new design with new paper-based labels that are intended to reduce environmental impact by –
(1) reducing the amount of waste generated by plastic labels affixed to bottles, and
(2) eliminate the effort of removing the labels prior to recycling.

Traditional plastic labels are made of virgin plastic. The new labels will be made with as much recycled content as possible. The optimal, and most likely, end of life scenario for paper based label is the recycling stream. Secondly, a minimal design saves on storage space and reduces material costs.

CLIENT: Kelzai Volcanic Water. It is a high end mineral water brand which sources its water from from the mighty Sahyadhari mountains. It is a socially responsible and environmentally conscious company, and the only natural mineral water brand in the country that packages its water in Biodegradable PET bottles.

All in all, the new form factor has many benefits. The label comes off once the bottle cap is opened and the seal is broken. It is easy to dispose and is 100% biodegradable. Gone are the days of annoying plastic labels which end up polluting the environment.

The bottle is designed to be easy to stack. Thicker biodegradable PET plastic and a minimal sleek form encourages the consumer to reuse the bottle again and again. With a long lasting shelf life this bottle is your companion and more than just a single-use mineral bottle.

Lets take a step towards a label-less future.