LAYCO Medical Devices BV needs a packaging solution for their new product, vela®, a reusable vacuum extraction device aimed at replacing single-use devices in Dutch hospitals by 2025. The challenge was to design packaging that not only meets stringent medical and logistical requirements in the Netherlands, but also aligns with LAYCO’s commitment to sustainability, reducing environmental impact while ensuring the device’s safety and usability.
The proposed packaging solution is a compact box made of corrugated board. The use of this material has a low environmental impact as it is renewable and easy to recycle. The corrugated board cutout of the packaging is cunningly designed to fold into a rigid box with designated placeholders for the product parts. The folding and unfolding of the packaging is specifically designed to increase the ease of use.
The packaging solution accumulates 0.046 Grams of CO2eq. in its life cycle whilst competitor packaging solutions are responsible for at least double this number. The design stimulates correct disposal through its use cues. The solution is seamlessly implementable in the existing systems in the healthcare ecosystem. The protective capabilities are validated in several tests with extreme conditions.
The importance of this project lies in the fact that packaging solutions currently are all designed to be disposed of. While the transition to a world without the need for disposable packaging is desired in order to sustain life on earth in the long run, smaller changes right now can significantly decrease our impact on the environment. In this thesis it is explained that by redesigning disposable packaging solutions, we can already half our impact today.