EKO, pronounced the same way as eco, is a packaging project aimed to be more environmentally friendly. For instant beverages like coffee and tea, much wastes is usually generated, from the sachets of the coffee powder, creamer, sugar, down to the larger packaging to hold them. Worse still, some of these are made of plastic which is non-biodegradable, and is hardly used for recycling since they are often discarded as thrash. 

Having these in mind, I created a packaging that have the consumers in mind, to make sure that the packaging was suitable for reuse, to reduce the amount that is wasted and thrown away. With one packaging, it contains all the necessities, be it coffee, creamer or sugar, reducing the need for separate bags to contain these. 

To ensure that the container could be reused for storage purposes, the design was kept simple and minimal to be more timeless, and suitable for anyone to use. With a full black exterior, the brand was done in glossy black spot UV over a matte black velvet textured cardstock. The cardstock was specifically selected to be matte black and has a velvet texture to exude a sense of luxury, making a simple packaging seem much more worth keeping. The packaging is also double-layered to ensure it is sturdy and durable for reuse. The interior is line with an inner segmented compartment with the pattern of coffee beans. These yellow beans on a white background provides a subtle detail to what seem plain on the exterior. 

With a circular design thinking in mind, the creation process was not only driven by the end product, but also the development and production of it to simplify the processes. The packaging makes use of folds and interlocking mechanisms to hold themselves in place, and very minimal glue is required only for areas like joining for the exterior box. Most, if not all, of the pieces come in one single piece and is cut and folded into the container, reducing the need for multiple sheets and sticking and joining. 

A series of 3 different packaging was done for this project, namely a large package suitable for corporate pantries, a small package for personal use, as well as a glass container package for personal use for those who do not require sugar and creamer.