Earth Hour’s Eco-Design Competition Winners Announced
Last month creative design students from Massey University in Wellington spent three frantic days dreaming up ways to save the planet – with a new take on the humble glass milk bottle coming out on top.
The students’ projects were submitted to the “Eco-Innovations” design competition set up by Earth Hour to highlight the critical thinking and creative practices that can lead us down the path to a more sustainable future.
Yesterday a panel of expert judges including photographer Anne Noble, architect Ian Athfield, and fashion designer Laurie Foon decided the winners from nearly 20 entries.
The winning entry, titled “No Frills, Just Refills” is a social and product innovation that revisits the old fashioned refillable glass milk bottle. Karl Thiart, 4th year design student from the winning team said, “By changing the way we purchase milk at our local supermarket we could cut back the carbon emissions of plastic bottle production and transport miles. We designed a self-service milk station that brings glass bottles that are 100% reusable and recyclable back into supermarkets, and is fun to use.”
Laurie Foon, whose company Starfish focuses on sustainable products said, “This design solution brings the ideas of sustainable purchasing to the mainstream and revisits the nostalgia of the beloved milk bottle. A perfect, efficient solution for the inefficient daily cycle we have currently – our family would use it – when can we start?”
WWF’s Executive Director Chris Howe concluded: “Eco-innovations is a hugely exciting and important initiative because it calls on New Zealand’s young creative minds to offer solutions for a more sustainable future. We really hope some of these designs one day see the light of day and that the exposure for these young designers helps set them on a path to successful careers in as sustainable business innovators.”
Visit www.wwf.org.nz/earth_hour/eco_design_competiton/ to view the winning designs and all shortlisted entries.
At 8.30pm Saturday March 27, 2010, towns and cities throughout New Zealand and across the world will turn off their lights for just one hour – EARTH HOUR – to show that it is possible to take action on climate change.
Global conservation organisation WWF has teamed up with Massey University to launch a new green competition for the university’s design students. In support of Earth Hour (on the 27th March this year) the Eco-innovations competition will reward creative work in a broad range of media that promotes sustainability.