ddp design fair

Describe your work to be presented at the 2021 DDP Design Fair

Our product concept is the circulation of plastic resources. In June this year, iCOOP KOREA launched water packaged in cartons that can replace plastic water bottles. By replacing plastic bottles with cartons, we wanted to reduce a large amount of plastic waste. The efforts of iCOOP KOREA do not stop here. It also collects used cartons to make recycled paper towels. Each carton consists of a body and a cap. The recycling of caps remains a challenge for us. The cap is made from sugar cane, not petroleum-based materials, so it greatly reduces carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. However, the cap goes into trash since it is non-recyclable.

We first met Lowlit Collective at iCOOP Seed Foundation’s “Climate Action Partners” project. This project started this year to support organizations or individuals who have the skills or abilities to solve the climate crisis, and Lowlit Collective was one of the participating organizations. We started discussing ways to make products recycled from caps with Lowlit Collective, a company that makes excellent design products from non-recyclable leftover plastic. iCOOP KOREA has a workshop for mixed plastic called “Thank You Earth”. We produce flower pots, wash basins, chairs, large bowls and foot sanitizing containers by mixing ramen packaging, wraps, and plastic during the production process. The two companies came together to create a product by combining Thank You Earth’s mixed plastic manufacturing technology and Lowlit Collective’s design abilities and decided to make a case for paper towels after several discussions.

Development of water packaged in cartons → Collection of used cartons → Production of paper towels → Collection of paper carton caps → Production of paper towel cases. I thought that this series of processes could be an exemplary model for the circulation of resources.

Describe the reason why you decided to participate in the DDP Design Fair

iCOOP KOREA dreams of a happy world for the company, the local community and the entire planet, instead of merely pursuing its own health and happiness. We believe that humanity’s greatest crisis is the climate crisis, and we are continuing our efforts to solve this issue.

Water packaged in cartons, microplastic-free salt, seaweed and meat products that avoid unnecessary packaging and paper cups and paper straws used in stores are in line with our efforts. The “Climate Action Partners” project provides a platform that facilitates connections with other organization and individuals who share the same thoughts. By leveraging iCOOP's technology, capital, and infrastructure, we would like to collaborate with like-minded organizations with innovative ideas or individuals to find ways to tackle climate crisis together.