UNI announces ‘Eco-ware’ — Architecture Competition —worldwide Sustainable cutlery design challenge — UNI.xyz
‘Eco-ware’ is a product design competition for creators who can contribute to improving our day-to-day modern lives while being sensitive towards the natural environment. The competition’s aim is to bring forth ideas for thoughtful and effective cutlery design. In most parts of the world, cutlery is one of those things that are such a normal part of our lives that we hardly notice their luxury. In today’s fast-paced world, there is a need for innovation and evolution in the cutlery we use. The vastly growing amount of tourism and travel have also caused an increase in plastic waste pollution. Studies suggest that plastic utensils might have harmful effects on our bodies in the long run. A part of the objectives of this competition is to design travel-friendly, economic cutlery. At the same time, the competition aims to spark environmentally sensitive thinking in modern product design, by inviting designers to propose sustainable options for such portable cutlery design.
Cutlery — a part and parcel of food consumption
Originating from the French word ‘courtlier’, the term cutlery encompasses the range of tools used in cooking, eating, and serving. They were originally termed as silverware or flatware but changed later due to the fact that only the wealthy could afford those silverware tools.
The nomenclature varied over subsequent eras and in different parts of the world, but the tools served the same purpose i.e. to ease the act of eating. Some cultures still follow the ancient tradition of eating with their fingers to make it a wholesome sensory experience, but cutlery is widely used around the world to consume food, especially in outdoor settings where issues of hygiene and convenience might be involved.
Spoons and knives are the oldest cutlery to emerge, as a form of cutting meat and scooping, and it took a while before they came into use as a tool to eat food with. Forks came along later when the wife of Henry II brought some forks with two tines, back from Italy and the trend took off. To make it more efficient, Germany took a leap and added one or two more tines to the fork, which made the design what it is and is widely used, today
Modern lifestyles and changing needs
Travelling has become easier in our era and is a popular activity these days. This has called for a new need for transport-friendly cutlery. While people looking for a stimulating dining experience can still continue using fine cutlery, it is people on the go, who require a usable form of handy cutlery that is easy to use during transportation, without having to carry an arsenal in their bag! Besides, many people travel to marvel at the wonders of nature and spend time with it, but they should not have to produce waste harmful to nature either.
Sporks were one quantum leap from the previous invention, forks, that helped reduce the cutlery baggage to an extent but it still needed complimentary utensils to fulfill its purpose. In terms of wares that take up less space, foldable cutlery was invented but it has not been adopted so much by users.
To take into play the Ayurvedic logic of a holistic eating experience, with the modularity and convenience that can be achieved through modern means, a leap must be taken by designers to come up with an efficient form of cutlery. A product that is an almost integral part of our everyday lives, how can it be adapted to neither be harmful to us nor to the environment?
How can the needs of portable cutlery be designed with the constraints of time and budget, while keeping them eco-friendly as well as travel-friendly?
Brief of the Competition
Brief: The challenge of this competition is to develop a set of cutlery that is fitting for a traveler/camper/adventure enthusiast so that they can eat their food safely.
The set must be compact and, if needed, washable, and should be able to be disposed of without negative consequences. The aesthetics and design of the new cutlery must be inventive and original. The material used must be sustainable, with the invention involving compactness and mobility as well. They can be designed to be reusable, giving them a chance to last longer.
A conceptual lifecycle can be devised to recycle them in order to make the proposal more convincing. Cutlery, although not a huge part of our lives, contributes to a large proportion of our wastes, in the form of plastic, use and throw utensils, that will end up in landfills.
The set must comprise the basic spoon, fork, knife, and straws. Additional tools may be added to the line if needed. Designs must first be added to the tools and later to their packaging and aesthetics.
Design Objectives
- Compact: The cutlery must be carried in compact packaging and create minimal wastage.
- Portable: The cutlery must be travel-friendly with a firm grip and a cleanable surface.
- Environment-friendly: Sustainable alternative for disposable plastic cutlery and packaging.
- Material: The palette chosen will shape the aesthetic and utility experience for users.
Originally published at https://uni.xyz.
