Companies are constantly working to create more sustainable packaging and reduce waste while still keeping their branding intact and costumer convenience at the forefront. It’s a tall order, but designer, Aaron Mickelson has an idea of how to fill it. Mickelson has created disappearing packaging. The Disappearing Package project features several innovative packaging ideas that eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of packaging in various products.

On the food & beverage front, Mickelson has trimmed the Twinning’s Tea packaging while increasing the space for brand story. Traditionally Twinning’s Tea bags have come packaged with the paper tab stapled to the string all tucked into waxed paper folders which are lined up in a sturdy paperboard box and wrapped in plastic. Mickelson’s package features wax-lined individual tea packets as part of one long perforated strip that stacks up accordion style on the shelf. The strip opens like a book to display the brand story. Consumers need simply to tear off their tea bag, open the packet and use. The tea folder itself acts as the paper handle. When the last tea bag has been used, the entire package will be gone.

Mickelson’s innovative design eliminates the paperboard box, plastic outer wrapper and paper tea bag handles. This adds up to over one ton (2,646 lbs) of eliminated packaging waste per truckload of tea. Learn more about Mickelson’s Disappearing Package at www.disappearingpackage.com.

What do you think of The Disappearing Package? Can you picture this packaging method stocking store shelves in the future?