Circular kit for a circular home

A Circular Home, in every detail

Hogar Circular (“Circular Home”) helps people to live in harmony with nature, in a more sustainable way and without accumulating so many objects. In short, to have a circular life. This is done through training activities and workshops, such as the waxed fabric workshop. Waxed fabrics are an alternative to single-use products such as plastic film. In its workshops, Hogar Circular accompanies the creation of waxed fabrics from a very practical kit.

These kits allow each user to make their own waxed fabric at home. They include all the necessary materials (such as organic cotton fabric and beeswax), and instructions on how to make it.

How might we bring these kits to Hogar Circular’s audience, in the most sustainable way possible? That is the challenge we tried to solve with this project.

Circular packaging for a circular kit

The design process began with the approach of circular strategies for the product, together with Hogar Circular and different suppliers. We identified ‘reuse’ as a strategic element for the product’s narrative, so this circular strategy was taken to the packaging.

Different prototypes were made and tested with real users. Thus, it was identified which concept worked best for them, and how the instructions could be included in the most accessible and sustainable way.

Circular strategies embedded in the final packaging design

Firstly, we applied reutilization, as this is a concept also present in waxed fabrics. The structural design facilitates its reuse for the same use it had, or for other uses. These reuse options are included in the product communication, encouraging users to be creative and find other solutions as well. On the other hand, cardboard shavings left over from the manufacturing process itself have been included to protect the product during transport.

Secondly, the packaging is mono-material, so that if its multiple useful lives come to an end, it can be more easily recycled. In addition, vegetable-based inks have been used for the graphic design, so as to facilitate recycling with the best possible impact.

Finally, in order to save printed material and to facilitate the updating of instructions and explanatory content of the product, this information has been digitized. The packaging includes a QR with access to an interactive PDF, designed to be accessible, communicate the possible uses of the product and expand the instructions. In addition, the PDF includes explanatory illustrations of each point, and a link to a video where the customer explains the whole process.