PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2021

OUTER PLANET 54 PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 06/21 www.petpla.net OUTER PLANET When the packaging becomes the product – and vice versa A bottle that doesn’t come to stay The clue is in the name. Soapbottle is packaging made from and for soap. Once the liquid hygiene product content is finished, the empty container can be used as hand soap or washing agent and simply “washes away”. Jonna Breitenhuber is a product and process designer based in Berlin. In her Master’s thesis, she wanted to tackle the topic of sustainable packag- ing for liquid personal care products. Inspired by the food industry, which already has a few examples where the product itself becomes packaging, she was wondering if she could trans- fer this concept to hygiene products. So, just as you can eat the cone along with your ice cream, she wanted to find a solution for hygiene products that turned the product into packaging – and vice versa. Jonna was gripped by the idea and started experimenting with soap and “project Soapbottle” was born. The concept of Soapbottle spread quickly and took off at a rapid pace: Salone Satellite, Fach Pack, Ambi- ente, Kunstgewerbe- museum Berlin – fairs and exhibitions show- cased Soapbottle. Awards for design and sustainability followed, such as the Federal Eco-Design Award, as well as publications on various platforms. The designer received messages from people and companies all over the world showing interest in the develop- ment. This motivated her to pursue the pro- ject further. Meanwhile, project Soapbottle is now based in Amsterdam and has grown into a young, international team that works intensively on product and brand development. Zero waste goal The primary intention of the project was the zero-waste approach. Once its 100ml liquid contents are finished, the container becomes like any other bar of soap. In other words, it simply degrades over time, upon use or can be processed into a cleaning agent. Solid soap is an alkaline salt, which is produced from oil (or fat) and caustic soda and decomposes in the sewage plant after a few days. The bottle comes with a label made from recycled and recyclable paper and a stainless steel cap which can be re-used on the next Soapbot- tle. For the soap itself, natural and biodegradable raw materials are used. Commercialisation When designing the product, Jonna Breitenhuber chose a rectangu- lar shape for space-saving stockage in stores. So far, the product realisa- tion phase is still underway. Via a kickstarter campaign, the company has recently been able to generate the funding it requires. Together with partner Marie-Stella-Maris, the team is now working on the next phase of brand and product development. The goal is to launch Soapbottle in 2022. www.projectsoapbottle.com