2025 | Student

MUSE Design Awards Silver Winner

Eco-GrowthBox

Entrant

Tatung University

Category

Product Design - Sustainable Living / Environmental Preservation

Client's Name

Han Sheng Chang、Xuanming Cao

Country / Region

Taiwan

About The Entry

In the context of climate change, deforestation, and resource depletion, packaging design must take on full environmental responsibility. Disposable tableware from outdoor activities often ends up in forests, rivers, and beaches, where proper waste management is lacking. This contradiction between enjoying nature and damaging it sparked a question: what if a lunchbox could grow into a tree instead of becoming waste?

The result is a biodegradable lunchbox made from 100% recycled paper pulp and coated with natural soy protein. It contains seeds and, after use, can be folded into a cone and buried in soil. The material naturally decomposes, allowing the seeds to germinate and grow. Extensive testing ensured the right balance between structural durability, biodegradability, and seed preservation.

This is more than packaging—it’s a design that combines circular economy principles, regenerative thinking, and environmental education. Unlike most biodegradable products that require industrial composting, this lunchbox breaks down directly in nature. Its cone shape improves soil contact, helping seed growth and making it ideal for ESG programs, outdoor use, education, and community projects.

In a time of growing biodiversity loss and ecological stress, the product represents both practical action and symbolic change. It transforms waste into renewal and everyday consumption into a restorative act. Through one simple gesture, individuals contribute to a broader effort of ecological healing.

This lunchbox addresses pollution from disposable tableware and creates lasting value. For users, it offers a direct, intuitive way to support the environment. Choosing it isn’t just about avoiding harm—it’s about participating in restoration.

No special facilities are needed. Just fold and bury—the process is simple, and the results are visible. This makes the product emotionally engaging and highly applicable for sustainability education, brand campaigns, and public initiatives.

For those committed to environmental progress, this is more than a product. It’s a tool for change, offering a practical and hopeful vision of how thoughtful design can benefit both people and the planet.

Credits

Product design
Han Sheng Chang
Packaging design
Xuanming Cao
More Silver Winners
Product
2025
MUSE Design Awards Winner - Echo Mask—Magnetic Modular Burn Mask

Entrant

XINTIAN XIE, YIFAN MA, JINGJING DANG, BIN XIE

Category

Product Design - Healthcare

Conceptual
2025
MUSE Design Awards Winner - H2Oreuse

Entrant

吳一辰/李凱楚教授/李志雲/陳子金/林宇和/莊楚安

Category

Conceptual Design - Home Appliances

Product
2025
MUSE Design Awards Winner - CUBIC MATRIX

Entrant

LA NEW INT`L CORP.

Category

Product Design - Accessories

Fashion
2025
MUSE Design Awards Winner - Fashion Victims

Entrant

Fashion House Lekeckas

Category

Fashion Design - Uniforms & Costumes