bruk cartons split open to make paper and plastic easier to recycle

a sustainable beverage carton

san francisco-based designer pushan panda created bruk, a sustainable beverage carton designed to be recycled. in his design, the paper carton is separated from the plastic lining, making the packaging easier to be recycled. although cartons stacked on supermarket shelves – such as milk, juice, and even tomato sauce – are made primarily of paper, there is a thin layer of plastic or aluminum inside. since part of the material still contains plastic, these cartons are often recycled with plastic, metal, and glass containers.

with bruk, there is no need to worry about peeling the plastic from the paper. ‘conventional paper milk cartons are made using paper sandwiched between two thin layers of plastic. in order to recycle them, the paper and plastic must be separated which requires a special process that is both expensive and not widely available. as a result, in the USA alone only 16% of beverage cartons are recycled and only 49% are recycled in the EU,’ says designer panda. ‘bruk is designed to eliminate these problems; when it’s time to recycle it, the consumer simply tears bruk in half releasing the HDPE liner so it can be recycled separately from the cardboard.’

images courtesy of pushan panda

fast, simple, and fun to make

panda kept functionality and ease in mind when he designed his product. as a result, bruk is fast, simple, and fun to make. its prototype shows the linings where users may fold the paper, resembling the art of origami. ‘we designed bruk to be intuitive and inclusive, easy for everyone regardless of physical ability. bruk is as convenient and easy to use as a conventional carton, but uses less plastic than a plastic carton and is 100% recyclable with conventional equipment unlike paper cartons,’ says panda.

bruk is easy to make and tear

a sustainable packaging

what panda has proposed may spur the way brands and companies devise their packaging for recyclability purposes. ‘when we purchase a beverage carton like those commonly used for milk or juice, we place little consideration into their life after we put them in the recycling bin. environmentally conscious consumers may think that a paper carton is more sustainable because it uses less plastic than a similar carton made from plastic and they are right to think so. however, due to their construction, the common paper beverage carton is surprisingly difficult to recycle,’ shares panda. with bruk, it takes no more than seconds to peel off the plastic from paper, a step towards being more disciplined in recycling while making it enjoyable.

this paper-based carton is easier to be recycled