Wasted: Packaging design students grapple with the environmental impact of their work MORE How often do you order something small online, and it comes in a box several times larger? Some students are trying to design more environmentally sustainable packaging. Image by Mike Royer.
E-commerce has exploded during the pandemic, and so have the mountains of packaging that come with it. Last year online sales went up more than 40% over the year before. That means more boxes, more bubble wrap, more little air-filled plastic bags most of which will end up in the landfill.
“The point is we re living on top of trash. Trash is all around us. It s becoming our environment. How much more do we want trash to take over our environment is the big question,” says Steve McAdam, who teaches product and packaging design at Otis College of Art and Design.