Some of the most exciting green products on the market today take their inspiration dirct from nature's principles. Mazda's 929 car has solar cells on its roof that run a ventilating system when the car is parked in the sun. By matching the respiration rate of vegetables, W.R. Grace's breathable package keeps produce fresher longer. Some of the best examples of minimal packaging now on the market also borrow some of their majic from nature. For example, a good way to reduce packaging is to package in bulk.
Nature has a way of packaging in bulk.
It's called the pea pod. And it's very possible that it was used as inspiration for In participating in this process, corporate teams literally search under rocks for new sources of creative inspiration and new paradigms for thinking about environmentally sound packages and products. They discover what good product and package designers have known for centuries'that the best inspiration for new packages'as well as new products, buildings, etc., comes from nature. They are inherently efficient, easily recyclable, and often they use recycled materials or materials made from renewable resources. What follows are three of the many techniques at the core of the Getting to Zerosm process for using nature as a source of creative stimulation for environmentally-sound product and package development.