Hoping to do something about the less than 0.05% of milk and juice cartons in the US that ever end up recycled, Portland industrial designer John Schreiber created Milkmuny, producing highly-functional wallets from the familiar paper cartons we regularly discard. Milkmuny pays local groups seeking to raise funds for the cartons they collect, and after washing them, create wonderful multi-pocketed wallets through an intricate folding process—$10 each, with a 45 day warranty and a percentage of sales donated to environmental groups. Schreiber explains that
“I wanted to challenge traditional design thinking and create a mass produced product that didn’t expend more energy to create or require more resources to produce but was also aesthetically pleasing and uncompromisingly functional.”
[via TreeHugger]
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I did a bit of a double take at this one, in Cape Town, loads of homeless guys have “crafts” that they sell to you when you are in a bar/pub. One guy always had baby cactuses and wallets just like these (but made out of empty wine boxes). They were R10 each…
Next time I see him I will tell him that he started a trend.
Some of them even had little staps to make it more “bag” like.
I still have mine!
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:48 am
Hello there!
In terms of trend, in Switzerland wallets out of beverage cartons are no novelty. Many people know them. But never has someone made a “corporate” business out of it… or just got so much press.
In fact, I have been working on my little big idea as well and it’s very similar to the one from milkmuny! It’s a Recycled Magic Wallet, a Notebook and a Card Holder form used beverage carton. My idea is only… I produce them just in time. (Learn more on http://www.mayari.net)
I really need to get in touch with these guys: it would be great to collaborate!
In terms of the homeless in Cape Town. See this picture: http://mayari.posterous.com/wallet-from-south-africa I got it from my brother’s friend :) The world is small!
Tanja alias Mayari
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 am