Students of The Design Village, an industry-focused design institute based in Noida, received two awards at the Summit 2021 Biodesign Challenge in which 52 teams from 20 countries competed with their innovative design for sustainable oil packaging. Not only has the oil been converted into pellet form but the packaging of these pellets has also been created using the oil cake that remains as a by-product after the oil has been extracted.
The Design Village project team and mentors were awarded the Community Choice Award and the Outstanding Coaches Award respectively. They were the first Asian team to win an award at this summit.
Student team consists Tanesh Agrawal, Arshad Bagil Kutasiri, Natasha Singh, Konika Sharma Take part in the Bio Design Challenge under the supervision of Anusha Dhawan, Sneha Ravishankar.
Two teams from the institute have worked to bring together the biology, design and technology of products that can advance the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.
We spoke to the design students behind this innovative idea to learn more about how they develop sustainable oil pellets and packaging, and how they can help drive change.
spoil the oil rethink the shape of the granules
What is bio design?
Biodesign is an emerging discipline at the intersection of biology, art, and design.
Bio-designers work with living systems to make new materials and products, respond to problems, and critique how biotechnology is used today and can be used in the future.
The aim of the Biodesign Summit was to generate ideas that could link art, design and biology to reimagine a more sustainable and equitable future while ethically using current and future biotechnology.
Why do we need sustainable oil packaging?
“We all come from different parts of India. When the pandemic hit, we were affected in different ways,” says Konika Sharma, a master’s student in fashion and textile design.
“We’ve noticed that in India, people are starting to share all kinds of necessities, with those in need, and oil is one of the most important things,” she adds.
India is the largest consumer of edible oils, a source of dietary fats, and one of the three major categories of foods. It is a commodity that is not only used in cooking but has many other uses in our culture.
“After looking at the oil production system, we realized that the only stakeholders who seem to benefit from oil production are humans, which is a short-sighted and unsustainable approach, given consumption systems,” she says.
How are SPOIL oil pellets created?
Explains Arshad Bajil Kuttasseri, who is 4y General Bachelor’s student in Design.
Each pill contains 4.75 ml of fatty acids – 1.58 ml of saturated fatty acids and 3.17 ml of unsaturated fatty acids. Stearin acts as a protective coating for unsaturated fatty acids making them less susceptible to oxidation, he says.
“Our idea revolves around the careful consumption of edible oil A person only needs to consume 22 grams of saturated fatty acids and 44 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids from 2,000 calories per day which the granules help regulate.”
The process by which the team made the first set of oil granule models
HOW IS SPOIL PACKAGING SUSTAINED?
Created by students of The Design Village, the oil pellets need a secondary packaging to protect them from external hazards.
Interestingly, they used the same oil cake derived after the oil was extracted to create a biomaterial for food packaging.
“Oilcake is rich in antioxidants and proteins which are great for protecting the capsule from oxidation,” says Natasha Singh, a fourth-year design student in a Bachelor of Design.
“The packaging has been designed with consumer behavior in mind in the kitchen and is a compelling response to careful consumption,” she says.
“Other things considered while designing the package were minimal contact with the package, no contact with the pellets, and the need to store in a cool, dry and shaded place,” she adds.
Oil cakes are usually used as livestock feed, but the idea behind SPOIL shows that there is potential to turn the by-products of oil extraction into a full-fledged industry that could also help create more jobs for indigenous communities.
“The secondary packaging that the consumer previously used can be used as fertilizer to attract soil soldiers like earthworms. This will make the soil rich in nutrients and a better environment for plants to grow,” says Natasha.
The secondary packaging of Spoil is made of oil cake and it is biodegradable
How can the sustainable idea behind SPOIL change the manufacturing industry?
Designing sustainable oil packaging using the byproducts of oil extraction is the beginning of how we can change the way we look at packaging in the manufacturing industry.
This may create a new system in which the cost of packaging is absorbed into the manufacturing process of the product itself.
Tanesh Agarwal, 4 says “Any radical change, especially a comprehensive change of the system and human future, can become relevant to a specific audience at first and then turn out to be comprehensive.”y General Bachelor’s student in Aerospace and Interior Design.
“In addition, the new sustainable oil granules and secondary packaging actually use an ingredient that is currently a by-product in the production chain,” he explains.
“Using this can ensure that the overall cost flow is absorbed,” he adds.
The first phase of material exploration where the Spoil team worked with styrene and found potential
experience in Biodesign Challenge Summit 2021
“The experience was exhilarating, and representing the continent as the first ever institute added not only excitement, but also great responsibility,” says Konika Sharma.
“We remember that we were preparing a lot until the last minute, preparing to do justice to the work that took several months,” she adds.
“The research and design process for the project was very extensive and we had a 15-minute window for our project. We were tasked with giving our best in the shortest time,” says Arshad Bagil Kutasiri.
“Moreover, the experience of meeting all the other teams globally, and sharing our journeys and processes with each other, was moments of great learning and revelation,” says Natasha Singh.
“The diversity of the summit, the energy of meeting in a cross-border space of innovation, which brought art, science and design on a platform through ideas for a responsive and responsible future, was certainly unmatched,” says Tanesh Agarwal.
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