Slam#1: flat lunch box

It is design for everyday convenience. I am an intern architect and I bring my lunch everyday to work. I would really like my lunch box to be less bulky so it can be neatly placed in my handbag after gets cleaned.

So here are my ideas:

  • it could be folded to become one flat piece
  • it is constructed in such a way so there will be no leak
  • it could be easily cleaned (plastic?)
  • it can have a handle, lid, or spoon, which can either be part of the construction or accessories
  • not just lunch box, but also other kinds of food or drink containers can be made in this way

The foldable food container is an environment-conscious alternative to throw-away dishes because people are more likely to use and keep something that can be used more than once, moreover, it looks cool!

It could be constructed in the way some Chinese lanterns are constructed:

A lot of waste involved in bringing lunch-- good topic. The traditional ‘brown paper bag’ is super wasteful, but even worse is the ziplocks we use to transport a sandwhich, chips, and some cookies. I’ve been able to force myself to use a plastic container for the main dish, but beyond that it gets too bulky and I end up using ziplocks. I’d love to find a better way…

Don’t you think you’re encroaching on Abby’s concept a bit?

woo, really? I didn’t even have time to look at other ppl’s posts. Well, I’ll take time to read their posts and find out how I encroached on other person’s idea…

Now I just read Abby’s post and I have to agree that our topic are quite similar, though she started quite generic and I am more concentrated. Well, you have to agree it is not a bad idea to make foldable and durable containers, let’s say, in lantern forms!

The cleaning will be a problem though, which I have no idea how it can be solved…

Think think think…

Don’t worry Abby I am not gonna to fight with you about who has the original idea since I am just enjoying having something fun besides working on construction drawings all day…

What if it can be de-constructed fairly quickly into one flat piece so that way it could be cleaned quite easily?

Thanks cg for looking out for me…
After reading this thread I think there is plenty of room for both topics, especially since I started out so vague about what I was going to do exactly. I think I’ve narrowed mine down to food packaging from the production end, not the consumption end. So, Silver, it seems that you are (more or less) designing a better lunchbag while I am (more or less) working on the problem of margarine tubs and cereal boxes.
I will change the name of my thread to “Commercial Food Packaging”.
You should take a look at some of the ideas that were posted there, though, particularly from Sam.

“foldable food container is an environment-conscious alternative to throw-away dishes”

confused. is the container also the dish? what “convenient” item(s) would this eliminate? how are non-disposable solutions failing? what would motivate the non-environmentally concerned consumer to switch?

sort of running away from the folding bit - but why not use a flexible, wipeable material (perhaps a plastic-fabric like the kind used for cheap tablecloths) that way, it is easly cleaned with a damp sponge and folds into a little roll. it could even be fused/glued/sewn together to create compartments for different foods…

another one thats seeing no activity. hope we see something. nice little project imo.