In 2018, local entrepreneur, Lyndsey Packham approached us for help designing her prototype with a view to setting up her own business. She’d worked out a simple and clever way of improving the weaning stage for children with a product that would puree solid food quickly, using the food older children and adults are eating, whether at home or on the move.
Shared values
Part of the brief, which was music to our ears, was that she wanted to consider the environment with the materials it was made out of as it needed to be plastic. We talked her through the Cradle to Cradle (C2C®) design framework (we do our utmost with all projects to integrate the principles at the outset) and the values lined up perfectly with what she wanted for her product.
Good plastic
Plastic as a material is, rightly so, in the spotlight now for the problems it’s causing with wildlife and recycling. But not all plastic is evil. In fact much of it is good.
One of the challenges for designers, is the sourcing and availability of appropriate raw materials that meet the C2C® standards, whilst ticking the boxes of being fit for purpose whilst still cost effective for a project.
UK first
In the case of Wonder Wean, we worked with a good friend Brendon Rowen of Cradle to Cradle Marketplace to source good plastics and suitable injection moulders to manufacture Wonder Wean in UK.
As a result, Wonder Wean will be the first product designed and manufactured in the UK from start to finish, in line with Cradle to Cradle® principles.
Cradle to Cradle
If you are not familiar with it, in short, C2C® design principles, go above and beyond loosely used terms like eco-friendly, green and even beyond sustainable. Through C2C®, products are made to be safe for people and provide environmental benefits. C2C® certification is now the highest standard for green product design, analysing all of the components and processes of manufacturing and packaging and considering end of life reclamation and re-use.
Lyndsey is working to gain Cradle to Cradle Certification, with support from partners Cradle to Circular Design Consultancy (UK) and McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (USA).
Find out more
If you would like to know more about the Cradle to Cradle design approach we are committed to pursuing, have a look at this article and to know more about how we could help you with your product development, contact us here.
Take a look at her website to see the way she will track products, re-purpose them and grow a community around Wonder Wean.