This is for all the cereal snobs, eco-advocates, and package design-lovers out there. Adam Sirois, Alexander Renzi, and Mikael Johansson’s (aka Carl) vision for cereal: [me] & goji.
[Me] & Goji is a step toward mass customization. For us eco-advocates this has implications of producing less waste than mass production, as having products made to order could would lessen the need for over production that is a key piece of mass production.
Adam was able to answer some questions on his cereal. Here are his words below:
{NP} What was your inspiration behind the container’s shape, look and feel?
{AS} We wanted to rethink cereal. This is one of our advantages over
the big cereal companies: bigger ships take longer to turn, whereas we
had the flexibility to try something completely new and different. If
you have been to any of the big food shows recently you might’ve
noticed that there really isn’t much innovation in food right now, and
especially cereal over the last 20 years. Cereal is something that
people are passionate about, like coffee, yet no cereal company has
really upped the ante the way Starbucks’s did in the 90s, turning a
fast-moving commodity into a premium product, and even experience.We want to make the best cereal in existence, and
our packaging has to reflect that. The shape, look and feel are meant
to me modern, simple, visually appealing and functional. It can fit in
all standard cabinets, the foil seal allows for easy-opening (how
annoying are cereal boxes to open?!) and the recyclable plastic cap
makes for easy resealing that locks in freshness.{NP} Were there difficulties in making the packaging eco-conscious?
Read the rest of the interview after the jump!
{AS} There were absolutely difficulties in making the
packaging eco-friendly and they all revolved around volume. As a small
start-up testing a new idea, we had to be cautious in the volume of our
first order, yet packaging companies simply do not produce unique
packaging in volumes less than tens of thousands.We were able to find a good solution for our first
container. It is a completely recyclable paper tube, and better yet,
extremely reusable. The range of fun, unique, and bizarre uses
(backpacks, lamps, instruments) our customers have found for their
Cereal Capsules has been one of our favorite results.We have also been extremely satisfied with our 100%
PCW secondary packaging from Salazar Packaging in Chicago. Most
cardboard shipping boxes are made with only 30-70% PCW materials.Another solution we found for decreasing the impact of our
packaging on the environment was through Green Tags. We set up a
partnership with Bonneville Environmental Foundation to offer $1 green
tags at checkout. For $1, consumers are able to more than
offset the carbon dioxide emissions from both the manufacturing and
shipping of the Cereal Capsule. This has been an extremely popular
offering.Finally, yes, we do have visions for
continually improving the sustainability of our packaging, as should
all companies. The scope of this will only be limited by our
resources, as our vision and commitment to sustainable packaging is
strong and focused.
