Plant Carrier

A project from the Parsons NY Summer Intensive Studies: Product and Things (2015) course I took. The task was to solve a sustainability related problem identified from a visit to the NYC green market.

(Materials: cardboard, electrical cables; Cut and constructed by hand)

I purchased two mini succulent plants from the Green Market. Besides the two potted plants, it came with a tray with four compartments and a plastic bag; an excessive use of plastic. This problem is specific to mini plants because they cannot stand in a plastic bag on their own, nor can a two compartment tray be adequately stable either.

After talking to the shop owners, I learn that the tray used for stabilisation is cut from a larger tray used for germination. However, the customer is unlikely to reuse the tray. Whereas if it was not given away, the germination tray can be reused by farmers.

My design hopes to eliminate the need of a plastic bag and preserve the functionality of the tray for germination. Scaled up, the design would be made from composite materials sourced from farming wastes and stored in a perforated, tessellated roll. Depending on the number of plants purchased, the shop owners can cut the carrier to size and attach an adjustable handle made using broken electrical cable waste.