2024
Tea bags are a convenient choice for daily tea drinking. After use, people will discard tea bags directly, but the tea leaves inside can be recycled. We dismantle tea used tea bags, extract the tea leaves, and experiment by mixing them with various components. After several trials, I developed a suitable formula, incorporating a specific ratio of glycerol, water, and agar. This resulted in a new bioplastic of moderate thickness, highly stretchable, which is made from recycled tea leaves.
In collaboration with my partner, Celia, we expanded on this concept to create the brand Tea+Lab. This eco-friendly tea brand revolves around the brand philosophy "One used tea bag, One new environmentalism." The packaging of Tea+Lab consists of three components: the outer packaging, the packaging for each tea bag, and the tea bag itself. The new bioplastic is applied to the packaging of each tea bag. This brand is consist of four tea: green tea, black tea, oolong tea and herbal tea. As an experimental and recyclable brand, we chose black and white as the primary colors, with each of the four tea varieties represented by a color as a sub-color. The oval shape is a key design element, emphasizing the theme of recycling.