Professional shippers and innocent bystanders may rejoice, but others are up in arms about the announcement of a new form of Bubble Wrap designed not to pop, and thus also fail to create that distinctive sound we all know and love (or hate).

American company Sealed Air created iBubble Wrap with interlinked columns of trapped air rather than individual bubbles, allowing contents to squeeze over rather than bursting. Another advantage: unlike its traditional counterparts, this new version will be inflated on-site, making it cheaper and greener to ship to those using it for packaging on a mass scale. The company is also exploring alternative uses, as shown in some of the images here and reflecting the unusual origins of the material (it was designed as a wall covering then repurposed as packing material).

After outbursts on social media, Sealed Air stepped in to reassure consumers who enjoy alternative functions provided by bubble wrap, like scaring siblings or stress relief: “Fear not fans of ‪#‎BubbleWrap‬ and its famous pop! We are excited to expand our Bubble Wrap family to include iBubble Wrap, but the original version you love to pop isn’t going anywhere.”

Still, it is hard to imagine that if this new type works better it won’t naturally replace the original over time as more commercial users adopt and distribute it: “We want to protect what matters most to you, and a version of Bubble Wrap that doesn’t pop (less air loss means more long-lasting protection against damage during shipment) is just one of the ways we can do that.”

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Blunt branding tells you all you need to know about this product’s origins, history, purpose and thesis: boxed water is better for the environment and more cost-effective to boot.

Boxed Water is Better wastes far less space in shipping and allows flat-packed boxes to arrive on site to be filled rather than requiring full-sized but still-empty bottles to be delivered to the production plant.

Paper is naturally better than plastic as well, being easier to recycle and less harmful to the environment when people litter or otherwise improperly dispose of their waste.

On the shelves, the product really stands out against the competition, bold black text on a minimalist white background against the more colorful and complex designs associated with glass and plastic bottles.

While the most sustainable way to use water container is of course to employ reusable bottles, this at least provides a step in the right direction and a better alternative to plastic, particularly now that more and more cities are outlawing plastic bottle sales (smart business, too).

The post Boxed Water Is Better: Alternative to Plastic Makes Waves first appeared on Gajitz.

Fragile, Handle with Care and other messages are meant to remind mail carriers that things should arrive in the condition they were shipped, with this exception perhaps made to prove the rule.

Twisting, turning, bumping and dropping all help shape these perforated aluminum sheets, turning them into unique sculptures that reflect (light and) the way they were (mis)handled in transit.

The creators of Post Post put it thusly: “Inspired by the frivolous handling of packages sent through the postal system, these are aluminium canvases to be sculpted by the mail service. They are available on our webshop” (though limited to only 111 copies).

The accidental ‘making’ is in the movement – a process seen neither by seller nor buyer. “Upon ordering, we wrap and deliver the becoming artwork to our local post office in Oslo, Norway, where the rough journey ahead begins. As every sheet is handled differently in the mail, each Post Post is unique. We don’t have any control over how roughly the package is treated, so it might come out really crumbled or just slightly dented.”

The post This End Up: Rough Mail Handling Creates Unique Artworks first appeared on Gajitz.

Location-independent, portable and scalable, this novel approach to agriculture applies principles already used in cloud computing and other high-tech services to the growing of everyday essentials, effectively tucking a 1-acre farm into a 350-square-foot box.

Each Freight Farm container has space for 4,500 plants, stacked and ready to grow: “Built entirely inside a 40’ x 8’ x 9.5’ shipping container, freight farms are outfitted with all the tools needed for high-volume, consistent harvests. With innovative climate technology and growing equipment, the perfect environment is achievable 365 days a year, regardless of geographic location.” The units can also be moved to market to sell directly, carried easily (just like any cargo container) on the back of a standard truck.

Constant monitoring of temperature, CO2, pH and other essential data means instant feedback and easy remote adjustments as well, while a built-in 4G hotspot lets these farms stay connected from anywhere in the world. Optimized LEDs allow for maximum growth and minimum energy. Modular and stackable, farmers can order more units delivered on demand and expand their operations as needed.

Someone new to the game can also start out small: “Designed to be easily implemented and operated, The LGM is a complete farming system delivered ready-to-use for immediate crop production. The modular and stackable design makes it easy to integrate into any operation and add farms to scale quickly. Every LGM comes equipped to handle every aspect of commercial production, from seed to harvest.”

Cargo containers for non-standard purposes are nothing new, but this goes more than a step beyond turning shipping containers into homes or offices. More on the ecosystem: “Vertical hydroponic system for mature plant growth.  The vertical towers create a high density growing environment with four rows providing space for over 4,500 plants.  Drip irrigation, nutrient delivery system and spectrum focused lighting supports climate conditions to maximize plant development.”

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You probably don’t take the time to inspect every package that’s delivered to your home or office – but you should. Especially since the package delivery people so often seem to be big balls of aggression who are just waiting for a chance to smash those sweet new Super Mario Bros beer steins you just ordered online.

DropTag is a simple device meant to put your mind at ease whenever you get a package delivered. It works with Bluetooth Low Energy and keeps track of whether (or how many times) the parcel was dropped en route to you. The small electronic tag is attached to the package before it leaves the sender, and when it gets to its destination you only have to check the count via a special smartphone app. If it has been dropped, you know that you’d better open up the package to check the contents.

Cambridge Consultants, the firm developing the DropTag, is working on functionality that will allow the tag to record the exact days and times of any parcel drops. The tags will probably cost around $2 each and may even be reusable. In any case, the tag’s battery will last for several weeks, no doubt allowing ample time for packages to reach any location on Earth.

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