eden organic herbs and spices packaging
A set of three packaging designs for a hypothetical organic herbs and spices brand eden - for dried whole star anise, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks.
eden, a reference to the garden of Eden, symbolises purity and pleasure, and alludes to the origin of herbs and spices coming from nature – particularly apt for a brand of organic herbs and spices. eden believes in natural, quality ingredients; organics herbs and spices are sustainably grown, freshly harvested by hand and naturally dried to retain maximum flavour.
eden’s organic herbs and spice range is packaged in 100% cotton calico bags that is a much more sustainable alternative to plastic. The idea behind having the products packaged in a fabric bag is for customers to reuse the bag by returning to a bulk food store to simply refill the herb or spice in their own bag – this also challenges customers to rethink the common association of packaging as being “single-use”. The bag is also functional, as the customer can put it on their kitchen counter for easy access to the herbs and spices by folding down the sides and turning the bag into a planter bag.
The bags have been hand dyed with natural dyes to add colour to the neutral coloured calico, which helps to differentiate the products from one another. The bay leaves bag has been dyed with bay leaves, the cinnamon bag with cinnamon, and the star anise bag with star anise, among other ingredients, to accentuate the aroma of the herbs and spices and give the bag lingering aroma even after the contents have been finished. Natural dyes made from boiling vegetables means no nasty artificial chemicals are used. Dying also gives the fabric unique character and texture that is unlike normal calico.
The double layered cotton bags coupled with embroidery details make the packaging look aesthetically pleasing and feel luxurious while still being quite simple and natural. Embroidery is the finishing touch on making the bag feel elegant and handmade – an object of quality that feels substantial and that people would want to keep.