Light and eco-friendly structure design of an instant noodle bowl

¹ Department of Aerospace and Systems Engineering, Feng Chia University, No.100, Wenhua Rd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City, 40724, Taiwan (ROC)
² Ph.D. Program of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Feng Chia University, No.100, Wenhua Rd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City, 40724, Taiwan (ROC)

^* Corresponding author : chenname0317@gmail.com

Abstract

Instant noodles have become a very common food in recent years, and because of its convenience and affordability, it is now one of the most profitable products in the food industry. While it is a very convenient food product to carry around, its packaging tends to be inconvenient and not eco-friendly. The packaging of instant noodles can be categorized into two different types: The first is small, and very light, packed in plastic bags, requiring that customers supply their own bowl in order to enjoy the food; the other is packed in a paper, or Styrofoam bowl, usually with additional space in the bowl for customers to add water. The dimensions of the bowl make it less portable, and the construction materials are not eco-friendly. We build a model design that combines the benefits of each packaging type (Fig.2). The size remains as small as the plastic bag type, while simultaneously having the expandable space of the bowl type. The proposed model is made compact during shipping, but its foldable design allows the customer to readily reconstruct it into a bowl for use. Using recycled paper and PE film for materials, we have ensured that, with the use of special recycling technology, the packaging is 100% recyclable. The result is an eco-friendly, light, and purposeful design.