Shellmine Kids

Tableware Set for Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

Tableware set for infants and toddlers made from eggshell resin. Biomass resin is an ideal material with low environmental impact, but its use has not been widespread due to the high cost of raw materials. Especially in the resin tableware market, there is a strong tendency to choose inexpensive conventional resin products, and it is extremely difficult to win the price competition. Therefore, this product visualized the material using a chick as a motif. This allows people to understand the value of the material and choose it, and it also communicates environmental problems to children.

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Shellmine Kids by YOHEI MURAI

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Tableware Set by YOHEI MURAI

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YOHEI MURAI Shellmine Kids

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YOHEI MURAI Tableware Set

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Unique Properties

Most biomass resin tableware on the market does not look like it is made of biomass resin at first glance. Because they look like conventional products, it is difficult to get people to buy them at a high price. Therefore, by using a chick as the design motif, the raw material, eggshell resin, is made visible, exposing the coloring, which is a mixture of white and brown eggshells. By doing so, we created an opportunity for people to understand what the material is at the storefront. In other words, it is a design that asks people to make a choice about the future global environment.

Tags

SDGs, Kids Design, Eggshell Plastic, Biomass Plastic, Environmental Problem

Production Technology

57% of the material is made from eggshells and has acquired the Japanese Biomass Mark 55. This product can contribute to a recycling-oriented society by turning discarded eggshells into something attractive. The specific gravity of the material is almost the same as that of ceramics, and it combines the crack resistance of resin with the robustness of ceramics. Tableware made of this material, for which a manufacturing process was patented in Japan, can reduce CO2 emissions by 37% and petroleum-derived components by 44% compared to conventional resin tableware.

Design Challenge

We decided to make children's tableware because it sells for a higher price than usual as a gift and therefore biomass resin can be used. Through this product, we can also convey the importance of environmental problems from parents to their children. Education is essential to raising environmental awareness. However, we faced a problem here. Children's tableware is often thrown away as they grow up. Therefore, to extend the life of the product, we made the chicken dish removable and designed a shape that is easy for anyone to hold, thereby creating a product that can be used even as an adult.

Project Duration

The project started in August 2022 and finished in July 2023, and was exhibited in GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2023 in October 2023 etc.

Operation Flow

The main target of this tableware is infants. The risk of children dropping dishes or cups while eating was reduced by the following methods. By making the bottom of the tableware thicker, we have controlled the center of gravity, which made it harder to fall over. The specific gravity of this material is about the same as that of ceramics, so it can add weight with a small thickness. By undulating the outer surface, it gets caught in your hand when you hold it, which makes it difficult to drop. By helping children eat easily, we support children's desire to eat by themselves.

Research

Based on a survey of more than 120 parents with children, Shellmine Kids was designed to have a shape that is easy to hold and functions that are easy to use. The most common request from mothers was for a shape that is easy to wash and can fit in a dishwasher. Based on the results, we filled in the grooves that should have been on the back of the chick dish to make it easier to wash. Such ideas are usually not good for the environment because they increase the amount of resin used. However, since this product is made from 57% eggshells, the environmental impact of adopting such an idea is minimal.

Inspiration

This project was commissioned by a Japanese commercial tableware manufacturer to design a set of children's tableware using eggshell plastic. Fukui Craft is the company that introduced plastic tableware to Japan and boasts the largest sales volume. However, environmental problems caused by plastics are becoming more serious worldwide, and the company has developed a biomass resin using eggshells. Biomass resin is an ideal material with low environmental impact, but its high cost makes it more expensive than products made from conventional resin. Especially in the plastic tableware market, where it tends to be chosen because it is cheaper than other materials, it is extremely difficult for tableware made from biomass resin to win the price war. In response to this major problem, we thought about how we could help people choose environmentally friendly products.

Image Credits

[ Main image: Photographer Naoki Tatori, shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#1: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#2: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Model: Yuzuha Oka, Shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#3: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Model: Ame Murai, Shellmine, 2023.][Image#4: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Shellmine, 2023.]

Project Overview

Shellmine Kids Tableware Set has been a Bronze winner in the Baby, Kids' and Children's Products Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Bronze Recognition

YOHEI MURAI was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Shellmine Kids Tableware Set.

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