HOW CAN YOU BRING UTILITY TO SOMETHING DESIGNED TO BE THROWN AWAY?

Treble Mailer Bag

A new soft-goods packaging system

Client: Academic

Design Challenge: Extend the lifespan of single-use products.

Role: Design, Manufacturing, Cost, and Lifecycle Analysis

Tasked with designing a solution to single-use items. Motivated to extend the product lifecycle, the Treble packaging system enhances both brand and consumer experience. Made from 100% post-consumer recycled fibers, Treble provides flexible and protective packaging for soft goods. Its exterior is coated with thin vinyl to prevent water damage during transit and maintain bag integrity. After use, Treble transforms from a mailer bag into a drawstring and tote bag, bringing consumers added utility while enabling brands to expand their eco-friendly outreach.

1 Bag 3 uses

A person in a black shirt with the word 'BURT' on it, folding a dark-colored t-shirt inside a gray felt bag on a white table.

Soft-Goods Mailer

Tote

Two dark gray fabric pouches, one placed inside the other, on a white background.

Drawstring Backpack

Design Process

Motivated to design for positive environmental impact and systematic change. The Treble Bag design went through many iterations. First through sketching; developing the rough form and honing the bags intended impact. Through prototyping I was able to develop a proof of concept and create the textile pattern. Finally finding and testing the appropriate materials that met the project criteria: economical, recyclable, and durable. The end result is a bag designed as a solution to single-use items, expanding the utility of soft-goods mailer bags to be kept as an item for everyday use.

Sketches

Prototypes

White fabric pattern with black seam markings, laid flat on a wooden surface, partially folded.

A piece of fabric with handwritten labels and lines, labeled as 'POOF,' 'POSTAGE,' and 'SEAM,' and marked with black stitches and thread on a wooden surface.

A white fabric tote bag hanging on a hook against a beige wall.

Material Testing

A gray felt sheet with four paper pieces labeled and placed in a row, each with different patching methods, and a small labeled waterspot on the felt.

Manufacturing Process

Line drawing of a roll of paper towels partially unrolled, with the paper hanging down.

Step 1: Waterproof vinyl added to felt roll

Step 2: Textile pattern cut

Step 3: Pattern sewn

Black and white drawing of a box of tissues with tissues partially pulled out.

Step 4: Bag ready to ship

Black and white illustration of the American flag waving.

Made in USA

cost analysis

The Treble Bag is a premium offering for soft-good mailers. Designed as an alternative to single-use poly-mailer bags, the Treble Bag drastically reduces the environmental impact of textile e-commerce companies. Being an environmentally motivated product there is opportunity for ecological stewardship grants and subsidies, offsetting the increased comparative cost.

Treble Cost: (Material & Labor)

Shoddy $3.20/ bag
Eco Lux $8.30 /bag

Current Parcel Cost:

Poly-Mailer $0.46/bag
Mailer Box $1.46/box
Cloth Mailer $1.49/bag

Black and white photo of a woman with a backpack, standing outdoors in a rural landscape with mountains in the distance.

Life-cycle analysis

Ready For RECYCLING

Understanding that not everyone has the want to keep their Treble bag the customer has the option to fill it with unwanted clothes and repost it free of charge. Mailing the old clothes back to the company where both the bag and the clothes can be properly recycled, further helping reduce textile waste. The ease of recycling felt makes the Treble bags 100% recyclable and the fibers collected can just as easily be made into new Treble bags, creating a holistically sustainable product.