When opening a recent purchase from the Dwell store, we were surprised to uncover a new type of safe packaging material. ExpandOS is eye-catching—with its paper-made pyramid-like structure—and the more research we embarked on, the happier it made us. Light, efficient and sustainable, ExpandOS looks like it’s the next step in package cushioning.
Each three-dimensional piece clings to others, utilizing all three sides, six corners and thirty-eight fingers. To save on weight and material, circular holes dot the pieces. In addition to minimizing shipping weight, they also allow further junctures for the pieces to interlock. Importantly, in terms of sustainability, the paper used in manufacturing is 100% reusable, biodegradable and recyclable—living up to all the standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative in a way that foam packing peanuts and plastic bubble wrap do not.
ExpandOS really is smarter product packaging. The pyramids are created at point of use, activated as they are fed into a shipping box. There, they seek out each other and the product to stabilize, suspend and support. Storing the paper sheets that ultimately become the elements requires 1/25th the space of pre-expanded materials, bringing efficiency to a whole new level. Learn more about ExpandOS on their website.
Photos by David Graver