Cèrcol

The language of rice is brought to a reusable packaging

Cèrcol is a Valencian cooperative committed to the sustainable cultivation and commercialisation of Valencian rice in an innovative way. The cooperative has established a subscription system in which customers receive rice according to their consumption habits. The need for the assignment resides in the creation of a recycled, reusable, durable, decorative packaging, suitable for food and with a food barrier to conserve this cereal in an optimal way. Without forgetting that the packaging also had to respond to the cooperative’s principles: sustainability, territory, tradition and recognition of the worth of rice.

The packaging responds to several basic principles, both functional and aesthetic. On the one hand, the packaging has to be able to support the subscription system, by means of a large format that allows the different order volumes to be sent and, above all, to be stored. On the other hand, the visual and graphic value, which promotes the visualisation of the packaging and makes it stand out from the rest of the elements in a cupboard or kitchen. Thanks to the design of the packaging and the fact that it functions as a decorative piece, it is not hidden and placed in the background.

The cylindrical design of the container optimises a large capacity and visually reduces its volume. A shape that, together with the material and finishes, is reminiscent of the more traditional pots that can be found in any Spanish kitchen. Regarding the graphics, the “language of rice” is brought to the packaging. The creation of a series of corporate graphics where rice becomes a pointillist brush of different visual landscapes of l’Albufera (natural park of Valencia with a great rice tradition ): barraca (typical construction), camallarga (native bird) and llaurador (person who cultivates); shows the core of the culture of the territory.

The sustainability of the project has two facets. On the one hand, we can find the properties and characteristics of the product: produced with recycled tinplate, 100% recyclable, produced in a small company less than 100km away and from the same region, printed on recycled paper in a single ink. On the other hand, it contributes to the subscription process and sustainable business model by eliminating intermediate supports and allowing orders to be stored and shipped in recycled paper packages, whose longevity is more limited.

Curator’s Insight: The cylindrical shape is very smart and stylish, it reminds me of the pots my grandma used to keep rice in. The graphics are amazing, using rice grains to draw different pictures of l’Albufera. That’s so clever and original! The materials and finishes are also great, they match the eco-friendly and circular idea of the subscription system.