In the early morning waiting hall, sunlight spreads out through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Among the crowd, a beige hard-shell suitcase caught my attention- its surface was not high-gloss plastic, but with a warm, fabric-like texture, with the subtle fiber patterns visiblein the light. It came from PROJECTKIN in Northern Europe: an exploration that connects natural plant fibers with modern travel methods.
01 New Travel Possibilities: Fiber-based Hard Shell
PROJECTKIN combines flax fibers with bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) to create a hard shell suitcase with biodegradable properties. The design was led by Danish industrial designer Boris Berlin. Compared with traditional PC/ABS shells, this composite material combines the toughness of natural fibers with PLA's environmental benefits. In terms of performance, it is comparable to traditional plastics, yet it can return to nature at the end of its life cycle.
Importantly, this isn't just a concept. The team has shared the actual engineering process:
- Material structure: Flax fibers and PLA are combined through needle-punching and layering, and then the shell is shaped through thermocompression.
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Performance trade-offs: The shell has excellent durability and moisture resistance, and has undergone laboratory "heavy rain tests".
- Supply coordination: The wheelsets are sourced from the Japanese supplier Hinomoto, while the housing manufacturing is carried out by specialized production partners in China. These international partnerships prove that sustainable materials can work in practice.
ROJECTKIN has also experimented with natural fibers such as hemp and linen in different product categories (like Tote and other fabric accessories), embodying the concept of a "full-chain material view". However, the key materials of the suitcase itself are still mainly flax fiber and PLA.
The brand's original intention is very simple - to bring "good-looking, practical and better for the Earth" travel into daily life, and to move beyond traditional petroleum-based plastics and move towards a more sustainable material path. For travelers, this means that every trip is not merely about reaching a destination, but also a more harmonious dialogue with the Earth.
02 Nordic Aesthetics, persistence in Details
In addition to being environmentally friendly, this box also continues the typical Nordic aesthetic: simple, restrained, yet not lacking in style. The lines of the suitcase are clean and sharp. The color scheme is a low-saturation natural tone, paired with plant-tanned leather trim, giving a calm yet warm texture.
Even more surprisingly, the designer did not sacrifice the practicality of travel: the wheelset is from a Japanese supplier, smooth and quiet. The handle has been optimized by German engineers, providing a comfortable grip. Every detail tells people that environmental protection and quality can go hand in hand.
03 The "Leap" of Pulp Molding
PROJECTKIN's attempt has led people to start re-examining the potential of pulp molding and natural fibers. In the past, molded fiber pulp packaging was often found in egg trays, fast food boxes, and cushioning for electronic products, seemingly having nothing to do with high-end consumer goods. But an eco-friendly suitcase has proved that they can definitely break through the limitations and enter the fields of higher intensity and higher added value.
This innovation opens up new possibilities for sustainable materials beyond suitcases. The message conveyed behind this is significant: eco-friendly materials are not limited to "low-end consumables"; they have every potential to enter the fashion and daily durable goods markets. Over the past decade, it has been making great strides towards higher value-added applications:
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Electronic products and precision instruments: Provide customized cushioning and shape fitting for computers, printers, etc.
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Alcoholic beverages and gifts: Replace plastic and foamed materials to form a recyclable/degradable one-piece inner tray;
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"Complex geometric" parts: Through hot pressing/mold optimization, achieve more refined surface and dimensional stability.
Pulp molding has achieved industrial feasibility in terms of energy absorption and buffering, complex modeling and material recycling. However, it also faces engineering challenges such as drying energy consumption and production capacity efficiency - these challenges are not insurmountable and are being solved via enhanced hot-pressing techniques, specialized additives, and precision tooling.
This is precisely the enlightenment that PROJECTKIN has given us: Fiber-based + molding is not limited to "low-value consumables". Although its box body adopts the "flax /PLA composite + hot pressing" route instead of the traditional wet pulp process, the two are highly isomorphic in terms of forming logic (fiber network → three-dimensional structure) and sustainable goals (plastic reduction, renewability, recyclability/degradability). From packaging to durable goods, "fiber-based structural components" are expanding their boundaries.
04 The Infinite Possibilities of Pulp Molding
The advantages of pulp molding are gradually being rediscovered:
Raw materials from recycled paper or plant fibers are naturally renewable.
After use, the material degrades naturally or enters recycling streams.
With the aid of modern mold technology, modern mold technology enables complex, refined forms, meeting the dual demands of functionality and aesthetics.
As technology progresses, pulp molding is likely to expand into more fields in the future: furniture, home appliance shells, and even building materials. This suitcase represents just the beginning.
05 Three Key Points of Focus Suggestions for Brands and Design Teams
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Start with "plastic equivalence" : Select one or two plastic internal components and replace them with pulp molding. First, conduct engineering verification of "functional equivalence", and then gradually increase the proportion.
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Co-creation with the supply chain: Just like PROJECTKIN, bring materials science, manufacturing partners (such as molding/hot-pressing factories in China), brand owners and designers to the same table as early as possible, and promote iteration with the same set of "strength - appearance - recyclability" indicators.
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Life cycle priority: Evaluate the material ratio, drying energy consumption, end-of-life recycling and degradation reality. Don't just look at "whether the components are green", but also at whether the system is better.
Environmental protection will eventually become a way of life
Perhaps one day, the suitcases you push, the cups you use, and the electronic products you buy will no longer have cold plastic shells, but materials that come from nature and will eventually return to nature.
Environmental protection is no longer an abstract slogan but gradually integrates into life through repeated daily choices.
Sustainability is not about sacrifice but about making new choices. When flax fibers, pulp molding, plant-tanned leather and engineering details are all taken seriously, environmental protection can have an attractive shape, a user-friendly feel, and can also be implemented in coordination with a global supply chain, including professional manufacturing partners in China. What we truly need is to turn "a better choice for the Earth" into "everyday beauty that can be chosen".
PROJECTKIN's suitcase is precisely the beginning of such a story. It carries luggage while embodying a vision for the future: design can be elegant, travel can be light, and the Earth can thus be less burdened.
