Washing the clothes—and the bag they came in 

Keongho Park & Yejin Heo, designers from the Republic of Korea, have created a new clothing package that not only dissolves in water but disperses washing detergents. After receiving the clothes wrapped in the “Zero Bag,” both the clothes and packaging can be run though a washing machine before wearing the items for the first time. By reducing plastic waste, the design also highlights the designers’ focus on creating environmental and user-centered solutions through their work. 

The bag is made from algae and incorporates paper detergents that are attached to water-soluble plastic. 

Detergent could also be replaced with baking soda for other cleaning purposes, or the bag could be used to store food, such as fruit.

The idea was born from the practice in Korea, as well as many other cultures, where newly purchased clothes are washed to remove chemicals before wearing. The designers recently received a Lexus Design Award for the product, the product’s creators say “gave us the opportunity to develop our work.