The Idea

March 20, 2023

This was the day that it all started. The day that we formed teams, introduced ourselves to one another, and started our conversations about what we wanted to accomplish by the end of these next two quarters, or 6 months, of our lives.

From left to right are Monica, Sania (center), Ethan, and Christina. Learn more about our team here

This is where it all started, in a classroom for DES 128, BioDesign Challenge, on the UC Davis campus. The BioDesign Challenge 2023 is an annual conference that invites teams all across the country to present their best ideas that represent the disciplines of design, art, and biotechnology.

Our discussions started from our shared interest in utilizing discarded walnut shells. From brief research, we found out that thousands of pounds of walnuts were left unused, taking up space and sitting idly in giant warehouses (also seen in our tour at the Mariani Nut Company). Currently, the best use for walnut shells is breaking them down and using them as a polishing buffer or biofuel. However, that is both inefficient and not necessarily an effective use for all the potential walnut shells hold. After a little bit more research and finding this article that used walnut hulls to create a clear bioplastic, we were inspired to discuss how we could utilize the walnut shell to do something similar. Ideas ranged from developing a similar bioplastic from the shell to creating paperboard comparable to cardboard. However, we realized that the biggest issue that dictated what our final product would be relied on who our target audience would be: the individual grocery shopper or the established farms that provide the groceries.

We came to the conclusion that we would be able to reach more people by providing this paperboard for suppliers, rather than individual buyers. This was the ultimate idea that we decided to move forward with, which became foundational to the concept of Walbox.

Although we have decided on moving forward with this idea, we understand that this idea may shift over time and after our experimentations.

Meet the Team

Behind this idea, are all students at UC Davis, each with our own passions and background. Hear from Christina, one of the main designers of Walbox, to get insight on her perspective with this idea.

"I'm so excited to start this journey with this team, and I can't wait to see what we learn on the way."

- Christina Liu

Learn and explore more about our team here.