Charles Esther
Three teenagers from Stuyvesant High School in New York City—James Clare, Zhi Han (Anthony) Yao, and Flint Mueller—have developed a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging called Kiriboard.
The idea was born when a box of Kraken X60 motors arrived at their robotics lab, damaged.
The motors, worth about $200 each, had broken pins likely due to poor packaging.
That moment inspired them to engineer a smarter, safer packaging material.
Meet Kiriboard – The Eco-Friendly Game-Changer
Kiriboard is a geometric cardboard design inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, which involves folding and cutting paper to create intricate shapes.
This cardboard is cut into a flexible, lattice-like pattern that gives it structural strength and shock absorption—just like bubble wrap, but without the plastic.
It’s designed to deform under impact, absorbing shocks and protecting items inside the box, similar to crumple zones in cars.
Winning the Earth Prize and Funding the Dream
On April 8, the trio won the prestigious Earth Prize, a global competition for teen-led environmental innovations.
The award came with $12,500, which they now plan to invest in a CNC router machine to cut their designs more precisely and produce additional prototypes.
Their goal is to perfect Kiriboard and eventually pitch it to companies like Home Depot, Amazon, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service.
The Dangers of Plastic Packaging
The Kiriboard project tackles a critical environmental issue: plastic pollution.
Traditional plastic and Styrofoam packaging shed microplastics that pollute ecosystems and pose health risks to humans and animals.
Microplastics have been found everywhere—from oceans and rainwater to human blood and organs—and may be linked to health issues such as strokes, heart attacks, and rising colon cancer rates among young people.
“Companies have made green promises,” said Yao, “but very few have truly replaced plastic packaging.”
Building and Testing the Kiriboard Prototypes
To bring Kiriboard to life, the team scavenged cardboard from their school and built four different prototypes.
They then performed impact tests using various objects—a tape roll, stapler, soda can, and even a metal water bottle—to simulate real-world shipping conditions.
They measured how much force the cardboard could handle before failing and found that their designs were surprisingly resilient.
The Matrix Design – A Flexible, Custom Fit
One of their most promising designs includes a flexible middle section known as “the matrix.”
Four triangular legs support the item inside the box while the matrix conforms to its shape, securing it in place during transit.
“It’s supposed to form to the product,” Yao explained, allowing for custom protection depending on what’s being shipped.
What’s Next for Kiriboard
Now, the teens are focused on refining their prototypes and testing them in real shipping scenarios.
Once they’ve fine-tuned the design, they plan to approach major companies, including the electronics supplier AndyMark—the same company whose faulty delivery sparked the Kiriboard idea.
Clare made it clear there’s no hard feelings: “No shade to them. We order from them a lot.”
A Simple Idea That Could Change the World
Environmental science teacher Jerry Citron believes Kiriboard represents the future of sustainable shipping.
And the teens agree.
“We’re on the brink of something real,” Mueller said.
Clare added, “All from a broken package.”
