Interview with Fernanda del Toro, founder of Flaked

I had to name my Master’s final project. After a long list of suggestions and a vote among my classmates and advisors, the name “Flaked” – “hojuela” in Spanish – was chosen. It’s short and directly references the material we work with.

Flaked began as a Master’s project and has now become a well-established brand in Mexico’s sustainable design market.

The challenge lay in post-consumer, multilayer packaging. I wondered how a package made of different materials could fit into the circular economy. It’s such a massive waste, and the goal was to make it profitable through aesthetics.

It was a combination of theoretical and practical research.

When the pandemic hit and Elisava’s labs were closed, I turned my apartment kitchen into a lab. I bought appliances to run the tests needed to understand the material. I had TetraPaks all over the house: some soaking to soften the cardboard, others drying after the cardboard was removed, some being shredded, and another batch on the electric stove to create small sheet samples.

I also researched key players in TetraPak recycling in both Latin America and Spain to understand where their work as recyclers ended, and I conducted a few interviews with them.

It’s a somewhat utopian question. But if we think optimistically, collaborating and sharing knowledge across disciplines could improve both manufacturing processes and the final product’s quality. This would make the green movement more profitable and extend its reach into different markets.

Projects tend to vary greatly. Ideally, we’d standardize processes for those projects where it’s possible. We work locally with our suppliers and in sourcing recycled material, and we’re expanding our network of workers in Mexico City.

We’d love to have a more fully equipped workshop/lab to handle both prototypes and small production runs for clients.

It made me realize that what started as a project had great potential to grow.

Always. For Flaked, collaborations are key. I aim for win-win outcomes for everyone involved.

It’s an ocean of possibilities. Flaked is currently immersed in exploring them. I believe there’s still so much to understand, discover, and develop. Once everything on the table is clear, we can think about new directions.