Mashable“I’m meeeeelting!”
Yes, a portion of the fifth generation iPod Touch and seventh generation IPod Nano packaging dissolves in water. You can watch a video of it below. Before you watch, understand that the cardboard box and the little jewel case do not dissolve in water. It’s just the white thing the headphones come in. OK, now watch it here.
shapewaysI think I dissolve in water too?
Apple is already known for rad packaging, but this disappear-in-water thing is an exciting, groundbreaking first. This dissolving stuff is called “renewable tapioca paper foam material.” We did some research on what that is, and we still don’t know. But we did find this article about making biodegradable plastics in your own home, in which someone made a weird little bear out of starch, glycerin, vinegar, and water. (In Apple’s formulation, tapioca stands in for starch, but they’re basically the same thing.)
OK, so not every piece of Apple’s still elaborate packaging dissolves in water. But this is a positive step. Now if we only could get them to make a version of Mitt Romney made from renewable tapioca paper foam material: Ah, to watch him slowly slip into nothingness as we stir …
