F&B packaging births new generation of collectors

Big brands collaborating with popular IPs motivate consumers to upcycle, creating one-of-a-kind pieces, Cao Yin reports.

In a world where most people keep photos and stamps in albums, Lin Mengxi stands out as she gathers packaging from milk tea and coffee products to create her own collection.

Whenever she encounters visually appealing designs or logos on food or drink packaging, the Beijing native meticulously cuts them out and places them in her album. Sometimes she repurposes them as bookmarks.

"These paper coffee cupholders and milk tea bags, though seemingly cheap, trivial and meaningless to others, have immense value to me because they are my way to unwind from the pressures of daily work and life," said the 31-year-old who works at a Shanghai-based media company.