Graphics.

These three images were edited and used in for the final graphical output. See below.

Second usage.

As said before because of the diverse nature of the packaging created it has been difficult to find a second usage/ something to deter it entering into the throwing away stage. It can be useful for a number of things:
- A Wine or Ale rack; two rows in one box with the ability to stack and store (the more boxes you have the better and bigger your Wine rack becomes. 

- A Vase; because of the tall nature of the box and three separate sections you can place flowers in it and use it as a vase. This would be for either dried or fake flowers as the cardboard and holes necessary for the box means that it cannot hold fresh flowers. (unless of course the bottom was sealed)

- A plant pot; this 100% biodegradable material means that you can plant your seeds inside the box creating a secure bed for the roots. This can be planted as a whole piece in your back garden and it will eventually turn to compost as the roots grow through it. It can be used as a windowsill pot. Sit it on you windowsill and watch your plant grow. Beans would be the most suitable to grow as the pots are lengthy. 

Second usage.

Biodegradable

For plants that don’t like having their roots disturbed a very effective approach is to use bio-degradeable pots.  These can then be planted straight into the soil and the roots will just grow through them. Various types are available but steer clear of peat ones because of the environmental impact - alternatives include recycled fibres, coir and even dried cow manure!  The main problem is that you can’t pot them up with fresh compost so I think these are best used for fast-growing plants such as squash that will be hardened off and planted out within a few weeks.

It is easy to make your own biodegradable pots.  There are simple instructions available for making pots out of newspaper but they usually need a firm tray to keep them upright and in my experience they are hard to make with enough depth for many seedlings.  An alternative is to use cardboard tubes stood upright in a tray with compost stuffed in as they provide better depth.  I use these for peas and beans in a similar way to roottrainers.

Recycle and Reuse

You can often reuse perfectly good plastic containers rather than sending them to landfill:

• Almost any plastic container can become a plant pot as long as you punch plenty of holes in the bottom for good drainage.  This is important because soggy roots can’t get the oxygen they require and that will stunt growth.
• Many thousands of plant pots and trays are thrown away every year by people who buy their bedding plants from garden centres.  Just ask any neighbour you know who does this and you can have an endless supply of perfect pots with perfectly fitting trays which make them easy to move when hardening off.
• Old guttering can be used to raise peas and beans.  Once they are a few inches tall you can slide the plants out of the guttering into a trench for planting.  It’s a little tricky the first time you try it but it works well for succession sowing where the plants will be in the ground quite quickly and so don’t need a lot of depth for roots.

This snippet is from http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=134. There are some great ways to re use old household items such as toilet roll tubes and cardboard boxes. From reading this it gave me the idea of turning my packaging into a secondary use for the garden. Due to the three triangular shaped storage sections being quite deep it is ideal for planting beans. The cardboard will eventually degrade with use causing no harm to the environment. 

Grow your own.

http://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/categories/erin-eco-grow-your-own-kits-11450.aspx

Found these 'grow your own' eco friendly kits for the keen gardner. They are 100% biodegradable and the eco Grow Kits come with fibre pots made from recycled and sustainable resources, reduced peat or coir compost, and quality seeds. 


http://www.ecocentric.co.uk/acatalog/Eco_Centric_Outdoor_Living_Grow_Your_Own.html


This is a great website to find out information on how to make sure most things in your life are green without compromising on quality. It's useful to see how much you really can change in the home and how you live. 


http://www.greenerpackage.com/compost_biodegrade/plantable_nursery_pot_biodegrades_soil


Biodegradable plant pots.

An interesting argument.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1342387/Plant-pots-are-not-packaging-court-rules-in-30000-case.html

Development.

This is the net with graphics, under development.

The idea is to create an old fashioned style piece but in keeping with the 21st Century; a combination of old and new. The history of the brewery and Legges will centre around this design, incorporating imagery from the website and other sources. The main piece will have hop imagery flowing round the information, with both the Legges and Wye Valley logos. 

Research.

Imagery used as a reference when creating the graphics for the packaging.

Research.

http://practicalaction.org/docs/technical_information_service/packaging_materials.pdf

The above is a PDF highlighting the importance, properties of certain materials and functions of packaging.

History & Heritage.

Having wanted to create a connection with the local family aspect of the brewery and the packaging itself, I decided to go back to the beginning and look at the Wye Valley in general. This is the website I came across first: [http://www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/] The Valley is an AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty) due to the landscapes, heritage and wildlife. Within the AONB a 58 mile/92km stretch of the River Wye winds down through the valley through spectacular limestone gorge scenery and dense ravine woodlands. Superb wildlife, intriguing archaeological and industrial remains and impressive geological features all make it into one of the most fascinating places. The area was designated in 1971 and includes areas within Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.

The cultural heritage section, I think the brewery comes under. The small family business that remains local to the west midlands making it an ale sort after by many around the country. Below is a snippet of information taken from the Brewery website. This is a very brief overview of the history. I want to delve deeper and make it more personal to appeal to the consumer. 

"Founded in 1985 by ex-Guinness brewer Peter Amor, we began brewing in Canon Pyon, Herefordshire, but moved shortly afterwards to the old stable block of The Barrels, an historic 18th century coaching inn in Hereford.

By April 2002 the brewery had outgrown its Hereford home and relocated to its present site in Stoke Lacy. Also in 2002, after completing his brewing training at Young’s Brewery in Wandsworth, Peter’s son Vernon took over as our managing director.

Peter is now chairman of the Wye Valley Brewery, and passionately believes in spreading the word about cask ale."

[http://www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk/]

Research.

Information obtained about the Wye Valley through the wye valley AONB website  - History, Geography and tourist spots. 

Developments.

Idea for creating the second usage.

Incorporate the history and heritage of the wye valley and the brewery.

'collect them all' type advertisement - limited edition pictures on the one side. The other second usage is to include a 'grow your own.' Due to the nature of the box being tall and slim it is ideal for growing runner beans or perhaps to link more with the brewery, some barley (hops would be too difficult due to the way they are grown)
Another use for the box could be a wine/beer rack. This is do-able due to the sturdy nature and flexibility of the packaging.

The website below shows several images to be used:

http://www.drinkbritain.com/destinations/10/wye-valley-brewery

The graphics on the box will be simplistic - the back will be a cream with (like a black and white picture effect) monotone image of hops - illustrative though not photographic. Images will be posted.

The information incorporated will have the link between Wye Valley and Legges. Will provide a recipe (could be several so you get a a different recipe with a different limited edition image) The information will highlight that the beer is bottle conditioned. 

Recycling symbols explained.

New packaging symbols are now starting to appear on some packaging. They help to identify how different parts of packaging can be recycled. This gives a comprehensive yet easy to understand explanation of each.

“Widely Recycled” means 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.
“Check locally” means 15% - 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.
“Not recycled” means less than 15% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.

These symbols are a guide to how widely different packaging items are recycled, however you should always follow the advice of your local authority.  Check thepostcode locator and see what you can recycle in your area.

The Green Dot

The Green Dot does NOT necessarily mean that the packaging can be recycled. It is a symbol used on packaging in many European countries and signifies that the producer has made a contribution towards the recycling of packaging.

Plastics

Identifies the type of plastic: PET and HDPE bottles are recycled by the majority of local authorities.

Glass

Please dispose of glass bottles and jars in a bottle bank (but remember to separate colours) or use your glass kerbside collection if you have one.

Recyclable Aluminium

Can be placed in an aluminium recycling facility.

Recyclable Steel

Can be placed in a steel recycling facility.

Mobius Loop

Indicates that an object is capable of being recycled - not that the object has been recycled.

Mobius Loop with percentage

Shows the percentage of recycled material contained in the product.

Paper

To be given the National Association of Paper Merchants mark, paper or board must be made from a minimum of 75% genuine waste paper and / or board fibre, no part of which should contain mill produced waste fibre.

Wood

The Forest Stewardship Council logo identifies products which contain wood from well managed forests independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC A.C.

Tidyman

Dispose of this carefully and thoughtfully. Do not litter. This doesn’t relate to recycling, but is a reminder to be a good citizen, disposing of the item in the most appropriate manner.

Research.

These are a few websites I came across when researching sustainable and vegetable ink printing. 

http://www.ecographic.co.uk/ink.htm

The above website is a graphic design company that also deal in the environmental concerns. It gives you a quick overview of eco - printing and inks.

http://www.blog.upstream.coop/2010/10/what-are-vegetable-based-inks/

Having not known very much about vegetable inks and FSC materials etc. This helped me to understand the basics of the environmental impacts normal inks can have and by using vegetable inks it can reduce the negative effects.

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/green-printing/

This website has a 'green printing' policy in place to ensure customers of what they are receiving with the service. This is just one company that strives to do more to help retain the environment in which we live in. 

Research.

Useful packaging materials.

The importance of packaging materials never ends because no one yet has invented ways on how to protect and deliver our goods. The style is still conventional in a sense that we are still using boxes, paper bags, plastic bags and a lot more. However, we have made these tolls to better serve us. And indeed they still work. Just imagine on how to store your belongings if you are planning to move from one place to another. The mover service will definitely use boxes or other materials to place your belongings because they have to protect and deliver your belongings in good condition. All types of commodities are used or packed by different types packaging materials from household items, non-perishable goods, perishables, furniture, accessories, electronic goods and a lot more. Packaging materials ensures durability and for safe transit.

There are lots of packaging materials available today because of its wide usage. You should know what materials to choose when packing your goods. Especially when you are dealing with glass items, this type of items is handled more carefully than clothes being packed. Glasses are sensitive with sudden movements; it will break so it is going to be a headache for the carrier service of your goods. Materials are being matched with what type of goods you are asking to be delivered, in case for the glass of course it requires strong materials. Plus the factors like the weight of the item or the size. These as well should be considered for you to be able to know what packaging materials to use.

http://www.shim6.org/useful-packaging-materials/

After reading this snippet from the above website, it made me think about how the goods would be transported and whether the packaging i had created would be strong enough. A few tests were carried out with a Wye Valley ale inside. After throwing it around and shaking the packaging it was deemed to be secure. Having the products in separate sections stops the inevitable breakage if they were to knock together. The issue that needs to be resolved is if the condiment was small as it would move when tipped upside down. 

Blog task.

Three ways that I might minimise my material use with the package:

Whilst developing my packaging I have decided that cardboard is the most suitable material due to its durability and flexibility. However through the development stage I have been trying to adapt the packaging using as little material as possible, creating the net shape out of a singular piece of cardboard. 
I have changed the packaging so that glue is not needed, having constructed packaging that needs only folds and tabs.
By creating a use for the small sections that have to be popped out for the tabs will make the package completely reusable.

Things I would do to minimise my carbon footprint:

Buying more local and organic produce. This will minimise how far it will travel if it’s locally grown and there is a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way. Many foods have a large carbon footprint due to how they were produced and the distance it had to travel to reach our shops. 
Switching to Florescent light bulbs will use 75% less energy and last much longer than normal bulbs. Comparing these to regular bulbs, the fluorescents are more expensive, but they will eventually pay for themselves due to lower energy costs.

Information display at CAT:

As I was unable to attend the trip I have looked at the images you have put up and can see that there seem to be a range of information displays around the site appeared to be in the open. They all have a very different feel to them. I'm not sure whether this is dependent on the area or not. Suggested improvement would be perhaps having some sort of flow through all of the info boards (a theme). This would minimise the confusion and create a continuity through the centre. 

Development.

 Experimenting with folds to create one singular net that is sturdy and needs no glue.

Research.

This is a useful PDF explaining the processes you should go through. The 3Ps and the 5Rs.

15_Eco_Design_Packaging

POC.

Concept three was chosen to be developed further. Nets were tried and tested, having to reproduce them two or three times with slight tweaks to enable the simplest net to work, incorporating the design elements. Below is the first net created. This had flaws as the triangular prisms came together to form a clover leaf like shape as seen below. The net didn't enable it to fold out. 

Net two was slightly adjusted from the first and again encountered problems. The effect was similar yet I managed to create the straight edged back as seen on the design except it appeared on the wrong side. However with net three the initial problem was fixed and the straight was correct. The triangular prisms can be moved into different positions creating different standing orientations. The technical issues still need to be resolved as to openings, use of glue if any and fastenings. Images below.

Nets.

This session took me back to the good old days of Design Tech. We were given a net shape and had to construct it, however the net was wrong in both the book and the printed copy we had. This meant that the box did not properly fit together. This in some ways is an important lesson, always double check and test your prototype before commercially producing.  If it worked as it should it would be good packaging for a toy as it has a window display. Pictures below.

After this a task was given to construct and deconstruct the existing Wye Valley packaging, analysing the pro's and con's of the design. The packaging uses no glue. It is very heavy in terms of the ink used making this probably less recyclable. However even though the cardboard is not reused it is relatively thick so will stand more wear and tear essentially lasting longer than your average packaging. I believe it is an effective material to use.