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.