Tray Concept

After my tutorial with Andy, I am more likely to proceed with the Liquid Container, however, I feel it beneficial to record the research and ideas I have generated based around the Tray design. The main concept I wish to record is my debate on what the Tray would be constructed from, I had mentally narrowed it down to 2 materials. the 1st being layered/reinforced 100% recycled cardboard and the 2nd being Water Hyacinth.

100% Recycled Cardboard 

I considered constructing the Tray from 100% recycled cardboard this is due to the following factors...

• Lightweight 
• Readily Available = Cardboard is a popular material thus resulting in it constantly being recycled, making it readily available and cheap to purchase. 
• Sustainable = "Cardboard is a natural material from a renewable resource - in essence it is already recycled and can be recycled again and again once its served its purpose. Untreated cardboard is an environmentally positive material. There are various additives and coatings available that can be added during and after the manufacturing process to enhance the material properties. Although "In a number of cases when the properties of the cardboard improves the ability of the material to be recycled decreases." (http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-12052009-173655/unrestricted/08materialexploration.pdf). 

However regardless of these positives there are negatives that indicate that it may not be the most efficacious material option, although it is strong, it will deteriorate over time especially if drinks are spilt on it. I could design the cardboard so that it has one of the additives or coatings which would potentially make it last longer, however, this would counteract the renewable ideology (to some extent) as the ability of the cardboard to be recycled would substantially decrease.

Water Hyacinth 





Water Hyacinth is an aquatic weed native to the Amazon basin in Southern America, although it's visually beautiful it causes devastation in water environments such as ponds, billions of dollars are spent every year to both control the plant and repair any damages resultant from any of its infestations. Water Hyacinth causes the following environmental impacts...

• It blocks irrigation channels and rivers. 
• It restricts any livestock's access to water. 
• It destroys natural wetlands. 
• It eliminates native aquatic plants. 
• It reduces infiltration of sunlight. 
• It alters the temperature, pH and oxygen levels of water. 
• It reduces gas exchange at the water surface. 
• It increases water loss through transpiration (greater than evaporation from an open body of water). 
• It changes the habitats of aquatic organisms. 
• It restricts recreational use of waterways. 
• It makes a reduction in the aesthetic values of waterways. 
• It reduces water quality from decomposing plants. 
• It destroys fences, roads and other infrastructure when large floating rafts become mobile during flood events. 
• It destroys pastures and crops when large floating rafts settle over paddocks after flood events. 

(http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/water-hyacinth). 

I believed this to be a valuable material to consider as it directly connects with the renewable ideology mentioned within the brief, Water Hyacinth grows abundantly and is thusly a prominent resource to consider. Additionally, if it was utilised in packaging you would be supporting the environment as you would be presenting an alternative use for a problematic resource. Water Hyacinth, as a renewable option, is highly efficacious (for the reasons mentioned above), however, after performing research, it would appear that it would be a rather costly material to utilise, this is resultant of 2 factors,

1. it would most likely require importing (transport = negative impact on the environment), 
2. and it is costly to harvest, e.g. it takes between 600-900 hours to mechanically harvest just 1 hectare of dense Water Hyacinth. 

Furthermore, although it can be utilised in the manufacturing industry, it appears that research and experimentation with it as a material has been somewhat neglected, the following paragraph I feel, illustrates the potential that Water Hyancinth contributes, as well as highlighting it negatives and positives... 

"Akobundu (1987) reported that aquatic wed, can serve as raw material for pulp and paper, fibre for making chairs, mats and baskets. It can also be used as thatch. However, their application has not received the required attention Healey (194) observed that the enormous biomas of water hyacinth has stimulated many attempts at its utilsation. He further reported that it has limited application in the

manufacture of poor quality paper, biogas generation, effluent treatment and certain handicraft. Research could improve on the existing information at converting the raw material of water hyacinth into industrial products. This fed the industries. The whole process could generate employment and alleviate poverty in the affected areas. Thyagaraja (1983) demonstrated how the stalks of water hyacinth could be pulped, and converted into medium quality papers/boards such as cardboard and coloured cards/cover papers. Such pulps should however be blended with long fibrous pulps such as cotton rags and waste paper pulps to minimize the shrinkage of paper during drying. However, the manufacture of bond and other high quality paper is not economically viable owing to the low yields of water hyacinth pulp. Even for the manufacture of medium quality paper/boards Thyagaraja (1983) advised that he manufacturing unit should be attempted and this will go along way in stimulating community participation by reducing the nuisance created by water hyacinth, when continuous harvest is made and manufacturing units located in all places where water hyacinth is available in abundance and free of cost." (http://aquaticcommons.org/966/1/WH_071-078.pdf).

Both materials convey their positives and negatives, I believe that this design would benefit more visually from being constructed from Water Hyacinth thatched together, this is due to the fact that it would provide a more natural effect whilst reflecting the renewable aim. However, due to cost I believe the company would have to be larger so that they could fully commit to the cost of harvesting, transportation as well as the cost of labour for manufacturing the packaging out of the Water Hyacinth. I will be taking forward my Liquid Container concept/design as I believe it is the most suitable design in relation to the given brief, a decision that has been made as a result of the factors mentioned above, combined with my tutorial with Andy.