The best thing about void fill is there are so many options. The worst thing about void fill is … there are so many options. Selecting the right void fill material is difficult — keeping a few things in mind will help you make the right decision.

Void fill can be broken down into several categories.

Loose fill materials, commonly called “packing peanuts”, are made from a variety of eco friendly and not so eco friendly materials, including polystyrene, corn starch, and paper. The weight of loose fill varies depending on the material, but generally speaking, loose fill is inexpensive per application, but messy and not very effective for cushioning.

Industrial papers include kraft paper, newsprint, and tissue paper. Most papers used for void fill have high PCW content, are fairly inexpensive per application, and are easier and cleaner to use than loose fill. Industrial papers are available in sheeted or roll form, making them easy to integrate into most packing operations. Multi-layered papers have become more popular in recent years, mainly due to shippers looking for alternatives to plastic-based packing materials. Multi-layer papers, which are typically made on-site, provide excellent cushioning, but are significantly heavier than plastic alternatives. (more…)

In our efforts to help companies become more green, we often look for what we refer to as “low hanging sustainable packaging fruit”. That is those little, easy changes that can be implemented quickly with little or no investment required. In fact the sweetest fruit is that which results in immediate savings — and with the help of a good customer, we found a terrific area for immediate and easy green savings!

Slip sheets are those almost invisible layers of packaging material you usually find between a pallet and a product load or even in between layers of a product load. Many companies will add a second slip sheet to the top of the load, in case the pallet is double stacked. Slip sheets provide some level of abrasion protection and are used primarily to keep products clean. On certain types of product loads, they can even be used to eliminate or avoid a pallet altogether. Slip sheets can be made of plastic, paper board or corrugated. Regardless of material type, what they almost always have in common is that slip sheets are certain to wind up as waste, as soon as the load arrives at its destination.  (more…)

Here’s a comprehensive look at sustainable packaging from a marketing perspective, by Jackie DeLise at Sustainable is Good. Her lexicon of sustainable terms is concise and very useful.

From the Packaging Network, a sustainable rundown on PACK EXPO, confirming Joe Angel’s (VP and Publisher of Packaging World) interview comments that 2008 will be the greenest PACK EXPO ever.

The Green Routine explains that most plastic bags are made from natural gas, not oil. The author is not a fan of plastic bags, but observes that natural gas, much of which we produce domestically, is better than oil, which is mainly imported. (more…)

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The business community is wary of consumer fads, and well it should be. We consumers, after all, are notoriously fickle. I’ve got ties I wore proudly five years ago that look ridiculous today, and I’ll bet you have more than a few fashion skeletons in your closet as well.

Now, some businesses view sustainability and sustainable packaging as the latest industrial version of the leisure suit, but I believe these issues are not trends at all, but represent a very long term change in the market’s values and priorities. Here’s why. (more…)

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PACK EXPO will be taking place at McCormick Place in Chicago November 9-13. Sustainable packaging will be high on the list of feature themes.

Sustainability is a fitting theme for Chicago, a city which, thanks to Mayor Daley’s leadership, has been extremely active in promoting green, eco-friendly living. For example, The Green Bungalow Initiative was instituted to make existing homes more eco friendly. Chicago is planning an ambitious new harborside green space, to go along with our well known green roof program.

Green Chicago Hotels
The Green Hotels Association lists four member hotels in Chicago proper. They are –

• The Peninusla
• City Suites Hotel
• Majestic Hotel
• The Willows Hotel

The Peninsula is close to the convention action. The other choices are further out but in very interesting neighborhoods. Rezhub ranks a few other Chicago hotels for green, including some in close proximity to McCormick Place. (more…)

In the ever crowded markets we all work to serve we are often challenged with trying to stand out from our competition, while simultaneously working to create a greener, more Eco friendly image by delivering a more sustainable package to our customers.  Oh yes, we would also like to reduce or at least maintain our costs while doing it. Is this an impossible, contradictory combination of goals?

I really don’t believe so but to accomplish all three objectives, we have to make some well informed decisions and when we do, we are often surprised to find out the way is much easier than we thought. One simple way of answering all three of the above challenges is to utilize custom printed, water activated, gummed tape to seal the boxes we ship out to our customers and prospects. (more…)

Some types of secondary packaging material are far worse for the environment than others. One of the worst, in our opinion, is the old standby for void fill, polystyrene loose fill. Folks who use this material because of its (perceived) low cost and (real) speed, are, well … ecoblivious.

Polystyrene is recyclable, but not easily so. The material is extremely lightweight and therefore expensive to ship to recycling centers, which are often a long distance away. While associated transportation costs have always been high, the economics are now even worse due to the rapid run up in fuel costs. (more…)

PACK EXPO International 2008 will be November 9-13, at McCormick Place in Chicago. We recently asked Joe Angel, Vice President and Publisher of Packaging World, about the show, especially in terms of sustainable packaging. This year’s show promises to be as good as ever, with green packaging perhaps topping the list as a key theme.

How is Pack Expo shaping up in terms of exhibitors and attendance?
From what I hear from PMMI, they are ahead of 2006 PEI pre-registrations. This is a good sign, particularly with the economy the way it is now. Bu it’s also a function of more total internet registrations, so only time will tell. The one consistent take-away I hear when speaking with consumer packaged goods companies (CPG’s) is that they feel they cannot afford to significantly reduce R&D…developing new or improved products, thus new packaging. PACK EXPO is a great place to see a lot of packaging ideas. While it is no secret companies are sending less people to events these days, the key people still attend and those that cannot attend will send someone or a buying team to the show or conference. (more…)