Most will agree that there is an incredible proliferation of green products and suppliers on the internet and this is especially true in the area of green, eco-friendly packaging products. Sorting through the results on any key word product search is overwhelming because you have located thousands of potential suppliers but are they:

• Truly green?
• Cost Competitive?
• The best product option?
• Available with any form of knowledgeable support?

Find what you need while saving time and money!

With the help of a few, exceptional sustainability focused packaging companies; we are very pleased to announce the launch of a new website at www.greenpackaginggroup.com

Our partners and charter members in this new venture are Nashville Wraps, the leader in sustainable packaging for the gift and retail packaging market, Eco Bags, one of the oldest and greenest packaging companies in America, and Distant Village, a pioneer and leading supplier of socially responsible, eco friendly handmade, custom packaging. Add these companies and products to the custom packaging products of Salazar Packaging and the stock green packaging products offered by Globe Guard Products, and you have the widest variety of green products and solutions available through one internet site.

What you will find at www.greenpackaginggroup.com

What this site offers you as an eco minded professional buyer is:

• An easy to use product index to help you locate and connect with affordable and authentic green packaging suppliers able to help you accomplish your packaging sustainability goals.

• The start of a reference library of information in blog form, to guide you to the best product or process choice for your specific application. Each blog post is written by industry leaders able to provide you valuable “what to use and how to use it” advice for any business environment. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not often, but there are times when the best long-term sustainable solution is a product designed for temporary use. A couple of those situations that come to mind are drinking out of a plastic bottle when a steel or other more “eco friendly” drinking bottle is not available or simply not practical. Another is use of a plastic or paper bag to carry home products from the store when the only “reusable” bags available are imported, non-woven polypropylene shopping bags.

Another common scenario for a short term product is when you need a cooler for a short period of time. Keeping your beverages cold is a challenge but you want to avoid lugging around a large, heavy metal or plastic cooler and an EPS (better known as Styrofoam) cooler is out of the question. Perhaps you live or are traveling into an area that even prohibits them?

The Globe Guard Eco Friendly and Water Proof Cooler

Most moisture proof coatings manufacturers put on corrugated designs are petroleum based wax or plastic so the product cannot be recycled because it cannot be re-pulped into new corrugated boxes. The Globe Guard eco friendly cooler coating enables it to be re-pulped, recycled, and even composted. More importantly it is designed for multiple uses and easily folds flat for storage and re-use.

In addition, here are some other features and facts: Read the rest of this entry »

I could no longer put off a task that I enjoy almost as much as an IRS audit or root canal surgery – I had to shop for a new car. I know for some it is a fun occasion but for most of my life as a salesman, a car is a temporary business tool and shopping for one is the equivalent for me of a carpenter buying a new circular saw or a landscaper purchasing a new lawn mower.

Today’s Society and Market Pressures

In addition to truly hating the games and negotiating involved in the purchasing process, today we also have to deal with the questions of “hybrid or not” and “ foreign or domestic brand”? I realize the line on imported or domestic has become incredibly fuzzy with foreign car makers doing assembly in the US and we all know American car manufacturers are building their cars in other countries but we still tend to think of some brands as US made and others as imports.

Perhaps for us the question of hybrid or not, is a much more difficult decision because we own and operate a high profile green business and because we truly believe we should minimize our own carbon footprint if we are going to guide others in doing so. Late last year I wrote a blog post about my wife’s new Honda Insight and how much she enjoyed it and I admit we really appreciate the mid forties MPG the car delivers. We set out on our car buying trip, with a hybrid as the ideal, likely choice for us.

Auto Makers – To Green or Not to Green

Our first two stops were at Chevy and Ford dealers because my wife and I had already decided that our preference would be to buy a U.S. brand this time around. However, we were both shocked by the lack of inventory at the Chevy dealer we visited and NO hybrid cars to offer.

We went to the Ford dealer across the street and I immediately took a liking to a Ford Escape hybrid model. We were disappointed to determine that we probably knew as much about hybrid autos as the salesman who tried to help us. In addition, the floor model we were looking at was the only one they had in stock and the answer on anything we asked was NO! No deals, no financing, no incentives, no kidding. “We have a lot of great deals and promotions going but our hybrids are not included”. Read the rest of this entry »

We are so focused on sustainable packaging and that is obviously what we are best known for, but we also happen to be one of the most experienced packaging equipment suppliers in the industry. Our products include shrink wrapping systems, pallet wrapping equipment, bagging and bundling systems, case closure equipment and a wide variety of conveyors, feeders, placers and other production enhancing hardware.

The Economic Indicator We Look At

I am glad to report we are having an excellent equipment month. We have multiple orders from multiple customers in different industries and that is extremely encouraging considering the spotty equipment sales we’ve experienced for almost two years. This is also significant because July is historically not a good month for equipment orders.

If you believe (and I have for over 35 years) that equipment sales always precede and drive material sales, this is one of the most encouraging economic signs we have seen in a while. We have been doing this too long to become giddy over one single good month of equipment sales but here are a few more positive signs to consider: Read the rest of this entry »

One thing we have learned about supplying “green” packaging products to eco minded customers, is that they tend to have a wide range and very intense variety of opinions on what is good and what is not. One of those great debates is often found in the area of packaging material composition and whether it is better to reuse a product that has already been manufactured and only used once, to prevent it from becoming trash or using a product that will biodegrade as quickly as possible, in the event it does wind up in a land fill.

Complex Question with No Easy Answers

It is important to note that within this question there are various other questions that need to be asked and answered before anyone with an open mind can possibly respond accurately for any given application and customer.

Are we talking about post consumer recycled content or pre-consumer (post production) recycled content? That makes a huge difference and I think most people will agree recycling is always a good thing, but the closer it gets to the waste stream, the better. Diverting any product from the consumer to the landfill is the ideal solution in my mind but in many areas such as plastic, finding post consumer plastic waste that can be processed and re-manufactured efficiently can be challenging.

On any biodegradable product, one of the many questions that has to be asked is under what conditions is it biodegradable? There are many forms of biodegradability including oxo, hydro and thermal or a combination of all of the above. If we think about biodegradability as the last resort in sustainability, is it still able to be recycled? That is the primary problem I have with some green solutions is that they promote or require a specific process such industrial or municipal composting, but do not admit that few areas of this country have that capability and resource at this time.

Globe Guard Provides Multiple Green Packaging Alternatives

It is not always possible in all product areas but when the products are available we like to give our customers the option of what works best for them, their application and their immediate environment. We do not pretend to know it all and we understand that everyone’s needs are slightly different for any number of reasons. Pictured are two good examples of products being offered in both 100% recycled and 100% biodegradable composition:

Globe Guard Eco Friendly Bubble Packaging

Even though our oxo-biodegradable bubble packaging has been a big hit, we understand there are customers who prefer a recycled product. It is not yet a stock item but we do have a 100% recycled plastic product that will soon be available. When? It comes down to customer demand.

Globe Guard Eco Friendly Inflatable Void Fill Pillows

We stock and sell both our biodegradable version as well as our 100% recycled content formulation. Both are light weight and perform extremely well and are usually reused multiple times before they are ultimately recycled again.

In either grade, it is one of our favorite products because it is among the most economical void fill products available from a shipping inbound and outbound perspective.

Our Most Versatile Green Product?

No question – it is our Globe Guard 100% PCW shipping boxes. They are biodegradable, made of recycled content, can be recycled again and if no other option is available, you can even compost a Globe Guard box. Though we really hope you will reuse it once or twice before you do that.
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In most cases the answer is no. We realize most businesses today are facing enormous pressure to control or reduce packaging costs and our goal is to make sure that an eco conscious company is able to do the right thing in terms of the environment AND save money in the process.

Eco Friendly Packaging Products Are Available and Affordable

Our company objective from the very beginning was to make eco friendly packaging products easy to find and competitive in price compared to standard, non-green products. It has not always been easy but with persistence, years of experience and a dash of innovation, we have managed to deliver a wide variety of green packaging products that are price competitive and environmentally responsible.

Three years later, some of our most popular products are:

• Globe Guard 100% recycled (PCW) content corrugated shipping boxes. Stock and custom sizes, plain Kraft and printed in just about any weight or style.

• Globe Guard Mailers ranging from corrugated die cut to paper, in padded and unpadded designs, as well as 100% bubble lined plastic mailers.

• Globe Guard stretch wrapping films for pallet wrapping and bundling. Available in high yield formulations and our new oxo-biodegradable version.

• Manual void fill and protective packaging including five different Globe Guard packaging papers, loose void fill products and our recently introduced Globe Guard oxo-biodegradable bubble packaging on rolls.

• Automated void fill options including void fill inflatable pillows in a 100% recycled content plastic and a biodegradable version too.

No Eco or Quality Compromise Necessary

Many customers are pleasantly surprised and relieved when they see our pricing on most of our green packaging products because they expect to pay more. After all, that is what they have heard and have come to believe. They are equally impressed when they see there is no sacrifice of quality or strength when using a material that is friendlier to the environment.

Sustainable packaging is indeed of high quality, readily available and affordable. We would appreciate the opportunity to prove it to you, the same way we have to some of the largest and greenest companies in America.
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Visit the Globe Guard ® Green Packaging Store for -

Green Shipping Boxes
Eco Friendly Packaging Materials
Discounts on Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Learn more about the Globe Guard ® Resusable Box

A product that probably deserves a better name and reputation is what the industry refers to as “gray bogus paper”. That name always bothered me so I scoured the internet and asked a paper industry expert to find out why “bogus” paper is called, bogus paper. The best I could find out is that the name reflects the fact that it is not a true or genuine Kraft packaging paper. It has zero virgin fiber and is made up of an assorted mix of recycled content. Fortunately, in today’s eco conscious world, those are positive product benefits.

Bogus Paper is 100% Recycled Content

Few people know as well as we do that the only thing better than 100% recycled content is 100% post consumer waste, also known as 100% PCW or even 100% PCR. By anyone’s definition, bogus paper is extremely eco friendly and a great alternative for inner packing, interleaving, wrapping or any form of packaging. It’s 100% recycled content makes it flexible and soft and its distinctive gray color tells you no inks or dies were used in an attempt to make it more attractive or appealing to the eye. In other words it is about as natural a recycled paper as you can find.

Bogus Paper is 100% Economical

The most popular weight of gray bogus is 50# and when compared on a weight/yield basis to most 40# Kraft rolls or any 60# indented Kraft rolls, gray bogus paper it is an extremely good value at regular price and much more so for the month of July on GlobeGuardProducts.com. A 24” wide roll with 720’ of paper on the roll is on sale in any quantity for only $23.54 per roll. That is a lot of paper able to fill a lot of boxes and deliver products scratch free and in one piece.

The Source for Green Packaging Solutions

Read the rest of this entry »

I keep saying that most of our Globe Guard products began as customer requests and the four new items we’ve added this week are great examples.

GG-M1493, 14.5” X 9.5” X 3” Globe Guard Die Cut Mailer

A lady in California makes a high quality green product and was eager to ship it in something other than a plain RSC style corrugated shipping box. She asked for more of a “presentation” box and we designed one that fits her products like a glove. She was thrilled with the sample we provided because it shows off and protects better compared to other options.

GG-39, Globe Guard 13” X 13” X 6” RSC style shipping box

We stock a 13” x 13” x 13” high box but sometimes too much of a good thing is not good and definitely not green. The taller box fit a customer’s product well but she only needed a box half as tall for smaller orders. The solution was this new 13 X 13 X 6” high shipping box and convincing us to add it to our stock list was the easiest part.

GG-38, Globe Guard 9” X 6” X 2” RSC style shipping box

A customer in Maine sells beautiful jewelry and was in search of a low profile box that was NOT a die cut mailer. The ideal size for her was 9x6x2 and we decided the size would fit well into our low profile shipping box assortment. We combined our orders and we both benefitted from the longer box run.

GG-7, Globe Guard 7” X 7” X 7” RSC style shipping box

A customer pointed out that we had just about every cube box possible except for the 7” cube he needed. We agreed it was an oversight and immediately added it to stock, once again reducing his cost with the larger box quantity.

It would be incorrect to say we are “willing” to add new box sizes to our lineup. The fact is that we not only encourage it, we actually look for good excuses to do so. If you want or need a green box but you don’t see what you need on our green packaging store web site, PLEASE let us know. You may the customer that helps us to add an item that others will also appreciate and buy.

Over the course of the last three years I have been privileged to share my, at times, unusual perspective on eco friendly packaging with many audiences ranging from high school students to the International Housewares Show. I truly work to make each presentation conversational and a dialogue rather than a monologue, and I would like to interact with your group.

Green Expectations versus Deliverable

It is not easy to speak for an hour or less on a subject as broad and complex as sustainable packaging. I also realize in many cases the audience can vary from the incredibly well studied and knowledgeable to someone who is just beginning their search for answers.

Sustainability can also be a very emotional topic for many people and they often come to a presentation hoping if not expecting a speaker to confirm their own firm position and opinion about a specific product or process. Anyone expecting easy, simple answers is likely to be disappointed because there are few to be found in the many complicated and constantly changing areas of packaging and sustainability.

The Cost of a Green Speaker

In most cases, the cost is minimal to free. Like anyone else I have a speaking fee chart but rarely does it apply. I often deviate from my “price list” based on the following variables:

• Who is paying the bill? Is my client a large corporation or a non for profit?
• Who is the audience and are they paying a fee to someone to be there? If they are there at no cost, I am not likely to charge for my services.
• Is the event being held in a city that I can travel to economically and does it work in conjunction with my other travel plans?
• If not, are travel expenses being reimbursed?
• Is there an opportunity for me to engage with members or participants at a conference or meeting? Picture me at a roadside holding a 100% PCW corrugated sign that reads: “I work for contacts”.

If you have an event coming up and are interested in having a green speaker as part of your agenda, give me a call. If the “fit” is right for both of us, I think you will find my thoughts and content a little different from the usual approach to the important but somewhat dry topic packaging sustainability.

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Visit the Globe Guard ® Green Packaging Store for -

Green Shipping Boxes
Eco Friendly Packaging Materials
Discounts on Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Learn more about the Globe Guard ® Resusable Box

The nouveau green packaging industry loves to talk about biodegradability, recyclability, compostability, recycled content, PLA, PCW and a constantly growing variety of green acronyms. They are also just as eager to debate which product or process is best for the customer and for the environment.

We ourselves are helping to lead the charge on reusable and recycled content packaging products but often times we all over look the easiest sustainability “R” of all and that is reduce. Packaging reduction opportunities are usually very simple to identify and almost always even easier to correct.

A Perfect Example – A Recent Shipment from Zappos.com

Zappos.com is a terrific company and one of my personal favorites but the recent order (photo) we received from them caught my attention. The box they used to ship our order of baby shoes is obviously more than two times larger than it really needed to be.

To be fair, it could have been almost any internet retailer, shipping almost any order and most of them are indeed guilty of this same sustainability crime. I realize it is possible the packer simply selected the wrong size box but having reviewed and assessed many order picking and packing stations; I know the correct size box is usually not available for the packer to utilize.

“Use the smallest box available” is the common direction a packer receives but the smallest box available is frequently not the right size for the application and product being shipped. Using an oversized box obviously adds packaging material cost as well as much more difficult to calculate costs such as storage space, shipping cube space, fuel costs, load inefficiencies, etc. Perhaps even more important, it just plain looks wasteful to an ever vigilant eco conscious consumer. Read the rest of this entry »