What type of label deserves to be used on a 100% PCW recycled content box? Ideally, one that is on sale, such as our 100% PCW labels, so your entire shipping container is as green as green can be. You can save 10% on any Globe Guard® stock label product on our green packaging store through the end of October.

Label Specifications

Our stock labels are available in some of the most popular sizes and layouts, ranging from a 2.625” X 1” with 30 labels per sheet to our 8.5” X 5.5” that offers 2 labels per sheet. However, we also have hundreds of other sizes and configurations in stock, so if you don’t see what you need, please contact us. Read the rest of this entry »

When the nice people at Hanes first contacted us, they were looking for a product they could use to ship out a sample of their ComfortBlend tee shirt with Eco Smart® fiber for a special promotion. They were absolutely certain about three things:

1. The container or mailer they used had to be green. Ideally with a high percentage of recycled content and definitely 100% recyclable as well.
2. They wanted to be able to custom print it in relatively small quantities with their brand/logo and other product/environmental information.
3. As is often the case with projects and promotions, they were rapidly running out of time to meet their deadline. Read the rest of this entry »

Evertune is a company that has received a lot of well-deserved applause for creating an innovation that is changing the world of music. The company’s lead product, the award-winning Evertune guitar bridge, is able to keep a guitar in perfect tune forever. Most recently, they were featured on CNN, and you can see the Evertune video here.

What also makes Evertune unique is company CEO Mark Chayet’s commitment to sustainable packaging that is quality, low cost and effective. Though to some those three requirements may seem almost contradictory, Mark was determined, and his search eventually led him to Globe Guard® products and Salazar Packaging. Read the rest of this entry »

We have met a lot of people who have hesitated to brand their tape because of many misconceptions, including that it’s too expensive or that the minimum quantity required is too large. A very common perception is that the process is too complicated, but nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike other packaging suppliers who expect you to point and click your way through your first custom-printed tape order, we provide you with live assistance and decades of experience and suggestions to help you avoid costly mistakes.

1. Choose your tape width, tape color (white or natural Kraft) and your tape grade. (Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through your grade options.)
2. Submit your artwork for review. (This is where our experience can really help, and, FYI, usually a clean PDF will work.)
3. Select your color(s) from 11 standard colors, or we can also do a PMS color match for you.
4. Review the final proof we provide that shows copy location, repeat and colors. (This is your last look before we start printing tape.)
5. Wait about two to three weeks for your new, custom-printed tape to arrive. Read the rest of this entry »

Unless this is the first time you have visited our blog, you already know we are avid proponents of reusing and recycling packaging. That is especially true of our corrugated products that offer the most in recycled content, because no one has figured out how to improve on 100%.

The one area of sustainability that we have yet to master is that of “upcycling,” which is recycling a product and making it even more valuable than it originally was. I sincerely appreciate and respect people who are able to take empty juice pouches and turn them into fashion handbags or use empty wine bottles to create beautiful table lamps out of what might otherwise end up in a landfill. However, Mark Langan, with a lot of talent and time, is able to take corrugated board and turn it into beautiful works of art. Read the rest of this entry »

Today, there are few companies selling products wholesale or in brick-and-mortar retail outlets that are not also offering their products directly to consumers via the internet. This relatively new market provides tremendous sales opportunities as well as challenges because the packaging required for this type of customer seems to fall somewhere in between usual retail and wholesale requirements.

“I want something more than just a shipping box!”

That is a common request by packaging customers and design clients who understand their web customer is technically a direct retail customer who is NOT carrying his product (and packaging) home. The product is being shipped via UPS, FedEx or USPS, so the packaging needs to be more durable than what is typically found on the retail shelf level.

Sellers of green products have the additional requirement of making the packaging they are shipping into their customers’ homes as minimal and green as possible. We refer to it as being “eco consistent” when our products, marketing and packaging all communicate the same green message and standards. Read the rest of this entry »

I have spent several decades in the packaging industry and almost five years specifically in the green packaging market. During that time, I have come to appreciate both innovations that may have limited appeal but solve a specific or unique problem, as well as products that may not be as newsworthy but provide a solution to a much wider group of customers.

What Is a Broad-Based Solution?

In my mind, it is a product that would have mass appeal and solve a common or very typical packaging problem. For example, when we and others began promoting 100% recycled content corrugated for shipping boxes, the concept did not win awards or grace the cover of packaging magazines, even though it could potentially benefit every single shipping box buyer and user. Read the rest of this entry »

The idea that green can be good for your top line as well as your bottom line is not a new concept. I think by now most people understand how sustainability can help reduce costs and increase profits by eliminating waste, minimizing energy use, etc. 

What is not quite as easily understood is how sustainability can be used to increase top line revenue and sales by helping to “sell” more products to the fastest growing segment of the US market. In many cases, the tools are available, but what is lacking is how those tools can be used to gain market share.

Our newest custom die cut product is a six-bottle wine carrier. I think most people will see it as a great idea, but some may not recognize how a product like this can be used to promote a brand or increase sales. We are convinced it can be an effective marketing tool, especially for anyone making and selling organic wines. Read the rest of this entry »

We realize that in some green circles plastic is an objectionable word and an unacceptable packaging solution under any circumstances. However, those of us who have assumed the responsibility and task of satisfying unique customer requirements understand that plastics bring a unique set of properties that in most cases cannot be duplicated by paper or other substrates. These application benefits include water resistance, light shipping weight and of course transparency or visibility. Read the rest of this entry »

As most of the country suffers through a record heat wave, droughts are becoming more common worldwide, including here in the USA. Those trends make it an excellent time to remind people about the environmental benefits of using shipping boxes made of recycled corrugated.

Water Shortage Is for Real

I admit we are a little spoiled in the Midwest, especially here in the Chicago area where we take beautiful Lake Michigan for granted as an ample source of drinking water and a summertime water park. In many other parts of the country, long before this current heat wave, water has been consistently in short supply, in some cases for several years. In other words, for some this is not a new problem and they have been dealing with water conservation efforts for some time.

The problem is not just in the dry southwest or in agricultural areas; it is even impacting our largest American cities. A report last year identified cities literally running out of water, and the list included Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix and several cities in Texas. Read the rest of this entry »