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The world of sustainability is obviously much larger than just packaging and we work hard to develop relationships with companies able to provide answers for our customers and friends. TerraLocke Sustainability Consultants is a company that focuses of sustainability from an operational and facilities perspective. They are a leader in their field and are well known for their thorough Sustainability Audits. There is much confusion and misinformation on greenhouse gases and the resulting carbon footprint so I asked TerraLocke co-founder and managing director, Peter Locke to bring some clarity to this important area of sustainability.

DS: Why might our readers be interested in conducting a greenhouse gas inventory for their business?

PL: There are a few reasons. One, they want to use the inventory results to help identify potential risk areas within their business. Two, companies want to gain experience conducting inventories so they are prepared for when potential federal legislation requires them to do so. Three, companies might be able to make money trading greenhouse gas (GHG) credits on a GHG trading market such as the Chicago Climate Exchange. Four, management feels it is necessary or advantageous to report their emissions to their shareholders or potential investors. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the sure signs that you are getting old is when you realize you unintentionally and often make references to characters and things that were popular long before younger people you may be speaking to were even born. That may be the case with the above title.

When I was a kid, one of the most popular Western series on television (black and white no less) was a series called “Have Gun - Will Travel”. That incredibly cool line (for that time) was neatly printed on the lead character’s business card indicating he was a gun for hire. The lead character was known by the single name Paladin and I think he may have started the one name thing, inspiring others like Madonna, Cher or Sting. As I recall his fee was $1,000, which must have been an enormous amount of money back then, so I doubt he had steady work but always managed to find at least one client in desperate need of his services in time for each weekly, exciting episode. Read the rest of this entry »

Most industries have a standard for measuring or describing the construction of a particular material. However, in the corrugated industry, there are two standards - the Mullen Test and the Edge Crush Test. This leads to quite a bit of confusion in the marketplace.

The Mullen Test, which has been used for many years, tests the bursting strength of corrugated board - how much pressure is required to rupture the wall of a piece of corrugated material. Boxes conforming to the Mullen Test standard are identified as 200# Test, 275# Test, etc. The higher the number, the stronger the corrugated box.

The Edge Crush Test, which was developed in the 1990’s, measures the stacking strength of corrugated board - how much top to bottom pressure a box can withstand before crushing. Boxes conforming to the Edge Crush Test standard are identified as 32ECT, 44 ECT, etc. Again, the higher the number, the stronger the corrugated box. Read the rest of this entry »

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Unprinted newsprint is (or was - keep reading) widely used for industrial void fill, surface protection, and wrapping applications. You’ve probably seen it at one time or another when you moved. Moving companies use newsprint extensively, mainly in sheeted form, to protect your belongings before boxing them up.

Did you ever wonder where this newsprint comes from?

A Good Green Story …
For the most part, industrial newsprint is trim and waste generated by paper mills as they run newspaper-grade newsprint. I was in Montreal once getting a tour of an Abitibi newsprint mill, and the tour guide took us to a building that must have been 750,000 square feet. He opened an immense sliding door and we saw that the building was packed floor to ceiling with trim newsprint rolls — big, heavy rolls, 40″ - 50″ diameter, anywhere from 12″ - 84″ wide. Read the rest of this entry »

Not only can Republicans be green, it turns out a lot of them are. Check out Republicans for Environmental Protection, an organization with this mission statement –

Republicans for Environmental Protection was founded in 1995
to resurrect the GOP’s great conservation tradition
and to restore natural resource conservation and sound environmental protection
as fundamental elements of the Republican Party’s vision for America

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Stereotyping Gets in the Way of Green Action
One positive message coming from both sides in this year’s presidential campaign is the need for change. Our Federal government isn’t getting things done because of partisan politics, with each party characterizing the other by its most extreme elements — in other words, stereotyping. This kind of communication leads people to dig in their heels, become combative, stop listening, and stop communicating. Political discourse has devolved into special interest advocates reciting a familiar litany of charges against the opposition. Not an atmosphere where things get done.

Why Is Washington Stuck in the Mud? Read the rest of this entry »

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This month represents an anniversary of sorts for me because it was one year ago when I submitted my first, above titled article to Rider Thompson of Sustainable Is Good and he chose to publish it. The article was a tongue in cheek recap of my career in packaging and how it relates to sustainability. Much to my surprise, it was picked up and run by numerous other internet outlets including Reuters and GreenBiz.

It seemed like a good time to share with you some observations and what we have learned about sustainability during the last year. Read the rest of this entry »

Our marketing director, Brad Shorr, and I are very different in many ways but one thing we have in common is a good appreciation of humor. With all the confusion, contradictions and misinformation in sustainable packaging, it is not always easy to find the humor in it but we work at it.

With the help of a very talented illustrator, Mark Hill, Brad and I created “Eco Ed”, a cartoon series about the guy we can all relate to, who wants to do the right thing for the environment but is often not sure what the right thing is. We showed the concept to Joe Angel of Summit Publishing and he immediately decided he wanted to make it a regular feature in their Packaging World magazine, beginning last April. Read the rest of this entry »

At Inside Sustainable Packaging, we welcome comments and conversation about sustainable packaging products, people, and perspectives. We appreciate the fact you have taken time out of your busy day to read our blog and share your ideas. Your comments, as much as our posts, are what will make our blog a useful resource for packaging professionals, packaging users, and concerned consumers. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are looking for an inexpensive and effective way to advertise your company - and who isn’t, these days - consider printing your logo and a sales message on any or all of the following.

• Corrugated boxes
• Reinforced paper carton sealing tape
• Mailing envelopes and padded shipping bags
• Edge protectors

Depending on how your products move through the supply chain to the end user and then into the recycling stream, a lot more people than you think are seeing those plain old corrugated boxes, box sealing tapes, mailers, and edge protectors. The more your name is seen in the marketplace, the stronger your brand becomes. Read the rest of this entry »

It may seem ironic that any company that sells boxes would help you minimize their use, but we are committed to providing application appropriate solutions, not just what we may happen to have on our website or in our warehouse. Brad Shorr recently posted a terrific article titled 7 Ways to Reduce Corrugated Box Usage, and I encourage you to read it. But let’s take it a step further and talk about how not only reduce corrugated usage, but eliminate corrugated usage completely.

I am amazed at how often people use RSC style boxes when they are not really necessary. Probably because of their popularity and availability, boxes seem to be the standard or “go to” method of shipment, but there are times and applications when they are NOT the best choice. The cost of using a box usually includes the box, tape, cushioning materials or void fill, and a good deal of labor to form and seal the bottom, fill it with product and void fill, seal the top of the box and then label it. An envelope style mailer is typically less expensive from both a material and labor cost perspective, and is an underutilized alternative to standard boxes. Read the rest of this entry »