Please understand the above unflattering description of our padded paper mailers is not my own but one expressed regularly by customers. “Please send me two more cases of those ugly padded mailers,” is a request we’ve heard on several occasions. However, our customers love them for their inner beauty, because if you look past the unusual color and the somewhat puffy appearance, they are indeed an attractive and sustainable packaging solution.

What Makes Our Globe Guard® Paper Padded Envelopes So Green?

They are one of the few padded products available that are 100% recycled paper inside and out. The exterior is primarily recycled post industrial content, and the fill used for the padding is 100% PCW shredded paper. In other words, they are unique because they are 100% recycled paper, and most of it is PCW, making them 100% recyclable, biodegradable and even compostable. Read the rest of this entry »

DIE CUT BOX WITH BUILT-IN PARTITIONS

“What makes one package greener than another?” It’s a rather simplistic question that does not permit a brief or concise answer. It was recently asked of me by an intern working for a governmental agency, and I began by telling him that my response was only my opinion, but one that would hold up in most circles. I added that when we attempt to answer that question we look at packaging in three critical areas:

1. SOURCE – What is the packaging product and where does it comes from? For example, recycled content, PCW percentage, FSC certified, etc.
2. LIFE CYCLE – Where is the packaging material likely to end up after its initial use? Is it reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, compostable, etc?
3. USE- How is the packaging material used and does it eliminate or minimize the use of a different and perhaps less eco-friendly product?

Read the rest of this entry »

We can only do it twice a year, always in January and again in July, but EVERY stock product on our web store is reduced 20% when you use promo code JULY2011 at check out.

Affordable Green Packaging and Reduced Shipping Costs

Globe Guard Products.com was the very first e-commerce site on the internet completely focused on eco-friendly packaging products. Our goal has always been to offer our customers a green alternative to standard products with low minimums and, most importantly, at competitive prices. So we are very pleased to be able to do this for our loyal eco-minded customers. Read the rest of this entry »

“Can we get our logo printed on this box?” That is a common question, and we always respond with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” In fact, if your requirement is for hundreds or a few thousand boxes and you’re not quite sure if or when the job is going to run again, custom printing on stock size products is the least expensive way to create the branded packaging you want. Why is that? Because printing on a stock size product eliminates the need for an expensive cutting die. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s difficult to believe that we’ve been doing this for three years, but this week marks the third anniversary of the launch of our popular blog. In 2008, our then-marketing director Brad Shorr urged us to blog and share what we know and what we do, with the world. I reluctantly agreed, even though operating a business that openly ran contrary to my nature as well as my experience in the packaging industry, where you learn to never, ever risk educating the competition.

Nearly 300 blog posts later, I am thrilled by the results of our outreach and even more grateful for the people and companies it has brought into our lives. If we have educated a competitor or two along the way, it was a small price to pay for the information we’ve been able to share with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, as well as the relationships we have made.

One of the things we most appreciate is the feedback we receive from our ISP readers, which is quite often sent to us offline. To commemorate this three year milestone we’ve shared a few of the most frequently asked questions. Read the rest of this entry »

I often say that one of the greatest benefits of operating a green business is all of the extraordinary people and companies we get to meet. Our new friends at Mahamosa are a perfect example.

Social Responsibility and Environmental Responsibility

For most green companies, it is not a choice of one or the other; the question is how best to accomplish both. We try to make the environmental part of that objective as easy as possible by providing our customers the most eco-friendly packaging available. The nice people at Mahamosa quickly agreed that our Globe Guard® 100% PCW recycled content corrugated shipping boxes were consistent with their goals and messaging. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in time for summer, we have replenished our cooler inventory on our Globe Guard® Products green packaging web store. The timing could not be better considering the warmer weather, outdoor activities and the growing opposition to Styrofoam (EPS) coolers.

Green Packaging at its Best

Our large capacity, 15-quart cooler can be easily assembled, used and then unassembled so it can be dried and stored away flat, taking up minimal space. In addition to being reusable, our Globe Guard® cooler is made of 100% corrugated board, making it recyclable just about anywhere. The seamless design, as well as the special (water based) coating on the inside, makes it waterproof without negatively impacting its ability to be re-pulped or to biodegrade if it ends up in a landfill. Read the rest of this entry »

Many people believe the only way to reduce corrugated usage is by buying and using fewer boxes. While that is certainly one approach, a better and more effective one is making sure you are packing and shipping the best style of container for your product and application.

When RSC Boxes Are NOT the Best Design

Recently, we have encountered several applications for large, relatively low profile products such as unassembled furniture and picture frames. In each case, people were shipping product in oversized, low profiled RSC style boxes with large overlapping layers of redundant corrugated board.

The problem, of course, is that the four flaps on top and bottom of any RSC style box typically do little but add cost. You could almost excuse the extra cost if it delivered better protection to the product, but sadly, in most cases it does not. The two large major flaps coming together in the middle of the box essentially create a weak joint on the box, especially if they are not taped well. The large spans of unsupported corrugated also make the design very susceptible to crushing and corner damage. Read the rest of this entry »

This past weekend, Lenora, my wife/business partner, and I attended Green America’s Chicago version of their Green Festival. As usual, we had a great time seeing a wide variety of new green products and meeting some really nice people in the process.

For the very first time, we also realized how many husband and wife couples have become green entrepreneurs and are enjoying building a green business together. Some are applying their past experience and skills, or in some cases they are utilizing brand new, previously undiscovered talents. In either case, they have teamed up with their significant other and together are making an equally significant difference in the irreversible green trend we are all witnessing.

Maybe it’s a sign of the economic times or a result of the continued interest and growth in sustainability that has helped to create these husband and wife green teams. Or perhaps it is simply that no one other than a loving life partner would be willing to work as long or as hard, and in many cases for little or no immediate compensation.

Certainly the sacrifices of owning your own business are many, but so are the benefits when you both enjoy and are totally committed to what you are doing. The festival was filled with many wonderful “grouples” stories, and I would like to share a few with you. Read the rest of this entry »

Rarely have we introduced a product that is as enthusiastically received by the green community as our custom-printed, Globe Guard® unpadded Kraft mailers. It could be because branding is proving so valuable, or possibly it’s the incredibly low, one-case minimum for custom printing. Or perhaps it’s because we manage to take all the fear and a lot of the cost out of custom printing. Whatever the reason, this product just seems to fit us and our customers extremely well.

It All Begins with a Great, Green Mailer

The ability to inexpensively custom print this mailer is like frosting on the cake because first and foremost they are rugged, water-resistant and will protect most products through just about any shipping scenario. Some people really like the stiffness of the flat mailers, and others like the gussetted sizes that create a three-dimensional container, making them ideal for high-profile products and soft goods.

These mailers are also available in white, though we will admit we have sold very few white mailers since we introduced the natural Kraft version. Customers seem to prefer the natural look of Kraft, which also happens to be constructed with a minimum of 50% recycled content. Both white and Kraft mailers include a “peel and seal” adhesive strip that makes packing fast and easy. Read the rest of this entry »