Printed Box Sealing Tape v. Printed Corrugated Boxes

by: Brad Shorr

15 Jan 2009

printed box sealing tape

Printing a logo and/or a brief sales message on paper box sealing tape or corrugated boxes makes total sense from a marketing perspective.

The cost is minimal
The message is usually seen by several people as the package moves through the distribution chain
Printing converts a cost of doing business (packaging) into a sales and marketing opportunity

But what about printing from a sustainable packaging perspective?

A while back Salazar Packaging VP, Lenora Salazar, observed that plain corrugated boxes are more likely to be reused than printed ones. A very, very good point! Of course the tricky question is, how does the original purchaser know whether or how many of his boxes will be reused?

While I couldn’t find reliable statistics on the percentage of corrugated boxes that are reused rather than recycled or trashed, I think it’s safe to say reuse is a small but growing trend. Some of the ways we see the reuse trend in action -

Individuals reusing boxes they receive from e-tailers or other sources
Moving supply companies who sell and use reused corrugated containers
Large companies that have internal, large scale reuse programs

Bottom line – By purchasing plain corrugated boxes rather than printed ones, you will be supporting the reuse cause. While it may not have huge impact, it may have some, and some is better than none. Printed tape can get the marketing and branding job done, and probably at a lower cost.
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