I have come to believe that every box has a story to tell about the person or company who sent it. I am quite sure that together with the other packaging/shipping materials being used, the box sends a silent but powerful message to the recipient about the shipper.

• If you are utilizing “used/recycled” boxes are they saying you are conservative and considerate of the environment or are they screaming, cheap and uncaring about the image you project to your customers?
• If you are using boxes that are obviously too large for the product(s) being shipped, are they communicating your lack of knowledge and/or concern about the correct use of packaging materials?
• If your customer’s product arrives damaged, are your boxes saying that you would rather save a few cents than to develop a long term relationship with them?
• If you are using a standard corrugated box with any percentage of virgin fiber, are your boxes admitting you are willing to sacrifice a few trees in a misinformed effort to save some money or time?

Our Green Customers Are Not Like Everyone Else

And thank God they are not. However, this also means that we as a supplier to them, our packaging not only has to perform as well and be as cost competitive as everyone else’s, it also has to be as green as possible. (more…)

If you are shipping any quantity of merchandise it all, packaging automation is worth taking a look at. Automatic corrugated case sealers, shrink wrappers, and stretch wrappers are excellent places to start. Besides the many sustainable packaging benefits of automation, you may find that equipment will -

• Reduce labor and improve ergonomics
• Increase throughput
• Produce more attractive packages
• Improve tamper evidence

(more…)

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.
______________________

Visit the Globe Guard Eco Friendly Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly, Sustainable Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Special Deals on Packaging Supplies

and more!

As a marketing specialist, I myself find it strange that at the same time we’re promoting Globe Guard 100% PCW content corrugated boxes, we’re writing post upon post telling people how to use less corrugated or no corrugated at all.

Well, we definitely want to sell Globe Guard boxes. Being made from 100% post-consumer waste, they are the ultimate in sustainability from a materials standpoint. But at the same time, our experience in packaging tells us this -

The biggest cost saving AND the best environmental consequences come from using less corrugated material in your operation.

That’s why we openly encourage corrugated users to use less corrugated, and offer suggestions about how to do it.

But the real mystery is this. Why do so many customers fixate on the purchase price of their boxes, when changing their box requirements will produce far greater savings? A couple reasons come to mind. (more…)

Somewhere along the line, corrugated (and chipboard) partitions fell out of favor as an inner packing material. A lot of it had to do with a desire to reduce corrugated usage and unit cost – both good objectives.

However, corrugated partitions can sometimes reduce overall packaging usage and unit cost, while providing a number of other important sustainable benefits. (more…)