Most green minded people agree the only thing better than recycling used packaging is finding another or different use for it. Ideally this is using the packaging to create something of greater value and more permanent use.

We are all familiar with terrific “up cycling” success stories such as turning post consumer packaging waste into fashionable bags or transforming used glass beverage bottles into very durable and pricey counter tops.

A New Low in Up Cycling?

I rarely go on YouTube because I have a tendency of getting lost in the amazing variety of videos to be found there, ranging from the instructional and inspirational to the outright ridiculous. A friend sent this link to me with the usual and customary “you need to see this”. Unable to resist the temptation, I checked it out and was fascinated by what I saw.

A young man known on YouTube as “brusspup” created a sturdy chair using nothing but previously used corrugated board to construct it. It is obvious he knows something about design and maybe a little about corrugated as well because his chair uses no adhesive and it is assembled in a way that utilizes the strongest dimensions of the board for greater weight support than most would expect. (more…)

Like most sellers of packaging materials we offer our customers what is referred to as bracket pricing. The larger the quantity you purchase, the lower your price, which seems quite logical. However, on a somewhat regular basis we like to offer “best bracket” pricing which gives customers the best price on any quantity they purchase.

Why Do We Sell Our Eco Friendly Shipping Boxes at One Low Price?

It is always a temporary offer or “sale” but there are some good legitimate business reasons for doing this.

• To help launch a new product or size
• To help reduce inventory for cost or space reasons
• To close out a size being replaced by a slightly different, more popular size
• To offer you a price you can use to help reduce your costs

Is This Unfair to Larger Volume Buyers?

We don’t think so but if any buyer of boxes is buying anywhere close to the highest quantity/lowest price bracket, please let us know. We are very flexible and want to make sure customers know they are going to be treated fairly regardless of order size.

So What Low Price Eco Friendly Box Deals Are Available Now?

Part # GG 05 -12” X 9” X 4” shipping boxes at a cost of $10.50 per bundle of 25 boxes
Part # GG 04 -14” X 9” X 9” shipping boxes at a cost of $11.75 per bundle of 25 boxes
Part # GG 18 –14” X 12” X 10” shipping boxes at a cost of $17.00 per bundle of 25 boxes
Part # GG 16 – 14 X 12 X12 shipping boxes at a cost of $18.00 per bundle of 25 boxes
Part # GG 21 – 14” X 14” X 14” shipping boxes at a cost of 21.50 per bundle of 25 boxes
Part # GG 20 – 20” X 14” x 14” shipping boxes at a cost of $27.75 per bundle of 25 boxes

Please check out the “sale items” section of our online store for product details and let us know if there is a size you need that is not on our store or not on sale. Unlike some of our competitors, we do small volume special orders even if they are custom size or custom printed. Our stock, eco friendly boxes are great – but that is not all we do.

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…)

In the last week I’ve spoken with two people, one from a very large, green company and the other from a very small, green company. Both had very strong opinions about 100% PCW content corrugated boxes.

“I must have 100% PCW or as close to 100% as possible,” one said. The other said, “I recently tried 100% PCW but it failed miserably”. Both comments demonstrated a basic misunderstanding about corrugated, how it is made and how even 100% PCW it can be modified to satisfy almost any application.

I sincerely believe that the “100% PCW” requirement has in many cases become at best an ineffective guideline, and at worst a crutch for people who want to make a difficult decision, as simple as possible.  Corrugated made of PCW material is an excellent sustainable packaging solution and a critical part of a long term environmental solution, but it has to be combined with some basic product knowledge to be cost effective as well as performance effective.

Corrugated Fun Facts. OK, not fun but good to know

For over a hundred years, almost since it was first used to line and support men’s’ tall hats, corrugated board has been made virtually the same way. A sheet of corrugated board is made up of three approximately equal (by weight) components, two face liner board sheets and the medium (the fluted layer) in between the inner and outer sheets.

If you make one of those three components 100% PCW, your board is approx. 33% PCW, two PCW components would result in 66% PCW, etc. Once you go below 100% PCW content on any of the components, the recycled content gets fairly “gray” but if someone is claiming 90% PCW, that is not only unlikely, it is virtually impossible. Since there is no accurate scientific way after production to verify the recycled content percentage or type (PCW or post production) of each component, a vendor is fairly free to claim almost any PCW percentage they care to. (more…)

One of the best parts of doing what we do is the opportunity to meet some really neat people doing some terrific things for the world we all share. We were recently contacted by Mark Simmons, one of the co-founders of www.Useless.org a unique company selling very useful products for a very good cause. They donate 10% of their profits to fund water and sanitation projects worldwide.

Did someone say “eco-consistency”?

Regular readers know that eco-consistency is my mantra, but when I spoke to Mark that was exactly what he was trying to accomplish. He was committed to buying packaging materials that communicated and confirmed his company’s very deep and sincere values of protecting the earth and “using less”. It sounded like a perfect application for Globe Guard 100% recycled PCW content corrugated boxes and it was.

Eco friendly corrugated boxes – to print or not to print

Even though we heavily promote our stock box unprinted program, we also understand the need for customization and branding. Today, well over half of our Globe Guard box business is custom grade, custom print or custom size. Realizing the importance of branding, especially at this early stage of his company’s development, Mark decided he wanted their logo printed on the box, in white – a most unusual color for box printing. I was not sure how white ink would turn out on a brown box, but the end result is a marvelous shade of green (packaging). (more…)

In fact our green idea is fairly small and is only 15.75” X 14.25” X 9” high at its greatest dimensions. Some might even call it compact, so it can more easily be utilized in a small home or business office environment.

What we offer is a rather unique recycling tote constructed out of Globe Guard 100% recycled content corrugated. It is neutral, natural brown Kraft colored in color so it does not clash with any décor. We realize competitive products are often bright colored plastic but ours is not designed to double as a highway traffic control device. Furthermore, if you are one of the many people who advocate the limited use of plastic, isn’t it a bit inconsistent to utilize a plastic recycling bin for your paper waste?

If you are a regular reader you know we like to have fun with our topics and we are most definitely enjoying this one. In fact I am going to state that when designing our recycling tote, we strictly adhered to the following three R’s: (more…)

Here’s good news for a struggling economy – sustainable packaging should never involve spending more money. Quite often, making secondary packaging more eco friendly is simply a matter of taking advantage of old ideas.

Box sealing tape is a good example. Most shippers use an RSC style corrugated box and use multiple strips of paper or plastic box sealing tape to secure it for shipment. Because an RSC box has two flaps that meet in the center of the box along its length dimension, a good deal of tape is required for the job.

But what if, instead of an RSC, you used a full overlap (FOL) box or a tuck-in folder? Pictured below is a tuck folder. An FOL is similar in concept, only the flap doesn’t tuck in.

With these box styles, one or more “L-Clips” of filament tape can be used to seal the box for shipment. Not only does the L-Clip sealing method reduce packaging material use, it speeds up the case sealing process and is easier for the recipient to open. (more…)

Everyone is feeling the pinch of the economy, which makes it a great time to reevaluate your vendor/customer relations and together determine if there are any ways to creatively reduce the price you are paying for corrugated and other packaging products.

Trouble “Trickles Down” Too

As we all look for ways to reduce costs, it is easy to become focused solely on our own individual needs but we are all in this together whether we like it or not. A good “win/win” scenario is not taking advantage of the other person twice, and good vendor relationships and alliances can and should work to the benefit of both parties.

Creative Cost Reductions

We all tend to get comfortable with the status quo and are busy enough to not have time to fix something that does not require fixing. Current economic circumstances suggest that we revisit some of those long existing relationships and buying habits to determine if there are changes that can be mutually beneficial to customer and vendor alike. It may help to begin the process by examining three critical areas:

Order Quantity – there are many situations on many products including corrugated where a lower price is available if you are able to buy in a slightly larger quantity. Material prices tend to rise and fall but set up costs typically and consistently escalate. Amortizing these set up costs over a larger quantity and minimizing their impact is a great way for sellers and buyers to both gain and potentially reduce costs. (more…)

The photo above is an extreme close up of B, C, E, and F flute corrugated board. The top two samples – B and C flute – are by far the most common for corrugated shipping containers, whether stock size boxes or custom made.

Functional Differences between B Flute and C Flute Corrugated (more…)

The standard width of pressure sensitive box sealing tape is 48 mm (2″). The standard width of paper box sealing tape is 72 mm (3″).  These standards are both compromises, and as a result, they lead to an unnecessarily high amount of packaging material entering the waste stream.

Extreme Pressure Sensitive Tape Solutions

1. For machine applied PST applications, use 36 mm (1-3/4″) wide tape. Unless the box is particularly heavy and/or subject to rough shipping conditions, the reduced width will not compromise box integrity. When in doubt, test. It is worth the time to test, though – the payoff is a 12% reduction in the amount of material entering the waste stream. (more…)