Continuous improvement is a well worn phrase that means a lot of different things to different people. Even though the packaging industry is launching brand new green products on an almost daily basis, this post is more about redesign and enhancement of existing products, rather than new product innovation.

Here are two perfect examples of manufacturing taking a good, green product and making it better and greener.

Globe Guard 100% PCW Corrugated Board

Globe Guard Shipping Boxes Now Easier to Reuse

Keep in mind that our 32 ECT board is still 32 ECT so there was no weakness being addressed or strength gained. This is an improvement made to provide a little more outward/in puncture resistance and for cosmetic reasons. Our boxes look better for a longer period of time and possibly improve the possibility of them being re-used. Re use is good and this is a significant green improvement to what was already an excellent, industry leading product.

Globe Guard 100% Recycled Paper Mailers

Globe Guard Mailers Now 100 Percent Recycled

Regardless, these paper mailers were 40% recycled content before and are now 100%, which makes their product much more marketable as a sustainable packaging solution because less virgin fiber is used and that saves trees. 100% is always better than 40% and today, many green minded customers will accept nothing less.

Is the Green Packaging Market Maturing?

Not likely. It is barely an adolescent and it is growing and changing nonstop. In some product areas, like bio plastics, it is still in its infancy and on the verge of major breakthroughs with tremendous positive environmental impact potential. The corrugated, paperboard and packaging paper industries are also introducing their second and third generations of products, all designed to use less of our natural resources, with “cradle to cradle” design being the ultimate goal.

In sustainable packaging, much like our Chicago weather, if you don’t like what you see; wait, because it will indeed change very soon.
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Visit the Globe Guard Green Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Special Deals on Packaging Supplies

and more!

An Imperfect Sustainable Packaging Example – Cushioned Mailers

We have all used them at one time or another but cushioned (foam or bubble) lined paper mailers feature two excellent materials. Unfortunately they are laminated together and cannot be separated for easy sorting and recycling. Since the outer layer is paper, they are likely to hold up for only one trip through USPS, FedEx, or UPS so it is usually a prompt and short trip to your local land fill. Think about the millions of these that are used for home or office and you can see how easily the problem is compounded.

A Near Perfect Sustainable Packaging Solution – Globe Guard 100% Recyclable (Plastic) Cushioned Mailers

A Better Padded Mailer

Before the anti-plastic people get all worked up, please keep in mind that on sustainable, green packaging, it is not always about bad versus good. Sometimes the decision is not all that simple and the choice is between very bad and perhaps, not so bad. Or in this case between completely unrecyclable and easily recyclable.

I know I would likely be escorted out of some green gatherings for using the C word (compromise) but that is the reality of current eco friendly packaging options. The key is to know what you are using in terms of content and how or if it satisfies the sustainability requirements of reuse, recycle and reduce.

What Makes These Plastic Cushioned Mailers Green

Since they are made of plastic inside and out …

1. They hold up better, especially in wet or dirty conditions, improving the possibility they will be REUSED. In most cases they can be resealed, a new label placed over the old one and it can serve again. I am still amazed at the number of green companies who send out white, paper bubble mailers which will never make a second trip.
2. Since they are lined with protective bubbles, they often REDUCE or even eliminate the need for other cushioning materials such as paper or even different forms of bubble and foam. Those other protective materials often require manual wrapping which adds labor cost and reduces throughput.
3. Last but not least, these mailers contain RECYCLED content and can be RECYCLED in most curb side programs as a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene) waste. If you ship green products into green minded customer’s homes, think about how easy disposal will now be.

Please keep in mind that this is just one of many eco friendly packaging options we offer so we are able to satisfy a number of different types of applications.

• Does your product really require padding? It may sound like a silly question but you would be surprised at how many companies unnecessarily use padded mailers to ship out soft goods such as eco friendly reusable shopping bags. Ironic, isn’t it?
• Are you adding cushioning materials to your padded mailer and still suffering unacceptable damage rates? Maybe your product should be shipping in a die cut, rigid mailer with a different and more effective void fill product?

I think most packaging distributors would agree that life would be simple and inventories much lower if the world only required one packaging solution or material.  Of course, if that were the case, then our customers would not need our expertise or assistance and we would miss that interaction.

Give our padded mailers a try and you will see a true and green positive difference.
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Visit the Globe Guard Eco Friendly Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Special Deals on Packaging Supplies

and more!

What Makes These Corrugated Mailers Greener?

In the past, virgin board was used to make these versatile shipping and storage containers but today we are making them out of recycled corrugated materials. More importantly they are being made out of 100% recycled material which means they cannot be white on the outside. Many people don’t realize it but when you give a box a white exterior, that outer layer (usually 1/3 of the overall board content) has to be virgin. If you want it white on the inside too, then 2/3 of the corrugated content must be made from virgin fibers. Remember our motto, a virgin fiber is a terrible thing to waste, especially when it is not necessary.

Why Have Die Cut Mailers Been Historically White

The theory was that they looked better, cleaner, nicer, etc. There is no argument about that when the product is shipped … but have you ever seen one of those mailers when it arrives at its intended destination? Whether is ships via FedEx, UPS or USPS, the mailer no longer looks pristine or white upon arrival. Typically it is dirty, scuffed and even covered with fingerprints. The white outer layer looks great when it is shipped but the appearance rapidly degenerates as soon as it leaves the shipper’s facility.

What Makes These Corrugated Mailers Better?

This mailer design tends to look more like a presentation box than a shipping box. The closing/locking flaps “disappear” into the side or front panels. Compared to an RSC corrugated box – that is mostly tape-covered flaps – the mailer gives a cleaner, more attractive look to valuable products ranging from collectibles to pharmaceuticals. You can also reduce tape usage because a die cut mailer can be sealed with a short, narrow strip of tape applied in an L-clip fashion.

A corrugated die cut mailer does consume a little more board but the redundant panels are also what make it substantially stronger that a typical RSC corrugated box. A mailer holds up better during shipment, keeps the contents safe, and since it is strong and still look good after delivery, it is much more likely to be reused – another of the three primary “R’s in sustainability.

What about the Cost of Brown Die Cut Mailers?

Corrugated, whether it is formed into an intricate die cut or simple RSC box, is all about volume and we are rapidly building our volume to the point where we are usually less expensive than comparable white die cut boxes.

Please take a look at the variety of die cut designs we offer on our green packaging store and understand that almost every stock size of die cut and RSC style box we now offer on our store began as a customer specific inquiry and need.

In other words if you don’t see what you want, there is a very good chance we will make it for you and turn it into a stock item.

Eco friendly corrugated mailers from Salazar Packaging

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Visit the Globe Guard Eco Friendly Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Mailing and Shipping Supplies

Discounts on Packaging Supplies

and more!