It’s a picture reminiscent of “Where’s Waldo?” but can you find the missing component in the photo below? A stand for a bag-making machine shipped to us in this box filled with shredded corrugated and twisted paper void fill. Both are excellent and very green products for that type of application. The problem is that a small rubber foot slipped off of the stand during shipment and we had to search through the void fill to find the missing component.

The Right Green Void Fill for the Total Application

We tend to talk a lot about application appropriate green packaging but that is not just about the packaging materials being used. Among other factors, it is also about who is using it, where it is being used, how it is being used, the volume of packages being produced and what is being shipped. The best, green packaging product for shipping an ornamental glass vase is probably not the same green packaging product we might recommend for shipping a machine stand like this. I love shredded corrugated and paper based void fill but whenever shipping products with small, expensive and/or removable pieces, there are probably better options to be utilized. Namely, void fill and cushioning packaging options that do not make it easy to possibly lose critical components.

Replacement Cost for Lost Components

Years ago I worked with a company and learned that in addition to the lost good will and positive shopping experience, they experienced an eighty dollar cost, above and beyond the cost of the missing component which in most cases had a value of less than five dollars. We recently worked with a distributor of high value, small size goods and their “product lost” claims dropped by over 80% when they switched from a loose fill product to an inflatable pillow void fill solution.

Whether product and component loss is real, perceived or even intentional, the cost to you as the shipper is very real and it can quickly make the packaging product cost almost insignificant.

Void Fill Cost versus Price

In addition to the green aspect of any given packaging product, we must also evaluate the true cost rather than just the basic price. Considerations such as shipping cost, storage space, labor costs and even product loss have to be factored in order to perform an accurate cost comparison and analysis.

Let us know if you would like us to help you determine the best and most cost effective solution for your packaging challenges.
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Learn more about the Globe Guard ® Resusable Box

A recent conversation with a potential customer reminded me that three out of my last six blog posts have been about some form of interior packaging. We really are proud of the wide selection we have to offer our customers but we also understand that sometimes too many choices can lead to confusion or worse yet, misapplication.

The Product and Application Determine the Best Protective Packaging Solution

We offer so many options because every product and customer can be unique. Are we shipping organic chocolate via USPS or bottles of fish oil via FedEx? Are we shipping two or two hundred cases per day? Even two companies making the same or similar product may be best served by different void fill products. Here is a partial list of our products:

• Globe Guard Packing Papers – everything from lightweight tissue sheets to rolls of 60# indented industrial Kraft and everything in-between including newsprint and gray bogus. All recycled and each with different protective properties.
• Globe Guard Oxo Degradable Bubble Packaging – available in stock in 12” wide rolls perforated every 12” for easy dispensing and use.
• Globe Guard Eco Nest ™ loose fill– a shredded corrugated product that delivers amazing support and protection, especially for heavy products.
• Globe Guard Eco Flex Molded Pulp ™ – an “eco obvious” product that is surprisingly versatile and can be used for void fill but performs best when used for cushioning and blocking.
• Globe Guard 100% recycled plastic and Automated Packaging biodegradable inflatable air pillows – lightweight, clean, easy to use and very economical to ship inbound and outbound.
• Expandos – a very impressive paper loose fill option that we recently added to our line that makes unique paperboard pyramids on site and on demand.
• Paperboard and corrugated die cut inserts – sometimes the best option for retention and protection.
• Paperboard and corrugated partitions – nothing separates products and prevents surface to surface abrasion like a well designed partition.

Stock and Custom Packaging Solutions

Many of these products are available in a stock size or format on our web store but over half of the products we sell are customer specific. So, just because you don’t see it, please don’t assume it is not available.

Our staff has over fifty years of combined packaging experience so we are eager to discuss your specific requirements. In many cases we will be able to mock up a package with the recommended packaging and ship it back to you for evaluation.
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Visit the Globe Guard ® Green Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Shipping Boxes
Green Packaging Materials
Special Deals on Green Shipping Supplies

Sale on Eco Friendly Bubble Packaging!

Interest has been high and sales have been brisk on our Globe Guard Eco Friendly Bubble Wrap since we first introduced it in November, so we want to show our appreciation by putting it on sale. All orders for this product will receive a 10% discount until January 31st, 2010.

What does biodegradable mean?

We’ve received several questions on this, so to clarify and confirm this is not a corn or vegetable based product. Many of us will remember “biodegradable” films in the past that were made with corn starch so micro organisms would consume the corn starch and the film would break down. Unfortunately, most of those films did not perform well and the clarity and overall appearance were not acceptable for most applications.

Today, a greatly enhanced and improved version of a corn starch like process is available in the form of polylactic acid (PLA) with properties making it now ideal for many rigid and semi rigid applications such as shrink bands, blisters and clamshells. Due to their stiffness, most PLA products do not lend itself for soft (wrapping) type applications.

Then what is oxo-biodegradable?

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People who are eager to find quick and simple solutions to some of our most complex sustainability problems are often disappointed when they hear me say there is no packaging magic bullet that satisfies all requirements, at all times, and on all products.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that rarely does one product do everything that is necessary for a tough application. If there is a “universal solution” to our eco dilemma, it is probably multiple products and resources working together, each bringing something unique, different and green to the application.

One Tough Green Packaging Application

Say hello to Bad Axe Tool Works, a company with a neat name, interesting web site and a premier manufacturer of cutting tools for woodworking and other wood related activities like pruning and clearing trees. When we met them they were concerned with preventing damage during shipment and making sure their packaging was as green as possible. Considering the incredibly sharp nature of their products, it was definitely a challenge.

One Great, Excellent Packaging Partner

Adams Foam in Chicago makes a terrific product called Green Cell Foam. The product is made from non-GMO corn, and after use, it can be recycled, composted or simply dissolved in water. It is also surprisingly tough and able to stand up to rugged applications like the one that was developing at Bad Axe Tools Works. We had conversations with the nice people at Adams Foam but nothing brings packaging people together like a good, challenging application and Bad Axe did indeed bring us together.

What it Took to Get the Job Done (See Photos Below) (more…)