\"Bubble Wrap Packaging Material\"

In the first part of this series, I described five general types of void fill –

  1. Loose fill materials
  2. Industrial papers
  3. Flexible foams and bubble material
  4. Expandable foam
  5. Inflatable air pillows

Now let’s look at the qualities you may need from your void fill material, and see how the various options stack up.

Surface protection. For glass, metal, and scratch-sensitive plastics, polypropylene (PP) foams are the least abrasive option, followed by polyethylene (PE) foams and bubble. Industrial papers, depending on the grade, may also work.

Dust free. Loose fill, whether polystyrene or one of the various biodegradable varieties, are prone to flaking. Industrial papers sometimes contain dust as a result of the trimming process. For shipping things such as pharmaceutical or personal health care products, look in other directions for void fill. (more…)

What Happens to Our Recycled Stuff?

Ever wonder what happens to your aluminum cans, food containers, corrugated boxes, and other recyclables after they are picked up at the curb?

We did, and not long ago got a tour of Waste Management’s recylcing facility on Chicago’s South Side. This facility happens to be one of the largest in the country. Here’s an inside look.

Recycled materials are delivered in a transfer trailer –

recycled materials transfer trailer

Unsorted materials are dumped into a big pile, which looks surprisingly neat –

incoming recycled materials

(more…)

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Inside Sustainable Packaging Blog - Salazar Packaging

Recent Comments

  • Dennis Salazar Hello Joe and thank you for visiting our blog and commenting. I agree we still have much room for improvement in the area of making commercially viable flexible packaging products...
  • Joe Angel I read with interest you interview with Carol Mosley Braun. Her company is to be commended for their unique offerings and approach to the food market an sustainability in the true sense....
  • Dennis Salazar Thank you Mark. We sincerely appreciate regular readers like you, especially when you provide some valuable feedback. It really helps keep us on track in terms of subject matter and...
  • Mark Sofman You main point is spot on, Dennis.
  • Brad Shorr Hi Nancy, Good point! Another possibility is larger packaging half as strong. :)