Loosefill Wastes Resources
For the sake of full disclosure, we actually have two customers who order packing peanuts from us, along with their packaging and other supplies. They understand it is not a stock item for us, but they like being able to “one stop shop” for all of their packaging supplies so we provide them as a service to these valued customers. However, I will also admit that we continuously try to convince both accounts to at least review some of our new, and we think better, void fill options.
What do I have against these little, not so environmentally innocent peanuts?
1. Foam packing peanuts are incredibly expensive to store and ship
Even the “green” varieties take up a lot of space in your warehouse, and on the truck that brought them to your facility. The above photo shows the relationship between one of our many options, inflatable air bags, and foam peanuts. You can imagine the fuel it takes to ship them and easily see there is nothing green about shipping green peanuts.
2. Foam packing peanuts are extremely messy
Does anyone open up a box they receive at home, see it is filled with foam peanuts (green variety or not) and have positive, happy thoughts? If that is the way you feel when it happens to you, why in the world would you ever want to send them to your customers? Most varieties are relatively clean but if you have ever received a load infused with static, you know what a pain they can be to clean up. At least bubble wrap offers some entertainment value.
3. Foam packaging peanuts are almost impossible to get rid of
During a packaging process review I noticed an order packer using peanuts as void fill. When I asked the owner why, the response defied logic. “My vendors send them to me and the only way I can get rid of them is to unload them on my customers”. I knew of a local pack and ship retailer who used to take in foam peanuts and re-bag and resell them to others but they have stopped that practice because they too, were getting stuck with more than they wanted or could sell.
There Are Alternatives
4. There are simply too many other good, available options
We offer a wide variety of internal packaging void fill solutions for an even wider variety of customer products and applications. I would dare say that today there is probably no application and use for foam packing peanuts that we can’t handle with one or more of the following products from our green packaging store:
- Globe Guard recycled packing papers including newsprint, tissue, Kraft, bogus and indented Kraft
In most cases we can offer a better and greener solution at a lower cost. Give us a try. We appreciate a good challenge.
