The Difference Between Boxes and Cartons The packaging industry is filled with a variety of terms; some are interchangeable, and some are not. There is also a lot of information available on the internet and not all of it is accurate so we are not...
As a result of dramatically increased shipping rates and costs, many shippers today are looking for ways to reduce the overall package weight in an effort to reduce the shipping cost. Being over or under a particular weight (for example, one pound) can make a...
Most of our best blog posts are a result of great questions asked by active and potential customers. Our thought has always been, if one person out there is wondering about this, there are likely others with the same question or concern. This is one...
We are widely known for the beautiful custom printed boxes we help our customers create. We have become very proficient at utilizing the standard flexographic print process to its maximum potential to produce unique, eye catching and colorful results. However, what happens when flexographic print...
From our “don’t blame me, I’m only the messenger” department, it appears there is another substantial corrugated price increase headed our way. We are not in favor of an increase at a time of apparent economic recovery, but the indicators are strong enough that we...
As most of the country suffers through a record heat wave, droughts are becoming more common worldwide, including here in the USA. Those trends make it an excellent time to remind people about the environmental benefits of using shipping boxes made of recycled corrugated.
Water Shortage Is for Real
I admit we are a little spoiled in the Midwest, especially here in the Chicago area where we take beautiful Lake Michigan for granted as an ample source of drinking water and a summertime water park. In many other parts of the country, long before this current heat wave, water has been consistently in short supply, in some cases for several years. In other words, for some this is not a new problem and they have been dealing with water conservation efforts for some time.
The problem is not just in the dry southwest or in agricultural areas; it is even impacting our largest American cities. A report last year identified cities literally running out of water, and the list included Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix and several cities in Texas.
[/caption]Our manufacturer is not eager to share details but the structure of our board has been “re-arranged” to provide a stronger and thicker outer sheet to our boxes and less “wash boarding”. Not to be confused with Dick Cheney’s favorite past time, water boarding, wash boarding is when the vertical fluting on board is visible through the outer liner sheet.
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.
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Those are words usually reserved for describing a mattress or pillow but it this case they are also the best way to describe our new Globe Guard Eco Nest void fill product. It is very effective, undeniably green, an amazingly simple idea, and quite frankly it handles certain applications better and lower in cost than most “high tech” or “engineered” packaging solutions.
Sustainable Packaging Simplicity
Globe Guard Eco Nest is essentially nothing more that shredded corrugated board. Perhaps a little packaging science went into the determining the best width and length of the strands of corrugated board but it is as basic a concept as possible - used corrugated boxes are recycled, shredded and turned into protective, loose void fill. The product can be used over and over but when it is time for disposal, it can be recycled again and probably be used to make new corrugated boxes like our Globe Guard 100% recycled PCW corrugated boxes. The whole concept and process is so simple, it’s almost ingenious.
The Pros and Cons of Loose Void Fill
The greatest benefit by far is that loose void fill easily and fully conforms to the shape of the product being packed. That is what makes products like foam peanuts appealing from a user/shipper perspective, though perhaps not from a receiver/customer perspective. Loose fill dispenses easily and quickly, is usually light weight, and most versions are relatively low in cost.
The down side of loose fill is that it often settles and crushes, especially when used to pack dense, heavy products. It is not at all unusual to receive and open a package where the product being shipped has drifted to the bottom of the box and the loose fill packaging material has shifted to the top where it offers little or no protection. Globe Guard Eco Nest conforms and supports but does not breakdown.
What Makes Globe Guard Eco Nest Different?
When a bird makes a nest in a tree, the components, usually twigs and blades of grass, have little strength individually, however when woven and working together, they are amazingly strong and resilient. We have all seen a nest on the ground that fell from a tree due to a wind storm, and noticed it is always fully intact. That is the same concept that makes Globe Guard Eco Nest such a terrific product from a performance standpoint. The shredded corrugated strands mesh to support even the heaviest and most delicate products - even when they are shipped via USPS, UPS and FedEx.