07 Dec 2011 Sustainable Retail Packaging for Candy – SWEET!
Posted at 07:34h
in Inside Sustainable Packaging
[caption id="attachment_3067" align="alignright" width="300" caption="100% RECYCLED CONTENT RETAIL CARTONS"]
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The term “so good it melts in your mouth” is over-hyped and so over used it has nearly lost all meaning. However, it really is an accurate description of the candy product made by one of our newest Globe Guard customers.
Barbary Brix is a San Francisco-based company that makes candy the way it used to be made before high-production equipment and cost-saving recipes became the norm. Check out the delicious assortment of unique flavors they offer on their online Barbary Brix candy store. My wife was almost immediately addicted to their “Salty Dog” flavor, and as one who enjoys nuts with his caramel, I am now a huge fan of “The Prospector.”
BEFORE THE GGRBS IS USED.[/caption]
Decades ago, when I first entered the warehousing and distribution industry, one of the very first things I was taught is that it does not cost much to keep stored product “in good order.” On the other hand, not keeping inventory in neat, organized condition can prove very costly in the form of picking mistakes, damage, lost product and even pilferage. In addition, when boxes on shelves look good, the entire warehouse appears cleaner and better managed. 
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We are very quickly becoming a leading source for stock size die cut mailer boxes that can be custom printed with YOUR name, logo, return address, etc. The photos included in this post show off two of our most popular stock mailer sizes that have been custom printed to create an attractive and unique look.
What’s the benefit of utilizing a stock size?
We are able to save our customers time and money if we can avoid making a cutting die and are able to use one of the dies we already have on hand. Depending on a number of variables, a new cutting die for a mailer of this type can cost $500 to $800. What is at times even more important is that using an already made die saves time, in most cases a minimum of one week. 
We love it when new green companies call us, because their enthusiasm is energizing and their commitment to sustainability strengthens our own resolve. These new green entrepreneurs usually do their homework and they don’t waste resources, especially money. They also understand the importance and value of being “eco consistent,” from the products they sell to the packaging they use to ship orders into their customers’ homes.
The above description perfectly describes Jennifer and Danielle, the founders of 
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As the name would imply, “bubble on demand” is essentially un-inflated bubble packaging you inflate on an as needed basis. The benefits of this type of packaging material are enormous when you consider the cost of transporting and storing “pre-inflated” or ready to use flowable materials such as foam peanuts, pre-formed paper products or even rolls of pre-inflated bubble packaging. All of those space consuming products also leave a substantial carbon footprint behind compared to bubble on demand type products. 
I’ll put it bluntly but politely - most secondary packaging (boxes, tape, etc.) we receive from overseas is not very good. People have shared countless stories with us about boxes that smell funny, are weak, thinner than expected, don’t stack well, don’t hold up in shipment, etc. And it matters little whether the packaging originates in China, India or almost any place else on the globe.
Domestically produced boxes, even boxes like our 100% recycled content Globe Guard® boxes, are better and stronger than the vast majority of corrugated boxes that are used to ship the imported products we all purchase. It is widely accepted that when the US buyer negotiates a lower price with a foreign manufacturer, one of the areas that is most easily cheapened is the packaging used for shipping it here. 
Programs that send new or promotional product samples to the home have been around for a while, but in most cases they are directed and financed by manufacturers eager to get their products into consumers' hands.
I have visited some of the cleanest, neatest, pick-and-pack fulfillment warehouses in the country, yet I have never seen one that does not create and accumulate dust. Between paper dust from boxes, paper void fill and from the products themselves, or even from fork lift use, slow moving or seasonal products can look very old and very dirty in no time at all.
We’ve all seen open boxes in a warehouse covered with dust, but what we don’t always see is the products within or how often they have to be discarded because they are no longer sellable. Or, worse yet, when customers complain because they received the item they ordered and it looks soiled or used. 
Corrugated partitions are an excellent green packaging solution because, just like corrugated boxes, they typically have a high recycled content, are reusable, 100% recyclable/repulpable, biodegradable and even compostable. Also, when they are designed and used properly, they usually minimize or eliminate the need and use of other, less green, products. 