13 Sep 2011 Sustainable Packaging – Hanesbrands and Globe Guard® Products Are a Good Fit
Posted at 06:54h
in Inside Sustainable Packaging
When the nice people at Hanes first contacted us, they were looking for a product they could use to ship out a sample of their ComfortBlend tee shirt with Eco Smart® fiber for a special promotion. They were absolutely certain about three things:
- The container or mailer they used had to be green. Ideally with a high percentage of recycled content and definitely 100% recyclable as well.
- They wanted to be able to custom print it in relatively small quantities with their brand/logo and other product/environmental information.
- As is often the case with projects and promotions, they were rapidly running out of time to meet their deadline.
Evertune is a company that has received a lot of well-deserved applause for creating an innovation that is changing the world of music. The company’s lead product, the award-winning Evertune guitar bridge, is able to keep a guitar in perfect tune 
We have met a lot of people who have hesitated to brand their tape because of many misconceptions, including that it’s too expensive or that the minimum quantity required is too large. A very common perception is that the process is too complicated, but nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike other packaging suppliers who expect you to point and click your way through your first custom-printed tape order, we provide you with live assistance and decades of experience and suggestions to help you avoid costly mistakes.
Today, there are few companies selling products wholesale or in brick-and-mortar retail outlets that are not also offering their products directly to consumers via the internet. This relatively new market provides tremendous sales opportunities as well as challenges because the packaging required for this type of customer seems to fall somewhere in between usual retail and wholesale requirements.
“I want something more than just a shipping box!”
That is a common request by packaging customers and design clients who understand their web customer is technically a direct retail customer who is NOT carrying his product (and packaging) home. The product is being shipped via UPS, FedEx or USPS, so the packaging needs to be more durable than what is typically found on the retail shelf level.
Sellers of green products have the additional requirement of making the packaging they are shipping into their customers’ homes as minimal and green as possible. We refer to it as being “eco consistent” when our products, marketing and packaging all communicate the same green message and standards. 
I have spent several decades in the packaging industry and almost five years specifically in the green packaging market. During that time, I have come to appreciate both innovations that may have limited appeal but solve a specific or unique problem, as well as products that may not be as newsworthy but provide a solution to a much wider group of customers.
What Is a Broad-Based Solution?
In my mind, it is a product that would have mass appeal and solve a common or very typical packaging problem. For example, when we and others began promoting 100% recycled content corrugated for shipping boxes, the concept did not win awards or grace the cover of packaging magazines, even though it could potentially benefit every single shipping box buyer and user. 
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“What makes one package greener than another?” It’s a rather simplistic question that does not permit a brief or concise answer. It was recently asked of me by an intern working for a governmental agency, and I began by telling him that my response was only my opinion, but one that would hold up in most circles. I added that when we attempt to answer that question we look at packaging in three critical areas:
It’s difficult to believe that we’ve been doing this for three years, but this week marks the third anniversary of the launch of our popular blog. In 2008, our then-marketing director Brad Shorr urged us to blog and share what we know and what we do, with the world. I reluctantly agreed, even though operating a business that openly ran contrary to my nature as well as my experience in the packaging industry, where you learn to never, ever risk educating the competition.
Nearly 300 blog posts later, I am thrilled by the results of our outreach and even more grateful for the people and companies it has brought into our lives. If we have educated a competitor or two along the way, it was a small price to pay for the information we’ve been able to share with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, as well as the relationships we have made.
One of the things we most appreciate is the feedback we receive from our ISP readers, which is quite often sent to us offline. To commemorate this three year milestone we’ve shared a few of the most frequently asked questions. 
I often say that one of the greatest benefits of operating a green business is all of the extraordinary people and companies we get to meet. Our new friends at Mahamosa are a perfect example.
Social Responsibility 
Many people believe the only way to reduce corrugated usage is by buying and using fewer boxes. While that is certainly one approach, a better and more effective one is making sure you are packing and shipping the best style of container for your product and application.
When RSC Boxes Are NOT the Best Design
Recently, we have encountered several applications for large, relatively low profile products such as unassembled furniture and picture frames. In each case, people were shipping product in oversized, low profiled RSC style boxes with large overlapping layers of redundant corrugated board.
The problem, of course, is that the four flaps on top and bottom of any RSC style box typically do little but add cost. You could almost excuse the extra cost if it delivered better protection to the product, but sadly, in most cases it does not. The two large major flaps coming together in the middle of the box essentially create a weak joint on the box, especially if they are not taped well. The large spans of unsupported corrugated also make the design very susceptible to crushing and corner damage. 
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Even though we are best known for the boxes we sell, it’s what we can create for the inside of the box that truly sets us apart in a crowded field of packaging suppliers.
Recently, we have blogged about partitions and molded pulp options, and our inflatable and other “stock” void fill options are also quite popular. However, the need for custom packaging continues to grow as companies work not only to minimize packaging but also to completely eliminate unfavorable materials such as EPS foam in favor of greener alternatives. Of course, this all has to be accomplished at minimal cost and deliver the product being shipped safely to its destination.