20 Jul 2011 Save Water – Use Globe Guard® 100% PCW Recycled Content Boxes
Posted at 12:15h
in Sustainable Products
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.
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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. 
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. 
More than a year ago, Packaging Digest published this article about some protective packaging work we did for Volcano Island Honey to safeguard their glass jars of rare and delicious white organic honey from breakage. Gratefully, since then companies have sought us out to help them overcome their greatest packaging challenges, especially if their objective is to solve the problem in the greenest way possible.
In some areas of packaging, there are few green solutions available. Fortunately, however, when it comes to interior protective packaging there are several. Two of the most popular are molded pulp and corrugated partitions, and below is a quick comparison for your convenience. 
A quick look at today’s headlines or the nearest gas pump confirms oil prices are on a steep rise, which ultimately impacts natural gas and plastic resin prices as well as everything we buy or use that contains plastic. Experts tell us there is no end in sight, so as we see plastic packaging going through the roof with some products experiencing multiple price increases in the last six months, it’s a great time to remind our readers that almost any plastic packaging solution has a paper-based alternative. 
From the beginning, our Globe Guard green packaging products have been valued by people eager to reduce waste, as well as minimize their carbon and water footprint. Not surprisingly, many of those same customers have also achieved or are working toward their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their buildings and facilities. Now, thanks to the 
As a substantial U.S. Postal Service rate increase goes into effect on April 17, many in the mailing and fulfillment industry are seeking ways to help minimize the increase, or better yet, reduce costs. Packaging can be an important component in that effort and will either help or hurt your bottom line. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.
REVIEW Packaging
Size does matter and so does shape. Is the item being mailed in the smallest possible container? It is not unusual for us to see items shipping in a container that is much larger than necessary because it was created by a design or marketing person with absolutely no regard for postage or shipping costs. The USPS rewards automation and penalizes packages that aren’t automatable. That cute, eye catching die cut your designer is so proud of might be costing you big money. 