CPS Blog

When Cutting Just Doesn't Cut It: CPS is in your corner (Part 7 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:43:00 +0000

A cut up is someone who is funny. But that does not mean that it is funny to cut. For instance, some cuts are the opposite of up and therefore they are downright sad. Want proof? Have you ever been undercut? It stinks. It’s no fun. And it is definitely not a laughing matter. Do you see why cutting out the middle man is such a depressing thought?

This is part 7 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the number six reason is ... well, uh ... us.

Not everybody is a “Rocky” fan, but that’s just because nobody’s perfect. Rocky is a metaphor for the entrepreneurial spirit. You start from scratch, you have doubters everywhere you turn, and then, after immense struggle, you eventually rise to victory. But if you’ll recall, Rocky didn’t rise to victory without someone in his corner, as Mick used to say it, “like an angel on your shoulder, see?”

Well that is what CPS is to your business. We are like that angel on your shoulder. And when things get tough “and you feel like you’re going down this little angel is gonna whisper in your ear. It’s gonna say, ‘Get up [and fight] ‘cause CPS loves you’. Okay?”

Now that may be a bit corny, and the more I think about it, there is no maybe about it. It is definitely corny. However, it is also quite true. We work and we ache and we worry for your success. We fight for faster lead times, we beg for better pricing, we grind out the research, and we labor through your supply chain. And here is the part that is interesting and the most important ... we love it. Really we do. It’s in our blood. We bring that passion everyday to your fight for your business.

Now ... not only do we work hard, but we are so stinking nice while we do it. We really try hard to make your experience a pleasant one and we hope that we can help you find a sense of packaging nirvana. We know how to turn a bottle into bliss, a jar into jubilance, a tin into triumph, a pump into pleasure, and a container into contentment. If this sounds ridiculous and slightly exaggerated - it’s because it is both of those things. I am merely using the literary tool of hyperbole to evoke strong feelings while not intending to be taken literally. However, here at CPS, we can get about as close as anyone could to achieving the above results.

Admittedly, there will be times when situations crop up that are not ideal, but we always try and provide multiple options and ideas to help you get through the rough patches. The business world is tough, there will be times when you feel like giving up, but just remember, we are that angel on your shoulder. We’ll get you through, because we’re in your corner. Rocky, without Mick, isn’t Rocky!

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

When Cutting Just Doesn't Cut It: You Need Expertise (Part 6 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Help me understand Director’s cuts. Is there a “Director’s cut” that has ever been shorter than the released version? Interestingly enough, with this type of cut, things get even longer. I don’t understand how this happens which is why the uncut movies always made a whole lot more sense to me. And so it goes that the Director’s cut paradox will continue to drive us all crazy, which is the state of mind you would have to be in to cut CPS from your supply chain management!

This is part 6 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the number six reason is expertise.

Expertise

An expert is someone with a high degree of knowledge or skill in a particular subject. (Kind of like the Director mentioned above.) We (CPS) are making the expert claim! As mentioned in previous posts, we certainly have longevity going for us – but we also have a well trained team, many of whom are officially Packaging Ninjas! We know stuff you wouldn’t even know that we should know. We take containers to the most nerdiness level possible, and we actually kind of like it. As a matter of fact, most of us can claim to have had both dreams and nightmares about bottles and jars. That kind of expertise is hard to find.

Let me put it this way. Manufacturers know a lot about their product. So do we. So what’s the difference? We also know a lot about all the other manufacturers’ products. We have so much experience and history with so many vendors that we can provide and offer solutions that would be near impossible to get by going direct to a single factory.

The Great Escape is an all-time classic movie starring James Garner as the scrounger. Every successful project needs a scrounger, someone who can find the hard to find things. The scrounger (in the movie) is not only incredibly resourceful, but exemplifies a bit of humor with a touch of compassion. Being the scrounger is way cooler than its name may suggest. At CPS, we scrounge like there is no tomorrow. And it is a good thing too, because our scrounging helps insure that there is a tomorrow for your business.

After this bit, it appears redundant and more than a little obvious that cutting “the scrounger” would be ... well ... not very smart. Cutting expert scroungers is even more dubious. Don’t do it!

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

The Anatomy of a Label: the right pieces in the right places

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:42:00 +0000

So you're about to design your first label, or maybe you're ready to take your label design to the next level. In either case, to create your label, you need to know its parts, and THAT is why I have created this infographic that shows the anatomy of a label. When you're done with this article, you'll know how to put all the right pieces in all the right places.

Click to enlarge

I've written about this before, but it never hurts to review. This article focuses on the different anatomical aspects of a label, but if you'd like an overview of the steps you'd want to take in navigating an awesome program like Adobe Illustrator to get a label design going, then check out Infographic: 8 point checklist to making the perfect label.

So what are the different elements of a label? I thought you'd never ask. Ahem ... allow me to enumerate:

Logo: This is where your product logo should go. In some cases your company logo and product logo may be the same thing. This has GOT to be eye-catching and appropriate for your product.
Product Name: This is the name of your product: Energy, Virtax, SupplementMax, Face Repair, whatever. Sometimes the product name is incorporated into the logo. Be sure to use something original.
Product Description: Here’s where you tell them what your product is: Body Lotion, aftershave cooling lotion, Men’s Daily Vitamin, Organic Antibacterial Surface Cleaner, etc. Don’t get too wordy though. Keep it brief and to the point.
Capacity Declaration: Tell the customer how much they’re getting. Examples: 200 fl oz, 85 ml, 17.5 g, 200 capsules, etc. It’s a pretty good idea to include US Standard and Metric equivalents.
Barcode: You’ll want a UPC-A bar code. You can apply to the UCC and get a six digit ID number (the first 6 digits of the bar code) as well as guidelines on how to use it. The remaining five digits of the UPC are your item number(s). The 12th digit is automatically generated. Or you can get some from us!
Regulatory Statements: You'll want to do your research so you know what you need to add as far as cautions, directions, ingredients, and any other government mandated statements. I like to put these statements on the right and/or left panels.
Bleed line: Extend the print at least 1/8 of an inch to ensure that there are no unprinted edges after trimming.
Die/Trim Line: This is the finished edge of your label after it gets cut. This is how you show the printer where you want them to cut.
Safe Zone: The printer doesn't need to see this line, they just need to know that you've given them a little wiggle room when they start cutting. You’ll want to keep any critical type or design elements at least 1/8 of an inch from the trim line.
Rounded corners: Rounding the corners is ALWAYS a good idea. This keeps the corners from peeling back. You’ll want to set the corner radius of the trim line at no less than 1/8 of an inch.

Always remember, we've got designers on call to help you with any design work that you need done. They're fast, skilled, talented, and don't have to spend the time teaching themselves how to do this ... because they already know! So don't hesitate to call us up and get a designer going on a project for you. Call 1-800-473-4144 and say, "I need a designer." We'll do the rest!

When Cutting Just Doesn't Cut It: Middlemen stock stuff (Part 5 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:08:00 +0000

Some cuts cut-to-the-quick, which literally means to the bone. That doesn’t sound particularly enjoyable. Besides, quick cuts are ones that are made rather hastily. And wouldn’t it be ironic if you made a quick, hasty cut to the middle man who actually specializes in getting things to you quickly?

This is part 5 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the number four reason is stock.

Stock

Stock be nimble. Stock be quick. Stock has nothing to do with candle sticks. Errrr – that was a bit of a stretch - I know - but the nimble and quick part is really what I was going for here. Stock is all about speed and flexibility for your company. Running a business can be unpredictable and your needs for containers can vary throughout the year. By CPS keeping stock on hand, we help to make sure that you don’t have to wait to receive product when you need it.

Most manufacturers keep very little of their product on hand. If they don’t have stock then lead times can be anywhere from a 4 to 12 weeks as they try and fit your order into their schedule. That is a long time to wait for containers if you have orders you need to fill now. But guess what? We exist to solve problems like these! This is what we do! We are your stock answer! As you communicate your needs to our staff, we will do everything we can to insure that we keep stock available for you.

We don’t just keep stock on hand, we keep it close too. Since we have multiple stocking warehouses strategically placed throughout the country, we can make sure we have product coming to a warehouse near you. It’s almost like going to a theater near you except we don’t waste your time making you watch moving images on screen. Rather, we cut right to the chase and to the quick, but not to the bone.

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

When Cutting Just Doesn't Cut It: The Freight Factor (Part 4 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:51:00 +0000

I was the youngest of four kids and it was sometimes difficult to get noticed. Pestering was a prime way to get attention while it also managed to provide a heightened sense of satisfaction to my daily life. The only down-side to this approach was that I often was the recipient of a verbal backlash. “Cut it out” was easily a top ten response to my antics. My worry is that other “babies” of the family might have found themselves in similar scenarios. After years of being told to “cut it out” it may be tempting to habitually follow the phrase without carefully considering the repercussions. That would be a travesty.

This is part 4 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the third reason is freight.

The Freight Factor

Admittedly, you can take almost any word that starts with “F” and put the word factor next to it to draw illusions to the rather famous (or infamous - depending on your perspective) TV show, Fear Factor. It is a shameless way to draw attention to your blog/article/tweet or whatever. However, I am not above such tactics, which is why I used it to draw attention to the next big advantage to using CPS as your distributor.

Freight is a major challenge in navigating the supply chain. Freight can represent a significant percentage of your total COGS (Cost of Goods Sold). We have found that freight is one of the areas in which we can provide substantial value for our customers. In addition to freight savings, we can also provide solutions for any time sensitive needs that may arise. When it comes right down to it, we have freight solutions galore. Galore is a funny word because it doesn’t represent a specific number but it does provide allusions of abundance. And abundance is a happy word that makes us warm and tingly. So let me share with you some of the abundance you can expect from our freight services.

We offer Small Package service which gives you the flexibility to ship small quantities quickly. We have 1-Day and 2-Day options to insure your product arrives on time.
Because we have multiple (an abundance of) warehouse locations, we can usually ship product to anywhere in the continental United States, using our small parcel service, in just 2 business days without extra cost. We do have a process time in our warehouse that we try really hard to keep at 1 day. This means product arrives quickly and inexpensively because we have a warehouse near you!
When a shipment is more than a few cases, we have gazillions of options to ship LTL (Less than Truck Load). This means we can put your product on a pallet and save you beaucoup bucks by shipping in bulk. We have negotiated LTL rates for years to help keep shipping costs down. We love to pass on the savings from these negotiations. Although, to enjoy the benefits of LTL shipments, you will need to call during business hours to speak to one of our representatives.
If full truckloads are your thing, then give us a ring. (That last line is especially bad, even for my standards. Ughh.) We really do have access to very low rates for truckload business and can provide that service for you.

With all of these shipping options and with our ridiculously flexible logistical expertise we really can provide freight options galore for you and your business. Just one more reason we are a cut you can’t afford to make.

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

Yes, we really do paperboard cartons and retail boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:07:00 +0000

Paperboard cartons and retail boxes have been quite the hit! We posted on February 28 that we had cartons and retail boxes, and were pretty thrilled when people responded. Yes, we've got them. And yes, you can get them too. We just got all four of our house-designed carton samples, and you can order a FREE sample to get a feel for what your carton could look like.

Nefertiti Bathing Essentials™ Bath Bar Carton/Retail Box Print Sample

Item ID: M701

Nefertiti Bathing Essentials™ is a fictional brand created and trademarked by CPS to promote our design and product sourcing capabilities. Designed by CPS Design, Nefertiti Bathing Essentials™ Lotus & Papyrus Body Bar is a box designed for a bar of soap, and has a small circle punched out of the top right corner of the front panel so you can smell the soap!

Request A Sample

Ibis Botanicals™ Bath Bar Carton/Retail Box Print Sample

Item ID: M702

Ibis Botanicals™ is a fictional brand created and trademarked by CPS to promote our design and product sourcing capabilities. Designed by CPS Design, this Ibis Botanicals™ Lemon Herb Bath Bar features a clean and organic look, using scientific drawings of plants. This box is intended for a bar of soap, and it has a small circle punched out of the top right corner of the front panel so you can smell the soap.

Request A Sample

Beelzebub™ Dry Rub Carton/Retail Box Print Sample

Item ID: M703

Beelzebub™ is a fictional brand created and trademarked by CPS to promote our design and product sourcing capabilities. Beelzebub is a manly BBQ saucing company, designed by CPS Design. Beelzebub™ Heat Stroke Dry Rub is a tapered envelope with a view panel. Fill a plastic bag with dry rub spices and package it in this carton. Careful, things are about to get heated!

Request A Sample

Prowess™ Eye Serum Carton/Retail Box Print Sample

Item ID: M704

Prowess™ is a fictional brand created and trademarked by CPS to promote our design and product sourcing capabilities. Prowess™ was designed by CPS Design and is a brand for the maturing woman. It features a large wild cat on the prowl. This box has been printed and accented with silver foil. Put a bottle with a pump inside this box for a dressy high-end look.

Request A Sample

Dress it up with cartons

Paperboard cartons are a great way to spruce-up your product. Partnered with a bottle or a jar, a carton gives you some extra real estate to sell your product. Picture a minimalistic silk print on a jar, maybe a classy label applied to the lid, and the entire thing packaged in a full color, glossy carton with some foil accents. Now picture it flying off the shelves. Now picture wild success and doubling your initial order. Yeah ... I like this picture.

Affordable minimums

Give us a call and we can quote you on getting your initial order up and going. With a minimum as low as 250 pieces (some restrictions may apply), you can get started with a great bang for a reasonable buck.

Great design assistance from CPS Design

And don't forget about CPS Design. We've got designers that can help you through your artwork creation and prep process. We live to serve (well, we live to design, but it appears that our purpose are aligned!)

Click to enlarge

Still reading?!?! Sheesh! Request a sample, and see what we can do for you. If you've got questions or want a free quote, email us at labels at conpak dot net or call 1-800-473-4144.

When Cutting Just Doesn't Cut It: Amalgamation is Good (Part 3 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:01:00 +0000

Nasty cuts are easy to spot in this harsh, cruel world we live in. I have a scar from a brutal cut I received from a barbed wire accident when I was in grade school. It remains a constant reminder that some cuts don’t heal to easily. Regretting a cut is really not all that uncommon. So once again, I raise my voice in warning: Avoid the kind of cuts that can leave scars or can cause permanent damage.

This is part 3 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the number two reason is amalgamation.

AMALGAMATION

The amalgamation factor is a big one and not just because it happens to be a five-syllable word. It isn’t often I have an opportunity to use a five-syllable word and I don’t think its inclusion in this post should be understated. An even niftier trick would be to insert five five-syllable words in one sentence; like this. Amalgamation and consolidation have similar meanings with consolidation getting considerably more air time than amalgamation due to its fixture in business lingo. Wow – that was a first for me. I’m fairly pleased with how that sentence turned out. Back to point ... in an effort to give amalgamation its five minutes of fame (a minute per syllable) – we are going to use it throughout this post instead of the old and tired term of consolidation, knowing that they are pretty much synonymous.

How does amalgamation affect you?

Let us first examine a list of common packaging products: Bottles, Jars, Tins, Canisters, Pails, Tubes, Lids, Pumps, Sprayers, Droppers, Shrink Bands, etc. Upon looking at this list I can tell you that nearly every item on this list is produced by a different factory. If you throw in the variable of “type of material” then the list of factories could easily double or triple. Rarely does a factory make both the container and the closure. It does happen, but even then, the combinations and flexibility are limited.

What does all this mean in a seashell?

(I’ve never understood why nutshells are the only shells that are considered concise? My opinion is that seashells are equally concise, if not more so!) If you need 20 unique packaging components you would need to purchase from 20 unique factories. In addition, you would need to develop that many relationships, have that many negotiations, apply for terms that many times, and pay invoices on that many orders. And VERY often, they won't even let you buy from them directly because ... you're not ordering hundreds of thousands of pieces each time you place an order. Our consolidation (ahem, amalgamation) of orders allows you to save all that time and effort and put it back into other parts of your business. This is a very significant service that can make a huge difference to you.

This is what your life is like without a middle man. Imagine building relationships with 20 different companies, 20 different sources to negotiate with, 20 applications for terms, 20 different companies to pay invoices to ... this is a recipe for a nervous breakdown.

Life with a middle man is easy. One relationship, one invoice, one negotiation point gives you access to those 20 packaging components without the imminent threat of mental collapse.

The middleman time machine

As a matter of fact, I believe that with parts 2 and 3 of this series we basically just built you a time machine. With the money you save from Part 2 (our super-duper negotiated prices) you could easily buy a Delorean. And then in Part 3 we provide you with time. If you combine Time with a Delorean (throw in a flux capacitor and a dash of 80’s music) you can pretty much overcome any problem you face by changing and manipulating the time/space continuum. I have no idea what most of that means; I just know that we make it possible with all of that “amalgamation” stuff that we do.

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

When Cutting Doesn't Cut It: It's all about price (Part 2 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:36:00 +0000

There are cut ups and cut downs. There are times to cut loose or times to cut and run. Regardless, every cut can be classified as good or bad. When it comes to cutting out the middle man, CPS is the last thing you should cut.

This is part 2 of 7 on a series of why you don’t want to cut out the middle man; and the number one reason is price.

PRICE

I’m not going to mess around here. We are going straight to the money trail. I thought about holding out for a few posts and teasing you with it. But let’s face it, the biggest concern people have with a distributor is that they wonder if they are getting the best price they can get. Are we needlessly taking our "cut," at your expense?

I think that’s a great question to answer right off the bat.

Let me quickly and definitively state that CPS, as a distributor, saves you money all along your product’s pathway. This particular section will be focusing on the actual price of the container and not on the other cost savings that will benefit you while working with us. (Aside: These other cost savings are just as real and tangible. However, they are sometimes not as apparent and obvious.) With that caveat, I think we are ready to discuss unit price savings that come from using a distributor.

When it comes to price, the first thing to keep in mind is that CPS has been doing business for a very long time. We incorporated in 1987, but the business operated under a different name over 40 years ago. That is a long time to be in the business and believe it or not – our very own Jim McCauley has been here that entire time. Let’s face it, that is a stinking long time to be in one place. I won’t be the one to say how ancient Jim must be – but that is a seriously long time. During that time we have developed all kinds of important relationships with vendors throughout the country and even the world. These relationships are based on volume, history, and trust.

Volume is key. We do a lot of business with our vendors. Manufacturers plain just like it when you can churn out some good old fashioned volume. They like it so much that we have been able to negotiate some great prices. Prices that they would not be able to offer just anyone who called them. We get breaks because our overall volume, not just a particular unit, is so big. This means that by the time you get your pricing, it is often the same or better than what you could ever get by going direct to the factory.
History is vital. We have been doing business for so long (remember Jim’s ancientness?) that our vendors know who we are and they value the consistency in which we purchase from them. Many businesses come and go, but we have long steady relationships that factories value highly. This, again, allows us to receive pricing reductions that we can pass on to you.
Trust is a must. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself with that last cheesy line.) Trust is built over time as well. For the 40 years we have been in business, we have prioritized building healthy partnerships with our vendors by paying our invoices in a timely manner, ordering in the preferred process of the vendor, and being consistent with our own processes. This consistency and trust has allowed us to keep prices low by being a preferred distributor for the factories we deal with.

Container and Packaging Supply has spent all of these years developing an impeccable reputation with our vendors that allows us to keep prices low for you. The Price reason alone is enough to think CPS is practically perfect in every way – but we have 5 more reasons coming soon. Stay tuned!

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

When Cutting Doesn't Cut It: Good cuts and bad (Part 1 of 7)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben McCallister) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:48:00 +0000

There are good cuts and bad cuts. There are cuts that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and there are cuts that bring intense pain. Some cuts are made to create and rejuvenate and some cuts are made to downgrade or destroy. So lets talk some good cuts for a moment. Who doesn’t love to cut out cookies? Cookie cutting is fun because you make something cute and eat it. Cute cuts I can get behind! Some cutting is just wrong; like cutting Michael Jordon from his high school basketball team or cutting sugar from your diet.

Cutting out the middle man is bad

There is one cut that you may have heard of that I would like to mention—and yet I hesitate to say it out loud. It is such a foolhardy notion that it hardly seems wise to commit it to paper. But here it goes in a whisper—the most abhorrent and reckless cut imaginable: The "cutting out the middle man." What a deplorable thought! What a disaster! What a shamelessly callous thing to consider! I can’t think of anything worse ... well ... except for that whole sugar thing we talked about earlier.

Seriously—there are a myriad of reasons why this is a really, really bad cut. And I am going to give you every one of those reasons. It may take me a few blog posts to get through, but I don’t plan on taking any short cuts while explaining them to you. (Get it—short cuts? Oh come on—that is funny, right?)

CPS is an un-cut-able middle man

Let’s start off by explaining that Container & Packaging Supply is a distributor. Some would consider that to mean that we are one of the dreaded "middle men" mentioned above. However, the art of distribution is not a simple prospect. There are "middle men" in the world who offer and provide little in the way of value for their compensation. As a distributor, we are very different from other types of "middle men" that can be found in other industries. In the packaging world, distributors are a key cog in the supply chain and provide huge benefits to those who use their services.

What is especially interesting is that in most cases all these services can be had for little to no additional cost to the end user. You heard me … little to no additional cost to the end user. Those are some hefty claims I plan to prove over the next couple of weeks. I will be sharing with you many of the major reasons why CPS is such a boon for all businesses or individuals trying to tackle challenging packaging problems.

In the end, you’ll come to the same conclusion we have: Some cuts just don’t cut it! In fact, the major cut you will likely advocate when you are finished with the facts, will be to cut CPS—a wonderfully valuable distributor—some slack!

Read the entire series:

Part 1: Good cuts and bad
Part 2: It's all about price
Part 3: Amalgamation is good
Part 4: The freight factor
Part 5: Middlemen stock stuff
Part 6: You need expertise
Part 7: CPS is in your corner

P.E.T. is E.T.'s alien cousin made of polyethylene terephthalate

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:44:00 +0000

For those of us who survived the 80's we fell in love with a latex/polyurethane puppet that had an extendable neck, glow-in-the-dark bulbous finger tips, and the capacity to make bicycles fly. This puppet was an alien that got stranded on Earth, and needed help from a pre-teen boy to get back home. You can imagine how this pitch must have sounded to the producers, but ... it worked! And E.T. grossed more than triple what it cost to make. Not a bad ROI either.

E.T.'s cousin P.E.T. had a similar experience, only he was a boston round made of polyethylene terephthalate. He didn't have glow-in-the-dark bulbous finger tips, but he could make pre-teen boys on bicycles fly, as is shown in our parody poster below. We named our film, P.E.T: Polyethylene Terephthalate and Its Adventure on Earth. Kind of catchy, isn't it?

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

You may not have known, but we do cartons and retail boxes too

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:22:00 +0000

We've got all kinds of tricks up our sleeves. Not only do we do containers, closures, artwork design and decoration application (labels and silk prints), but we can even help you put your container-closure-artwork combination in a beautiful retail-ready box (or carton ... or whatever you want to call it). Just ask and we can get you started on a packaging concept that will help you get your product noticed and purchased.

Cartons Protect

A carton is a great way to add an additional layer of protection. This could help keep your product fresh, prevent scuffing, and breakage.

Cartons Promote

A carton gives you additional real estate to promote the features and benefits of your product. Instead of a 1/2 page ad, you've now got an interactive full spread ad to sell your product.

Cartons Push Perceived Value

This additional layer of packaging can give your product a boost in perceived quality. Think of a bottle of high end cologne or perfume.

Designed by CPS Designer Morgan Sorensen. This is a carton intended to hold a plastic-wrapped bar of soap. A large circle has been cut out of the front facade as a fragrance vent.

Cartons are glued and shipped to you flat (to save on shipping). Once you get it, squeeze the edges, close the base, insert product, close the top and voila ... complete!

Designed by CPS Designer Keith McCauley (me). Nefertiti uses the exact same die as Ibis Botanicals, but notice what a different design on a stock die can do. Customized dies are not expensive, so don't get locked into a specific carton shape or size.

NOTE: Ibis Botanicals and Nefertiti Bathing Essentials are two fictional brands developed by Container & Packaging Supply for their Design Portfolio. More photos and brands are coming soon ...

Call 1-800-473-4144 and say, "I want some retail boxes (or cartons)," and we'll get you started on a fantastic carton for your product.

Driving Miss Dairy, an award winning packaging parody

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Driving Miss Dairy is the story of a woman and her dairy-style chauffeur and their relationship over the years. This film won 4 Oscars, and 24 other awards and 14 nominations. Both Miss Dairy and her chauffeur get a two-thumbs up for a job well-done in this film.

Our very own Jonni (from accounting) takes the leading lady role of Daisy Werthan in our adaptation of Driving Miss Daisy. Her chauffeur is played by our B299, an 8 oz natural dairy-style container with an orange 38-400 ribbed dairy cap.

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Infographic: 8 point checklist to making the perfect label

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:54:00 +0000

You've got less than three seconds to persuade a consumer to buy your product. That puts a lot of pressure on your packaging. Here's an 8 point checklist to get you started on packaging perfection.

Click to enlarge

Don't Stop Believin' parody explains Boston, Cosmo and Royal bottles

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Container & Packaging Supply announces their first full-length music video Don't Stop Containing, featuring employees and products of CPS. The video is a parody of the GLEE cover of Journey's famous power ballad Don't Stop Believin'. "This video has been over a year in the making. It's truly epic. You're not going to want to miss this," says Keith McCauley, Executive Vice President and project director.

Synposis

Don't Stop Containing tells the story of Boston and Cosmo—two bottles feeling like they're just another face in the crowd—that take the midday truck to CPS. As they're unloaded on the CPS warehouse dock, one glance is all it takes for them to realize they're in love. They escape, date, marry and find that a baby is on the way. When baby is born, they realize that she's not quite a boston or a cosmo, but something inbetween: a Royal.

What are Bostons, Cosmos and Royals?

For the uninitiated, Bostons, Cosmos and Royals are three similar yet distinct bottle styles. All three bottles have rounded shoulders, but the Boston appears squattier, the cosmo more slender and the Royal ... well, it's something in between.

Left to right: Boston Round, Royal Round, Cosmo Round

An idea is born

"This video was a crazy idea," says McCauley. It appears that they went ahead with it anyway. "We were just throwing out ideas for videos and I said, 'Let's make a video about a boston and a cosmo having a baby royal bottle,'" says Bob Richards, director of sales. "We all kind of chuckled and moved on." Apparently the idea stuck because a year and a half later, the video was launched.

The video

Don't Stop Containing is four minutes long and it blends stop motion animation with live action footage. The story of Boston and Cosmo is told with construction paper storyboards and cutout props. Each movement is represented by a slight adjustment and a click of the camera. "I spent a lot of time with an x-acto knife, rubber cement and three reams of construction paper," explains McCauley. "There are over a 1,000 photographs in this video." Building the storyboards and shooting the stop motion sequences took nearly 3 months.

The music

"I don't care how good you are, you just can't beat the original," says McCauley. Because the video has original lyrics and is a parody cover of a GLEE cover of the original, CPS had to record their own vocals. After securing all necessary licensing rights, McCauley hired his friend Michelle Pederson to record with him. "Michelle and I recorded our vocals in my walk-in closet at home. All the clothes really helped to control the sound," says McCauley. "It was a lot of fun and Michelle is the real deal."

The band

The band is made of CPS co-workers lip syncing to a pre-recorded track. The band features CPS Video veterans Matt Lamm (the scientist guy) as the male lead vocalist and Curtis Crosgrove (the professor) as our drummer. You can see them in action on our videos page. Several CPS Film Festival stars participated in this film: Lorna (Customer Support) was our lead female vocalist; Sean (IT), Jen and Angie (Customer Care) were an amazing trio of backup singers; and Stephen (Sales) did a great job on guitar. Bass player Brent (Accounting) and keyboard player Ty (Sales) had a smashing debut performance.

"It was December, and it was cold," says Lorna. "We went out into the warehouse and spent about 2 hours rocking out to this song. It was really fun."

Limited supply! We've only got about 75 calendars left ...

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:45:00 +0000

For the past 5 years we've been making these silly calendars parodying movie posters. We think they're kind of funny and we send them out to some of our bigger customers. Well, we've got a handful of them left, and if you'd like one, we'll mail you one for FREE!

Nothing in life comes free! Right? Wrong! For a short time (while supplies last) all you have to do is give us your address and we'll mail you one ... on OUR dime (actually, it's about 20 to 30 dimes). So, what are you waiting for?

Click through and claim your free calendar today.

The 2013 Calendar features excellent packaging parody movie poster favorites like:

Cap Hawk Down
Driving Miss Dairy
P.E.T.
Gangs of New Yorker
Rain Can
The Honey Games
Tin Amigos
Cap of America
The Pump for Red October
Scoopy-Doo
Buffy The Vampire Sprayer
The Label Guy

Purchaser Matt of Cap Hawk Down, leaves no caps behind

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:23:00 +0000

I must confess that I haven't even seen this movie. This is the first film ever featured in the CPS Movie Posters Parody Calendar series (and we've made like 50 of these) where I haven't. It's difficult for me to provide a synopsis, or even commentary on what the movie's even about.

So, I won't even try.

Instead, let me tell you about Matt.

Matt, he works here, and we've put his mug on this calendar image. He's the face of Eversmann (our Josh Hartnett stand in). Didn't he do a great job of looking pensively out of the chopper? You can read the same sense of heroic exhaustion on his face as you can on Josh Harnett's. It's a reminder to us all to keep moving forward, regardless of the foes we may face.

Matt faces many foes every day at work. He tirelessly ensures that our product makes it from point A to point B both in a safe and timely manner. We use trucks, not helicopters, and Purchaser Matt makes sure that bottles and caps don't get left behind.

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Listen to audio tracks from the classic movie "The Sound of Plastic"

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:57:00 +0000

For the first time ever, CPS Studios is proud to present audio recordings! These rare recordings feature soprano Melissa Heath, and are taken from the famous musical masterpiece: The Sound of Plastic. Read on to listen to recordings of The Sound of Plastic (The Aisles Are Alive), Cap Every Bottle, The Lonely Bottle, and My Favorite Things.

What could beat the rush of dashing exuberantly through the hills of an Alpine village while singing at the top of your lungs? Just one thing: running through the aisles of a warehouse packed to the brim with plastic packaging. That is exactly what sets Maria Von Trapp's heart racing in this classic film, The Sound of Plastic.

The Sound of Plastic tells the heartwarming story of Maria (played by CPS Customer Support Representative Angie Smith), whose passion for music endears her to six children and their widower father. Set in a warehouse at the base of the Alps, this musical video presentation is a masterpiece of vocal prowess, breathtaking scenery, loyalty, patriotism, and above all ... a story of how music can overcome any packaging supply chain management issue.

CPS Studios is proud to present to you a few audio selections from The Sound of Plastic. All recordings are copyrighted by Container & Packaging Supply and all master and distribution licenses have been secured.

Executive Producer: Keith McCauley, CPS Studios
Performed by: Melissa Heath
Recorded and mixed by: The Tonic Room

	The Sound of Plastic
	(1.4 MB) Click to show/hide lyrics
	Maria, arms outstretched in a reverie of plastic appreciation, glides through the aisles of the CPS warehouse listing the varied uses of plastic.

The aisles are alive with the sound of plastic,
With H-D-P-E, polystyrene too.
The aisles fill my heart with the sound of plastic.
My brain wants to know everything it can.

Plastic bottles can package the lotions for face
That can soften and soothe my dry skin.
The plastics can package the hair setting sprays
That keep hair in its place.
The oils and scents that can coax and cure
All the woes of my heart.

The plastics are king; they can hold almost everything!
I love CPS they have lots of plastic.
I know I will find what I'm looking for.
I love CPS they have lots of plastic;
And I'll buy once more.

Plastic bottles can package the lotions for face
That can soften and soothe my dry skin.
The plastics can package the hair setting sprays
That keep hair in its place.
The oils and scents that can coax and cure
All the woes of my heart.

The plastics are king! They can hold almost everything!
I love CPS, they have lots of plastic.
I go there to find what I'm looking for.
My life's truly blessed with all types of plastic;
And I'll buy once more.

	Cap Every Bottle
	(1.6 MB) Click to show/hide lyrics
	Mother Superior, director of CPS warehouse activities, teaches Maria the importance of selecting the right closure for the right product.

Cap ev'ry bottle.
Cap high and low.
Closures are the answer,
To control the flow.

Cap every bottle.
You need to know
What's best for your product
To control the flow.

The flow is the key
To your product's success.
If you've got the wrong cap,
It will lead to excess.

Cap every bottle.
You need to know
What's best for your product
To control the flow.

The right type of lid
Is a must for success.
If you've got the wrong lid,
It will generate stress.

Cap every bottle.
You need to know
What's best for your product
To control the flow.

	The Lonely Bottle
	(1.3 MB) Click to show/hide lyrics
	Maria produces a puppet show featuring the love story of a lonely bottle with an overlarge cap, who meets a fair bottle with a similar predicament.

High on a hill was a lonely bottle
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Large was the cap of the lonely bottle
Lay ee odl lay ee old-oo.

Bottles in town that had caps sized rightly
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Thought the large cap was a sight unsightly
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay.

Someone who knew of all caps a plenty
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Said he should get a new cap and quickly
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

They who did look at the lonely bottle
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Hoped he would find a new cap that fit him
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay.

One bottle fair with a large new cap sang
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
She liked the cap of the lonely bottle
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Their too large caps did, in fact, impress her
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay.

Love at first sight is a sight quite sightly
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
All of the town started dancing sprightly
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

(Yodeling)

Happy are they, lay dee oh lay de lee oh
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Soon the duet will became a trio
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

Happy are they, lay dee oh lay de lee oh
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo.
Soon the duet will became a trio
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo.

	My Favorite Things
	(1.3 MB) Click to show/hide lyrics
	Maria, in a frenzy of plastics gratitude, enumerates her favorite containers and closures to help her young children brave their way through a storm.

Cosmos with closures and royals with spritzers,
Smooth shapely tottles and jars made for crispers,
White plastic bucket bins tied up with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Blue colored bostonsand rows of hand foamers,
Straight lids, and ribbed lids, and closures with domers,
Black pumps and white pumps all powered by springs,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Bucketsand bottles, and disc caps and sprayers,
Snap caps and dip tubes and liners with layers,
Crystal clear bottles without any dings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When I need more, when I run out,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember to call CPS,
And I always feel so glad.

(Repeat)

And of course, don't forget to download the wallpaper!

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Bond will stop at nothing to protect the world's supply of closures

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:22:00 +0000

He drives fast cars, uses expensive gadgets with impunity, could kill you with his bare hands in 27 different ways in under 2 seconds, likes his martinis "shaken, not stirred," is a Royal Naval Reserve Commander, a member of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service, goes by "double O seven," recently made an appearance at the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies, isn't afraid to give a Glasgow Kiss when the situation calls for it, is smooth with the ladies, works well under pressure, travels light, and maintains a wardrobe that allows him to move in all socio-economic crime circles of the world's debauched, depraved, and derelict.

He is James Bond.

In Capino Royale, Bond is sent to Montenegro to stop Le Chiffre, a terrorist banker, from winning a poker tournament at the Casino Royale. The stakes: ownership of the world's supply of closures, caps, and lids. Bond must use all of considerable skill, talent and charm to keep Le Chiffre from taking everything.

Wouldn't that be a great premise for a movie? Forget water, oil, fuel, gold, nuclear warheads, and the secret of renewable sustainable no-biproducts energy. That stuff gets picked all the time as the object of terrorist and world-dominating sociopaths.

So cliche.

How about closures and caps and lids? The repercussions of monopolizing the world's supply of closures is unimaginably staggering.

(I pitched this idea to Universal, Columbia, Paramount and even Pixar. They said it lacked "universal appeal." I told them that everyone uses closures, and that it was only a matter of time before someone actually tried to do this ... they had security escort me out.)

Bond is played by sales rep Stephen Post, who coincidentally, actually does have access to thousands of different types of lids, caps, dispensing pumps, closures, treatment pumps, sprayers, and more.

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2011, 2010, and 2009.

A step by step process on how film positives for screen printing are made

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:33:00 +0000

Creating artwork for a silkscreen print is a digital process (at least nowadays). A graphic artist will create the artwork on a flat canvas in a digital graphics program (Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop are my faves). But silkscreen printing is an analog process! How do we get that digital file into a format that an analog printer can use? Keep reading, and I'll show you.

Make a "comp"

An artist may "comp" or mock up a rendering of what the flat artwork will look like. In this case, two colors of ink (khaki and orange) are going to be applied to an amber colored bottle. That comp could look something like this:


A "comp" or mockup (click to enlarge)

Output to PDF

From here, the comp needs to be prepared so that it can be printed on film positives ... a sheet of clear plastic with light-blocking black ink. I would create two separate PDF files that would isolate or separate each color. There are three colors shown--amber, khaki and orange--but only two colors are actually going to be printed: khaki and orange. Here's what my PDF files would look like:

ORANGE: PDF to be made into the first film.

KHAKI: PDF to be made into the second film.

Notice the registration marks (the cross-hairs) in the corners. These are critical for the printer to know how your colors layer with each other.

Print films from PDFs

You save these as two high resolution PDFs and send them off to be made into film positives by a film positive preparation company.

Here's what your artwork looks like when they've been made into films.

ORANGE: First color, first film.

KHAKI: Second color, second film.

When you have both films, you can lay them on top of each other and align the registration marks to see how the colors layer.

Both films aligned.

Make screens and print

These films are sent to the bottle printer, who creates screens using these films. Ink is then forced through these screens onto the bottle, first ORANGE, then dried, then KHAKI and then dried. And that is how your artwork become a screen. The end product would look something like this:

Amber bottle with ORANGE and KHAKI printed on it.

What CPS Catalog Are You? Check out the poll results!

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 22:25:00 +0000

A month and a half ago we posted a personality quiz. The results are in! (I know you've been dying to know the results of the question, "What CPS Catalog are you?" Not surprisingly, the results of this study directly reflect the amount of traffic (at least sequentially) that we get to each of these catalogs. Read on to find out the results (and if you'd like a chance to see what CPS catalog YOU are, just click here).

So we have six different catalogs, and they're actually listed in order of the most dominant personality types. You can click the links below to see exactly what makes them unique.

Click to enlarge

The Results

The results of this quiz can tell you a lot about your own life. It can answer questions about your future, help you define your past, and assist you to live in the present with clarity. Based on the questions you answered, we can tell you the following:

If you're most like our Product Catalog, you appreciate order and organization. You find that you are most compatible with others who think logically, linearly and rationally. You prefer to have a plan and a purpose for your day, your week, this year, your life. You believe that there is a certain way to do things, that life is a journey that must be enjoyed at each step along the way. Your critics say that you're predictable and boring.

If you're most like our Image Catalog, you must see to believe. You are highly creative and find life more understandable when it can be represented visually. You are inspired by the arts and seek to find creative expression in all you do. Your critics say that you're unreliable and easily distracted.

If you're most like our Closeout Items Catalog, you are more thoughtful, deliberate in your purchases and decision-making. You prefer to read up, do your research, and make your decisions by aligning yourself with the majority. Your critics say that are lagging behind the times and will get left behind.

If you're most like our New Items Catalog, you are always on the prowl for the latest and greatest. You are a maven of information, a trail blazer of fashion, a beacon of trust. Anyone can come to you and you can tell them anything and everything about "the now." Your critics say that you're shallow and materialistic.

If you're most like our Industry Catalog, you are comfortable with tried-and-true practices. You don't feel the need to break out of the mold to get something done. You're content with how things are and prefer to be guided by what others think and what others have done. Your critics say that you're overly timid and will get left behind.

If you're most like our Overstock Items Catalog, you are in relentless pursuit of a bargain. You like to negotiate with your friends and enemies (rarely making a distinction between the two) because you love the thrill of the hunt. You immerse yourself in your life, your interests, your hobbies, your career. Your critics say that you're too intense and that your relationships suffer.

Sifter Act, the creepiest poster for the creepiest month

noreply@blogger.com (Keith McCauley) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Sales rep James was a great sport about donning the nun's habit for this month's calendar parody of Sister Act. A humorous feel-good film featuring Whoopie Goldberg, our Sifter Act, is an incredibly appropriate poster for October, the month we celebrate costumes, the macabre, and the creepy.

Have you ever been scared to tears? Tears of fright or tears of laughter, they both come from the same place ... shock! When James first put on those size 17 cross-dresser red stilettos I ordered off the internet and attempted to stand—not walk, just stand—I saw a potential injury and workers' comp claim swaying precariously in front of me. My concern for his physical welfare and my inability to believe what I was seeing resulted in multiple photographs blurred by my failed attempts to suppress my laughter.

The result is a very saucy cross-dressing nun who is seconds away from collapse.

Enjoy our Halloween gift to you ... Sifter Act.

Click the image, allow to load, right click and select "Set as Wallpaper"

Visit www.containerandpackaging.com/wallpaper to see ALL 12 of this year's calendar images as well as images from 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Infographic: What is plastic? What's it made of? How is it formed?

noreply@blogger.com (Kayla Holman) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:08:00 +0000

An imagination is a terrible thing to waste. Children don’t question Dr. Seuss’ far-fetched, never-ending pipe mazes for plausibility. They merely accept the fact that ingredients go in one end and a finished product comes out the other. The creation and subsequent lifecycle of plastics follows a similar model. The twists, turns and roundabouts may not actually exist, but for entertainment value and the sake of the inner-child within each of us, come explore the lively process of packaging production.

Click to enlarge

Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as PET, is a member of the polyester family. Made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the strong and naturally colorless resin is lightweight and ranges from semi-rigid to rigid flexibility. Packaging made from this material will sport the #1 resin identification code. Most common uses include beverage and food containers.

High Density Polyethylene

High Density Polyethylene, often referred to as HDPE, is built from carbon and hydrogen elements. This plastic is hard, opaque in color and is adorned with the #2 resin identification code. Its many packaging applications range from milk jugs, laundry and dish detergent containers to bleach and lotion bottles.

Polyvinyl Chloride

Made from carbon, chlorine and hydrogen, this plastic is durable and chemically resistant. Marked with resin identification code #3, its most common uses include shampoo bottles as well as oil and chemical containers.

Low Density Polyethylene

Built from carbon and hydrogen, low density polyethylene (LDPE) is marked with resin identification code #4 and has a high heat tolerance. Its appearance varies from translucent to opaque. This material is often used to form storage containers, produce bags and squeezable containers.

Polypropylene

Created from carbon and hydrogen, polypropylene (PP) is a stiff plastic marked by resin identification code #5. This material has a high heat tolerance and can be translucent, opaque or colorful. Most common polypropylene items include bottle caps, cereal box liners and drinking straws.

Polystyrene

Built from carbon and hydrogen, this extremely rigid plastic is set apart by the resin identification code #6. It can be presented in transparent or colorful varieties. Common items made from this material include yogurt cups, carryout containers, disposable cutlery as well as meat and produce trays.

Now you know what each plastic is really made of (all the way down to its elemental origins)! Some containers can be fluorinated while others are flame treated. Some are formed through extrusion blow molding while other take shape through injection molding. Continue to follow the swooping pipes of our infographic to become more familiar with and learn the details behind each resin type.

NOTES:

There are 7 categories of plastic resins. This infographic does not include the 7th resin type "OTHER" because this category is the "catch-all" category. There are thousands of types of plastics marked with a "7" that have different ingredients and molding processes.
Phthalates are plastic additives that make plastic flexible. Orhthopthalates, a sub category of phthalates, have been discontinued in food-contact PVC in Europe and North America due to potential health risks.
HDPE and LDPE containers are typically flame treated or flourinated in after-market settings. Please contact us if you require flame treating or fluorination.

The broke-down side of biodegradable and compostable packaging

noreply@blogger.com (Kayla Holman) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0000

There’s a lot of green talk in the packaging world these days. Recyclable, biodegradable, compostable… you know the drill. What’s not to love about plates and cups that just happen to help the world as they degrade? Well, a lot actually. The fact that a specific type of packaging hails from the beloved and royal family Green doesn’t guarantee it to be the most environmentally beneficial option.

Biodegradable (material that will eventually break down, not bound by time constraints) and compostable (material that degrades at the same rate as paper, leaves no toxic residue) containers are some of the greenest goods around, right? Yeah sure, under the right circumstances that is. Truth be told, packaging specially constructed to biodegrade may do more harm than a traditional plastic bottle in a landfill void of oxygen and sunlight. Especially given the fact that plastic bottles can be recycled and the earth-friendly types of packaging tend to linger, building up the enormity of landfills.

The hype is high for eco-packaging, but society needs more than the steam of innovation to make alternatives to recycling a fully functioning reality. Until then, let’s break down the current infrastructure surrounding the end-of-life practices for standard recyclables and eco-based packaging.

Recyclable packaging

How are recyclable containers disposed of? You set them on your curb. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Though the U.S. recycling program has great room to grow and develop, recycling is by far the most readily available form of disposal that doesn’t default to a landfill.

Not only is the recycling infrastructure well established, there are several other benefits to consider when determining whether this traditional practice is more environmentally sound than other up-and-coming green techniques. For instance, using recyclable containers is often an environmentally sound choice given that the resin can frequently be used for the same purpose, several times over. The use of products made from recycled goods is a valuable point too, as the benefit on the environment has already been completed.

Biodegradable and Compostable packaging

Unlike recycling, you can’t collect all your biodegradable and compostable goods and put them out front on Monday morning for the compost man. At least not in most cities you can’t. And often times even that heaping pile of stuff in your yard that you call compost won’t do the trick. Commercial composting facilities are the only sure bet for proper breakdown. And as surprising as it might sound, these said facilities are few and far between, even in major metropolitan environments.

So, what’s to be said about the current state of eco-friendly packaging? Innovation is great, but the market has to sustain it. The practice of recycling is pervasive throughout our country, allowing for the proper processing of such containers. Biodegradable and compostable packaging may be the future of the packaging industry, but a likewise, proper infrastructure must be implied before these sustainable packaging options can actually fulfill their purpose successfully.

Elimination of packaging is a misstep in charge toward zero-waste world

noreply@blogger.com (Kayla Holman) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:44:00 +0000

So, there’s this store that just opened in Texas. It’s called in.gredients, maybe you’ve heard of it. This store isn’t like any other run-of-the-mill grocery store. It doesn’t quite fit the mold of a natural, locally grown, ma and pop place either. You could say it’s a one-of-a-kind establishment, based on a fundamental hole in their framework … there’s no packaging.

That’s right – produce, dairy products (cheese, milk), beverages (beer, wine), dry ingredients (grains, flour, sugar) and even cleaning products on display, all packaging-less.

The thought of a world with zero waste is a happy one. If such things are possible, why not throw world peace into the scenario too? Then on Monday nights all seven billion of us could sit in one big circle, brush each other’s hair and gab about American Idol (thanks for the zinger, Andy Sachs). Not the most practical or realistic of ponderings, but a happy thought nonetheless.

The same could be said about the driving force behind in.gredients. It’s a bright idea, just not a feasible one. Let’s remind ourselves why, waste concerns aside, packaging is so important in the first place and realize just how difficult (seemingly impossible in some cases) it would be to live without it.

The purpose of packaging

Packaging isn’t as straight forward as some might assume. The thing that holds your product is much more than just the thing that holds your product, so to speak. Packaging is multi-faceted, equipped with tools to protect, draw consumer attention and ensure convenience for all parties involved.

Protection

Packaging in its simplest form can be a protective barrier between the product and the outside world. Transportation from manufacturing point A to retail point B alone can be traumatic on a product. Some sort of packaging is typically used in this scenario anyway; you don’t see a semi full of loose apples rolling aimlessly around a truck every day.

Specialized tamper-evident closures, liners and accessories can also provide an advanced level of security to the product. Ensuring that the standards under which the product was packaged originally are still intact upon delivery to the end user. In.gredients’ no packaging approach calls all sorts of sanitation and medical (allergen) issues into question. When the product is open to the air and countless contaminants (dust, germs from hands and foreign containers) who knows what you’re going home with.

Packaging also addresses protection from the elements and the great leveler, time. Temperature, moisture and atmosphere are a few of the main factors that influence shelf life. Without the protection of packaging the period before expiration will be much shorter.

Eye-Catching Design

Product packaging is the best sales tool imaginable. Well-designed artwork is capable of luring consumers in – hook, line and sinker.

A single sale is never the goal of a well-branded product. Recognizable packaging enables a product to build trust and inspire future loyalty to the brand. How are businesses supposed to develop a following in a packaging-free environment?

Convenience

Be honest now, who wants the hassle of bringing their own packaging to the grocery store?

It’s proven to be difficult enough for today’s shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to haul away packaged groceries. Requiring consumers to bring multiple containers for each and every good may very well translate into a troublesome success rate for the business.

In.gredients claims to promote a zero-waste purpose, but that promise has yet to become a reality. Undisclosed amounts of unused product are sure to be disposed of (wasted) due to damage done through in-store tussles or goods that couldn’t reach the extended shelf life required without the protective barrier of packaging. Not zero-waste, just waste rearranged. It may not be in the form of packaging, but waste exists, no matter which route is taken. We can all take a note from in.gredients, overindulgence is non-essential, even in the packaging industry. But the solution lies in packaging innovation, not elimination.

What do you think?

What's your style? What your favorite container style says about you

noreply@blogger.com (Kayla Holman) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:50:00 +0000

We all have our favorites. Favorite pair of jeans, favorite song, favorite children, you get my drift. And chances are, you even have a favorite container style, whether you realize it or not. Take a second to browse our list and find out what your favorite container style says about you.

Click to enlarge

Boston Round – The Average Joe

You like ordinary. The classic Boston Round is ordinary and has been around as long as dirt. Dirt bares plants. Plants feed animals. And you love yourself a good burger and fries.

Cosmo (Bullet) Round – Runway Wanna-be

In an alternate universe you’re Tyra Banks or David Beckham. You choose to live your runway dreams vicariously through the striking form of Cosmo Round bottles.

Cylinder - A Real Standup Guy

Strong, true and trusty to a fault. Sturdy, reliable and dependable. You’re an icon of stability, a pillar of grace, a strong shoulder to cry on... as is your container counterpart.

Dairy – The Maverick

You work hard from sun up to sundown. And after all the cows have gone home you record voiceover tracks for Maverick gas station commercials. You’re that good, and so are your bottles.

Foamer - The Germ-A-Phobe

Plastic gloves, anyone? You’re a germ-a-phobe and you know it. But you don’t know that we know. Spoiler alert: The foamer bottles are a dead giveaway. The jig is up.

F-Style - The Meathead

You may not be Einstein, but what you lack in brains you've got double in brawn. With a massive frame made for heavy lifting, such a union with an F-Style only makes sense.

Honey – The Queen Bee

You’re sweet and want everyone to know it.The sweetness just oozes out of you and sticks to everyone around you. You know what's going on, sure, but you can keep it to yourself.

Industrial – The Teddy Bear

Behind that tough exterior is a protective heart made of gold. Just like you, the industrial is equipped to protect its own.

Packer – The Pack Rat

You like stuff. Lots of stuff. You never know when you might need it, right? Have you seen the television show “Hoarders”? Maybe you should be on it. Let’s get real. Packers are for pack rats, period.

Sprayer – The Prankster

Hey look, its Dennis the Menace, all grown up. Just remember, it’s all fun and games till somebody gets shot in the eye with toxic industrial-grade concentrated cleaner.

Sauce – Flavor of the Week

A multi-faceted personality - audacious, brazen and sassy. Not easily understood, but appreciated by all. Frankly, it’s amazing you can get that much flavor into a single bottle.

French Square – The Sensitive Soul

You’re both a sight for sore eyes. You're refined, yes, but you don’t like to wear it on your sleeve. But like a French Square you’re also delicate and should be handled with care.

Glass Jug – Life of the Party

Someone wearing a NFL shirt is probably a fan. An expensive purse translates to an interest in designer handbags. Purchasing this container foreshadows the season’s best shindig.

Mason Jar – The Backwoods Racer

There’s only one container that can handle swift turns in a cup-holder without asking you to compromise who you are. You stick to your roots, all the way to the bottom of a mason jar.

Jar – The Chameleon

You’re capable of taking on a different persona at the drop of a hat. Just as a jar can easily don a particular label or silk print. The similarities are uncanny.

Tub – Recovering Ice Cream Addict

It’s about the container, not what’s inside. At least that’s what they say at your group meetings. Throw caution to the wind. Embrace the beauty of overindulgence.

Tube – Laid Back Dude

Sweet! Righteous! Groovy! If you find yourself using any of these terms on a daily basis you’re container choice is justified because chances are you’re totally tubular.

Tin – The Steel Trap

Nothing gets past you... they can't resist your shiny and appealing nature. You lure in your prey (customers) and once they're in, there’s no hope for escape.

So which container is your true counterpart? Tell us in the comments!