The Natural Abode is well established, four year old company and is very familiar with packaging from a user’s perspective. They are also a Green America member, very involved in the green community and their facility in Moscow, Idaho makes them centrally located for the geography they plan to cover.

What This Means to You, the Green Packaging Buyer

We know you expect price and quality and we know our Globe Guard products will not disappoint you in either category. We have also learned that your concerns include product availability, shipping costs and of course, carbon footprint. Shipping low cost, commodity packaging products cross country no longer makes sense and our job is to get the product where you need it, quickly at a reasonable cost, and with absolute minimal carbon footprint left behind. Intelligent logistics and distribution is the key and we are confident The Natural Abode will enable us to meet and exceed your expectations.

Fast, Economical, and Reliable Deliveries to the Pacific Northwest

We cannot put a price on a lost opportunity or a disappointed customer but with everyone deliberately and wisely reducing inventories on hand, having a packaging supplier able to respond quickly is more important than ever. We believe with the help of The Natural Abode, we will be able to reduce shipping time to the Northwest by 2 days compared to shipping from our Chicago warehouse. That is critically important if you have an order for a new customer that must ship quickly.

We’re Positioned to Help You Grow

We are very pleased to say that while many companies are regressing or at best stagnant, many of our customers are growing steadily and substantially. Knowing you have high expectations from your suppliers, we are doing everything possible to improve response time and reduce cost. Now, even in emergency situations requiring custom products, and with the help of The Natural Abode, the Great Pacific Northwest can be assured of prompt service on packaging products that are as green as their beautiful scenery.

PCW Never Looked So Good

Our Globe Guard labels are 92% brightness with a white matte finish making them ideal for ink jet and laser printers. They are of excellent quality and we have yet to hear a single complaint about how they feed or print and they stick to virtually any surface. They are equal to or better than any other available label plus they are very eco friendly with their 100% PCW content that just in case you are wondering, matches our Globe Guard corrugated boxes perfectly.

Convenient Eco Friendly Packaging

Depending on quantity ordered, our labels are packaged in one of our 100% recycled content die cut mailers. They are also sold in units of 25 sheets per pack so you don’t have to use tons of labels to be able to get the green labels you want.

Please check out this item at our Globe Guard green packaging store and let us know if you would like to see and try a sample.

In fact, the word and name green - or greene, if you prefer the silent “e” - has been around for some time, one could even say for generations. To solve this little quiz, you may need help from an older or younger generation because the questions and answers range from pop culture of the 40’s to now. So, if you find yourself with some time to spare this holiday weekend and are willing to focus on colors other than red, white and blue, please enjoy.

Warning: Answers appear at bottom of the post, so don’t peek under the Big Green Question Mark.

The Green Culture Quiz

1. Mean guy from Pennsylvania - __________ Greene
2. West coast punkers of the 90’s – Green ______
3. Mellow sounding unity advocate in 1972 - _____ Green
4. Crime fighter and Kato’s buddy – Green _______
5. TV westerns were a bonanza for him - ________ Greene
6. Mid 60’s TV series featuring transplanted NYC couple – Green ___________
7. Premier funny man of the 70’s - _________ Greene
8. Baseball hall of famer _______ Greenberg
9. 40’s and 50’s actor - ___________ Greenstreet
10. Went home with Oscar in 1941 - _______ Green _____ ______ _______
11. Justice League member and superhero – Green ___________
12. They were eco before eco was cool – Green___________
13. 70’s movie NOT a favorite of AARP - __________ Green
14. Hitters nemesis in Boston – the Green ________________
15. Acclaimed 1999 Tom Hanks movie – The Green __________
16. Favorite breakfast food of Theodor Seuss Geisel – Green ______ ___ ______
17. 1968 John Wayne film The Green ____________
18. NFL rival of the Chicago Bears, the Green ______ __________
19. Captain Kangaroo sidekick, Mr. Green ________
20. Former Fed Chairman and economic guru ______ Green______
21. Popular “chick flick” _________ Green __________

Answers appear below the Big Green Question Mark

Answers

1. Coke drinking mean guy from Pennsylvania - Mean Joe Greene
2. West coast punkers of the 90’s – Green Day
3. Mellow sounding love and unity advocate in 1972 - Al Green
4. Crime fighter and Kato’s buddy (not OJ) – Green Hornet
5. TV westerns were a bonanza for him - Lorne Greene
6. Mid 60’s TV series featuring transplanted NYC couple – Green Acres
7. Premier funny man of the 70’s - Sheckie Greene
8. Baseball hall of famer - Hank Greenberg
9. 40’s and 50’s actor - Sidney Greenstreet
10. Went home with Oscar in 1941 – How Green Was My Valley
11. Justice League member and superhero – Green Lantern
12. These 70’s activists were eco before eco was cool – GreenPeace
13. 70’s movie NOT recommended by AARP - Soylent Green
14. Hitters nemesis in Boston – the Green Monster
15. Acclaimed 1999 Tom Hanks movie – The Green Mile
16. Favorite breakfast food of Theodor Seuss Geisel – Green Eggs and Ham
17. 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets
18. NFL rival of the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers
19. Captain Kangaroo sidekick, Mr. Green Jeans
20. Former Fed Chairman and economic guru Alan Greenspan
21. Popular “chick flick” Fried Green Tomatoes

Have an enjoyable and safe holiday!

One of the busiest people in the packaging industry is JoAnn Hines with her numerous business operations and websites. Her newest venture is Packaging Launch, and I am pleased to be participating as one of her staff experts to help review new package designs as submitted by people in need of unbiased, and knowledgeable input.

I asked JoAnn for the opportunity to interview her so we could discuss Packaging Launch for the benefit of our ISP readers.

Get feedback on your new design

DS: Where did the rather unique Packaging Launch concept originate and can you please explain to us the valuable service it provides?

JH: PackagingLaunch.com came about for a variety of reasons.

1st: I get so many calls from people who need packaging help and really need to be pointed in the right direction. I wanted a professional, quick and efficient way to help them without having to spend a fortune.

2nd: So many people have disastrous packaging and they aren’t even aware how bad it really is. There needed to be a method of finding out that they have packaging problems before it’s too late.

3rd: This is the place to test a packaging concept if you are not sure before you invest heavily and have a packaging fiasco.

DS: Can anyone submit a package design for review and is there a cost?

JH: Yes, anyone can submit a package for review. However there must be a professional photo to submit on the site. The experts need to be able to evaluate the package and they need a quality image to do so.

There is a nominal fee of $250 for posting the photo (which includes a live link and a product description). This is far less that a single expert’s time and provides you with insights from a variety of packaging experts.

DS: Are there any ground rules for the expert reviewers?

JH: We want people who use the web site to get constructive criticism and not be embarrassed by the packaging work they have already done. Also this is not the place for a blatant sales pitch either. Your expertise as a commentator will show though and subsequently the clients will come.

DS: One of the things that first struck me about Packaging Launch was the very interesting and diverse background of your reviewers. How did that come together?

JH: People buy products for a variety of reasons. Most people get too close to it and can see the realities about what is wrong or whether the packaging is connecting with the target audience. If experts from all aspects of product packaging give an evaluation about what is working or not then you have a broad base of expertise to guide you. The purpose is to guide you towards making the right packaging decisions. Not just to rip bad product packaging.

DS: How do you see Packaging Launch developing and what is the potential?

JH: PackagingLuanch.com has unbelievable potential. It’s the fastest way to find out whether your packaging is working or not. Given the immediacy of resolving problems its the fastest most reliable resource available at a very affordable price.

DS: JoAnn, I appreciate your time. Good luck with Packaging Launch and thank you for the opportunity to better understand what a terrific resource it can be.

If we praise effort like Home Depot’s, we also have to condemn a retailer like Sears who is most definitely guilty of promoting a product for its green benefits; in this case a zero emission, propane powered lawn trimmer, and failing to assume the post sale responsibility that is certainly theirs.

Are Propane Powered Garden Tools Really Green?

The Green Product

The problems really started when I realized the propane fuel tanks my new trimmer would use are not refillable. So I asked a friendly Sears employee about recycling and disposal. The propane tanks are metal so if not refillable, certainly they have to be recyclable, right? The minimal information provided indicated each tank lasts approximately two hours so it did not take a mathematician or landscaper to determine I was likely to create an empty cylinder every other week or ten to twelve cylinders over the course of a single Chicago summer. I was surprised when the man offering “trained Sears’s assistance” said he had no idea about disposal or recycling. I guess that was not covered in sales training class.

The Search for Information and Eco Truth

The Green Pitch

Recalling we do business with a company for propane for our fork lift, I thought they might have some answers. They were kind enough to tell me that they would accept one or two empty tanks but did not want to be a collection point since the small, empty canisters I was eager to get rid of had no value, only cost to them.

I turned to our local village for assistance and they quickly sent me to a county department in charge of hazardous waste. The lady who answered the phone immediately understood the problem and told me I was the fourth call that day on the same topic. She admitted her family used a similar propane cylinder for cooking while camping but told me they (county government) could not accept the cylinders because they were not considered hazardous. “What do you do with yours?” I naively asked. “I bury and hide them in my kitchen garbage bags” she replied, “Otherwise our waste hauler won’t take them.”

Sustainability and the Return of the Propane Grass Trimmer

I saw no choice but to take the trimmer back to Sears for a refund. I then went to another retailer and bought an 18 volt rechargeable model that was Energy Star rated. Not exactly what I had in mind but I decided it was the best possible option for now as I imagined thousands or ten of thousands of these supposedly empty propane tanks soon buried in our landfills.

What About Sears?

The Green Problem

From a marketing perspective, I also thought about how sad it is with all of their resources and people that Sears never realized what a huge opportunity this new source of power is for them. If they thought beyond the cash register, what if they decided to be a collection point for the empty propane tanks? What if in exchange for empty propane tanks Sears rewarded eco minded customers with a discount coupon or other incentive designed to bring customers back to their stores?

Going forward the market is sure to judge retailers who don’t do the right thing every bit as harshly as retailers who do the wrong thing. Green washing by conveniently dropping the sustainable ball on the products they sell, is really no different than lying through omission or even outright deception. Call it eco consistency and you know I do, but Sears failed to look beyond the sale and has missed a tremendous opportunity to be a market leader and a good environmental citizen.

The Increasingly Crowded Green Blogosphere

The world of eco focused internet blogging has become very crowded as more people and companies are writing about packaging OR about sustainability. Green is an increasingly popular topic because readers are eager to better understand sustainability. Packaging will always be a green focal point for consumers so the growth in interest is to be expected.

In our work as well as in our writing, we strive to be a place where people with an interest in sustainability AND in packaging can learn more about the people and products impacting both.

That is our overall objective on Inside Sustainable Packaging and will be our goal for Common Sense and Sustainability, our new featured blog on Packaging Digest.

Then What’s the Difference between These Two Blogs?

Our commitment is that both blogs will always only feature original content but Inside Sustainable Packaging will remain where I get a little more personal, and adventurous, occasionally wandering off the green packaging topic. Whether it is a product that we applaud or criticize or a chance to do something a little out of the norm, ISP is more likely to be the place you’ll find it.

Common Sense and Sustainability on the other hand will tend to look at the worlds of packaging and sustainability from a broader perspective. Consider it a view from an altitude of 20,000 feet up versus from ground level. Both are important perspectives but each is very distinct and unique. You can also expect the content and topics on Common Sense and Sustainability to be more about processes, industries, and perspective, and less about specific products.

On either format your feedback is always appreciated so please do not hesitate to leave your comments on either blog. Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Eco Flex Molded Pulp and Beyond

Five weeks ago we launched this new green product which is very unique in that it is flexible molded pulp able to be bent, folded, rolled and easily hand torn to size, making it ideal for a multitude of packaging applications. We still love our new Eco Flex molded pulp product but we also realize that in some situations, an application specific form fitting molded product may be better for the customer and application.

Molded pulp in any shape or form is 100% recycled content, usually newspaper PCW and it is also “obviously” green. We believe the clarity of that green message is becoming more and more important and quite frankly, very few products fall into that category of being undisputedly green. There is often debate on almost any imaginable packaging product one could offer or use, but I have never heard two green minded individuals argue over the merits of molded pulp packaging.

Where’s the Adventure in Stock Molded Pulp Packaging

The adventure comes from a manufacturer guessing at what sizes customers could potentially want and making a substantial investment in a mold to create it. In all honestly, it is usually not as wild of a guess as it may appear because there may be a customer or two with ready business that take some of the risk out of the decision.

In many industries, there are indeed common or standard sizes that often repeat. In the glass jar and candle businesses for example, it is not at all unusual to see 1”, 2” 3” and 4” diameter candles and standard wine bottles tend to have the same shape and size. Tooling can also get very creative so that a single cavity may be able to accommodate various diameters of products.

How Does This Impact Your Green Packaging Efforts?

If you are interested in using molded pulp packaging for retention, containment or protection and you don’t have tremendous volume at this time, you may still be able to do so and not have to suffer the substantial cost of custom tooling. That is great news for companies that see the benefit but may not be able to justify the initial expense.

Take a look at the following preliminary list of molded pulp items we have available. They are not all Globe Guard stock items at this time but that is where we are most certainly headed.

• Wine bottle singles, doubles and triples
• 2”, 3” and 4” diameter rounds for candles or jars
• 3.5” and 4” square for candles and jars
• Eco Flex in pre-cut sheets
• Corner protection
• End cap protection

Remember, when any of these products are combined with 100% recycled PCW content Globe Guard corrugated boxes, you are shipping out one of the greenest packages possible. That is important for everyone, especially your eco conscious customers.

Molded Pulp Packaging for Candles

Molded Pulp Packaging for Jars

It is hard to believe but it was one year ago today that we launched our blog at the urging and advice of our marketing guru, Brad Shorr.  I admit initially being somewhat reluctant, or as others recall, “dead set against it” because I was concerned we would not have enough interesting topics to write about, or be able to maintain an audience. Boy was I wrong.

In the last 12 months Brad and I have posted over 100 articles, conducted 7 interviews, launched 11 new green packaging products and irritated at least 23 people in the packaging industry and probably twice that many in the green community. We have freely shared our opinions and perspectives, even when they are not the popular thought and we have enjoyed it tremendously.

Quick Recognition from within the Packaging Industry

Last August after publishing ISP for just a few short months, we were surprised when David Bellm of Packaging Digest, a packaging industry leading publication, talked about Inside Sustainable Packaging on his blog.

It was high praise from THE premier packaging blog and it told us we are on the right track. Our initial objective was to deliver worthwhile, valuable content to our readers while informing them on the new products and activities within our company. Keeping that balance was the key and we must walk that fine line well because Packaging Digest has invited me to join their team of packaging bloggers.

Is Inside Sustainable Packaging Self Promoting?

Of course it is. That is one of the reasons so many people in businesses go through the expense, headaches and effort of publishing a blog. In our case, it isn’t for the ad revenue because we don’t sell advertising space. Note, I have learned to never say never.

We work hard to promote our products and our company in a number of ways, including on ISP but we like to believe that in exchange for the usually brief product plug, our readers recieve fresh content, innovative solutions and cost reducing ideas.

When you write and publish a blog like Inside Sustainable Packaging, you really put yourself “out there” where competitors can take advantage of information you share and others can simply take shots at will. Yet we gladly accept the occasional nasty comment we receive in exchange for the many positive, encouraging, and sometimes grateful reader responses.  I am also proud to say we have also been able to give well deserved exposure to many companies and people offering greener products, packaging or not.

Is Inside Sustainable Packaging Pressing Forward?

Absolutely! Sustainability and packaging are constantly changing so that gives us an endless supply of material and news to share with our readers. This is an incredibly interesting time to be operating a business or a blog, and the impact of sustainability on both worlds is challenging, encouraging and undeniable.

We are sincerely grateful for the many new friends we have gained in the last year and applaud their efforts to help make our world a better, healthier and greener place to live.  The packaging industry and the green communities are coming together and it is so gratifying to be playing a small role in that process.

A Big Green Thank You!

Special thanks to -

• Brad Shorr of Word Sell, Inc.
• Rider Thompson of Sustainable Is Good
• David Bellm and John Kalkowski of Reed Publishing-Packaging Digest
• Joe Angel and Jim George of Summit Publishing/Packaging World magazine
• Matt Wheeland, Tilde Herrera, and Jonathan Bardelline at GreenBiz.com

Mostly however, we are grateful for our readers. It is great to share and exchange ideas with you.

What do a West Coast oyster farm, a Wisconsin maker of fine cutting tools, a creative designer of green products for the office and unique online green products store, all have in common? They all decided to combine unprinted boxes with custom printed tape to -

• Communicate their green brands
• Make their secondary packaging as eco friendly as possible
• Reduce their packaging costs

FREE machine for new printed tape customers. Contact for details.

The Benefits of Printed Water Activated Tape

• It is colorful, stands out and your customers remember your message, logo, and brand
• It is a much less expensive branding alternative to costly custom printed boxes
• It has a high green perception rating from even casual observers and customers
• It’s a paper product so no stripping of plastic tape is necessary before recycling the corrugated box
• It bonds better to the box making it safer, more rigid and much more secure because it prevents tampering and pilferage

Sustainable Packaging Is Creative?

Yes it can be.  Take a look at what these terrific customers decided to do to convey a consistent and memorable image.

• www.CleverlyGifted.com opted for the use of two custom PMS colors to make sure their tape matched their other materials, perfectly! Even though we have eleven “standard” colors, sometimes that is simply not enough.

• www.HogIslandOysters.com is a terrific restaurant and bar in San Francisco that will ship delicious oysters to your door. They chose to make a memorable impression by printing their logo and brand vertically on the tape.

• Bad Axe Tool Works went with a basic black version of their logo that is almost as sharp as the cutting tools they make. They are an extraordinary company with an interesting website and now a logo that looks great on every package they ship out.

• www.ZingGreenProducts.com went with what else, green. Their logo includes the profile of Rodin’s famous “Thinker” and they wanted to make sure to maintain that in their secondary packaging. Check out their website to see a variety of great recycled materials signs designed to make everyone think green.

We are very proud of our customers and of the guidance and products we provide them to help them be eco-consistent. Printed, water activated tape is more than eco friendly box sealing tape, it is branding that your customers will remember.
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Visit the Globe Guard Eco Friendly Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Special Deals on Packaging Supplies

Eco Friendly Box Sealing Tapes

and more!

That is when I realized Home Depot has launched an excellent, green program to encourage and facilitate the return of the empty flower containers they now sell.

Polystyrene - The Plastic Even Waste Management Doesn’t Want

What makes this move by Home Depot award worthy is that most flower pot containers are made of polystyrene (Recycled code #6). Most of us know polystyrene as the foam looking plastic material often used for takeout or left over containers, some “foam” drinking cups and some loose fill packaging materials shaped like shells or peanuts. That happens to be reason #42 why I hate foam peanuts, but that is a sore subject and a different blog post.

I am not sure why most floral containers are made of styrene but I am willing to bet it is about cost. Polystyrene can easily be blended with just about any plastic or near plastic trash and is able to be formed into the trays and pots we all take home, empty and discard. What I am certain of is that in our suburban Chicago curbside recycling service provided by Waste Management, is very clear to point out they will NOT take back anything with a #6 recycled code which includes any form or type of polystyrene.

Taking Responsibility for Sustainable Packaging

I also appreciate this effort by Home Depot because it demonstrates leadership in a retail market in desperate need of it. For decades retail stores have freely sold whatever they care to with absolutely no regard for the environmental consequences. Certainly manufacturers of products should share in the blame as well but the critical link in the outbound as well as inbound distribution process is the retail store where make our purchases. They are in the best possible position to be part of the solution and participate in the collection of packaging materials as well as of the profits.

What is a retail giant like Best Buy suddenly agreed to take back all of the cushioning materials of the home electronics they sold? What if a premier seller of housewares such as Crate and Barrel decided they would follow suit? Wouldn’t it be great if Toys R Us also decided to serve as a collection point for the excessive packaging of the toys they sell? Some of these ideas may not be realistic or economically feasible but Home Depot is at least making an effort.

Sustainable Packaging Credit and Blame

Regular readers of ISP know we feel very strongly about our responsibility to hand out kudos as well as to point out deficiencies in the green efforts of companies It is also important to point out the collection cart we photographed was not buried in some distant corner of the store. It was in front, next to the main entrance to their garden center. It was proudly displayed as it should be. Congratulations Home Depot, and thank you for making the world greener in more than one way.

______________________

Visit the Globe Guard Eco Friendly Packaging Store for -

Eco Friendly Corrugated Boxes

Eco Friendly Shipping Supplies

Special Deals on Packaging Supplies

and more!