CUSTOM-PRINTED PAPER TAPE SAMPLES

In previous posts, we have provided numerous reasons why paper tape is “greener” than plastic tape, and these include the fact that it is biodegradable and repulpable. From a performance perspective, it also adheres better to corrugated creating a stronger box, better protecting the contents from damage, tampering or pilferage. Please see the list of recent Inside Sustainable Packaging and Green Packaging Group posts on this topic at the bottom of this post.

What makes this an ideal time to use water-activated tape (WAT) or convert to it?

All Globe Guard® Plain and Printed Tape is on Sale

Whether you use unprinted, stock tape or need to re-order your current custom print, you can save 10% through March 30^th, 2012 on our green packaging store, www.GlobeGuardProducts.com. Just enter promo code WAT2012 at check out.

New Custom Printed WAT Customers or Old Custom Printed WAT Customers with a New Print Also Save with the following:

CUSTOM BRANDED PRODUCTS

No Art Charges

Now through the end of March all new prints receive their one-color artwork and print plate at NO CHARGE. This is a $50 savings for one-color artwork, and additional savings are available for designs of two or more colors.

Free Shipping

The first order for a new print receives free shipping anywhere in the continental USA. Depending on the order size and the ship-to location, this saves new tape design customers a minimum of $80 and could be hundreds of dollars.

We are a leading supplier of custom branded products including RSC shipping boxes and corrugated mailers, as well as paper and plastic mailer envelopes. That experience we provide makes it easy to transition from plain to custom-printed packaging that is eye-catching, reinforces your brand message and creates a favorable impression to your customers.

Please contact Salazar Packaging if you would like to discuss your particular needs for custom-printed tape or any of our other packaging products.

Related posts:

Sustainable Reasons to Use Paper Box Sealing Tape

A Less Expensive Way to a Greener Box Sealing Tape Solution

Printed Water Activated Tape is Creative, Sustainable Packaging at its Best

Varisport UltraSlide® Goes 100% Green with Custom Packaging Solutions from Salazar Packaging, Inc.

SPORTS JERSEY IN 12X15.5 POLY MAILER

The Globe Guard® mailer envelope line is now complete with the addition of our new unpadded poly mailers. We can now offer paper mailers in both padded and unpadded construction, as well as plastic mailers in padded and unpadded versions. To make this news even better, our brand new product is available at 20% off when you use promo code NEW2012 at check out through February 29, 2012.

Why did it take so long to add a poly, unpadded mailer?

Quite frankly, because we had not found one “green” enough to meet our requirements and those of our customers. There are a lot of poly mailers available but most are imported and made with questionable mixes of virgin and recycled resin. If we cannot verify the relative greenness of a product, or if the manufacturer is not able to guarantee their sustainability claims, their products will never be offered on our green packaging store.

UNPADDED POLY MAILERS IN 8 STOCK SIZES

What makes these new Globe Guard® poly mailers so green?

First and foremost, they are made with a MINIMUM of 50% and UP TO 88% recycled content. We have all seen products with claims that only say something like “up to X% recycled content.” However, without a floor or minimum, those claims are absolutely meaningless. I would take that a step further and say that most of those product descriptions are deliberately designed to mislead consumers into thinking they are greener than they truly are.

As anyone in the plastic manufacturing business can confirm, the amount and quality of manufacturing waste that is available each day to make recycled products can vary greatly, but we know that our mailers will never be made with less than 50% recycled content.

Also, after use these new poly mailers can be recycled as #4 LDPE waste just like any standard shopping bag made of poly. That means they can be recycled anywhere, ranging from curbside in some areas to your local grocery or department store, which now almost all have bag recycling bins at each entrance.

Additional Features

Our new Globe Guard® poly mailers are very rugged and will hold up in almost any shipping scenario including USPS, UPS and FedEx. They feature a convenient and consistent “peel and seal” adhesive closure and also include a solid black security lining on the inside. They can be custom printed and branded, but minimums do apply depending on mailer size.

Our new poly mailers are already a stock item on Globe Guard Products.com and are available in eight popular poly mailer sizes. As an introductory special, we are pleased to offer them at 20% off of the already low list prices. Please use promo code NEW2012 at check out and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to see a sample. Please remember this promotion ends on February 29, 2012.

Related posts:

Globe Guard® Adds Unpadded Poly Mailers to Complete Mailer Product Group

Replace Corrugated Boxes with Mailers

Save Time and Money with Eco Friendly Mailers

GREEN PACKAGING FOR CELL PHONE EXCHANGES

There are a number of industries that routinely ship out products such as cell phones, tablets, laptops and a variety of other electronic devices. This is often times done for replacement or loaner purposes when products are being exchanged or returned.

Whatever the reason for the back and forth or “round trip” shipment, the end result is usually excess packaging and higher cost in an already expensive but necessary part of your business.

Usually, we are quick to suggest the use of one packaging material, rather than two, but there are unique applications when combining two different packaging components can result in savings and provide a greener solution.

Globe Guard® Biodegradable Bubble Packaging Pouches

Our most popular bubble sizes are 3/16” and 5/16”, but virtually any bubble size or pouch length and width are available. What makes our bubble packaging different is that it is reusable, recyclable and biodegradable. Since most of these products are custom made to your specifications, the pouch configuration (end load, side load, end flap, bubble in versus bubble out, etc.) as well as exact sizes are up to you. The standard color is green, but if more transparent clear is desired, we can provide that too.

NOTEPAD WITH GLOBE GUARD® POUCH

Globe Guard® Reusable Paper Mailers

These are by far one of our most popular products because they are inexpensive and available flat or gussetted, white or Kraft, and in a wide variety of sizes. They feature a peel-and-seal adhesive strip that can be doubled with an easy open tear strip for back and forth shipping applications. They can also be easily and inexpensively custom printed with instructions or for branding purposes.

Our mailers are made of 50% recycled content and are also 100% recyclable. The only thing these paper mailers are not is padded, and that is why they work so well in conjunction with the bubble pouches mentioned above.

Why Not Simply Use a Padded Bubble Lined Paper Mailer?

There are three basic reasons:

1. Our solution can be easily reused, while most bubble lined paper mailers are designed to be used and discarded after one single use.
2. Bubble traditionally has a longer life cycle, so it can be used and reused long after the paper mailers is no longer usable.
3. At the end of its life cycle, our two components can be easily separated and individually recycled.

No Cost Application Review

Every customer’s needs are a little different, so our program always begins with a complete analysis of the application. You may be able to eliminate the use of expensive corrugated mailers, or you may be able to eliminate a whole layer of packaging. There are still many companies who provide packaging to their customers for the return trip. In other applications, we are able to dramatically reduce labor costs by eliminating redundant packing and re-packing.

The bottom line is, we are good for your bottom line and are almost certain to deliver significant savings while helping you achieve your sustainability goals.

Please contact us for more information.

Other related blog posts:

How to Save Time and Money with Converted Eco Friendly Bubble Packaging

Globe Guard Paper Mailer Envelopes – Now Reusable!

Custom Printed or Plain, These New Globe Guard® Kraft Paper Mailers Are a Deal

Custom-Branded Shipper Envelopes in Five Easy Steps

A die cut mailer with a past

Our stock 11.125”X8.625”X1” is one of the first mailers we created and it was really made for our own internal use to ship out our stock 100% (PCW) recycled content eco-friendly labels. We needed something that could accommodate the 8.5”X11” sheets of labels and protect them from bending. We all know how bent paper runs through laser or ink jets printers, right? When we could not find anything strong and green enough, we decide to make our own.

SPECIALTY PRINTING PAPERS SHIP SAFE AND SECURE

We soon discovered that our customers also had similar size products that they, too, were eager to protect. Products such as magazines, books and photographs, hence the interest by the photographic community. This mailer is also a great and unique mailer for soft goods such as tee shirts, golf shirts, infant clothes and even custom-printed reusable bags.

It soon became one of our most popular items, and our customers continue to find new uses for this versatile product.

How to make it your own?

GLOBE GUARD® MAILER IDEAL FOR BRANDED REUSABLE BAGS

The thing that makes this such an ideal product for branding is how easily it can be custom printed with large billboard areas on the front, inside and even on the spine. Just like all of our other stock mailers, this can quickly be custom printed with no die costs and only an inexpensive, one-time plate charge.

We make the process easy, inexpensive and quick. We should also mention that this is an incredibly green item because it is 100% recycled content, 100% recyclable after use and it also happens to be strong enough for multiple, repeated uses and/or for storage.

Please contact us if you have any questions on any of our Globe Guard® stock mailers or if you do not see exactly what you need. We can’t promise you a layout in Professional Photographer magazine, but we can assure you your product is likely to arrive safely and undamaged.

Other related posts:

Custom Printing on Stock Die Cut Corrugated Mailers

Custom-Printed Stock Mailer Boxes FAQ

Taking the Fear Out of Custom, Green Boxes

What’s on sale?

To begin with, all of our stock corrugated RSC style shipping boxes as well as our stock corrugated die cut mailer boxes. All of our interior packaging and cushioning products are included, such as our biodegradable bubble wrap and our Eco Flex™ molded pulp. In the protective packaging area of our store you will also be able to save 20% on all of our packaging papers, including 40# Kraft, 60# indented Kraft, bogus paper, newsprint and even the decorative and functional natural tissue.

You can save 20% on our entire line of mailer envelope products including plastic padded, paper padded and our most popular paper unpadded. You will also find the discount applies to hard to find items like our biodegradable stretch film and all of our dispensers and applicators. You may also be surprised to see new products like our Globe Guard® Reusable Box Sealer™, which is the latest product we’ve added to our newest web site, www.ReusablePackagingOptions.com. On that site, you can see a video demonstrating the unique Reusable Box Sealer.

What to expect in 2012?

We are incredibly optimistic and have many new sizes and styles of existing products in mind as well as some brand new products that will be offered for the first time ever. We have worked hard for the last five years to become the leading source as well as resource for innovative, green packaging products and solutions.

Please visit our store and take advantage of this offer by using promo code JAN2012 at check out. Please note, this offer expires on January 31, 2012.

Also, if you do not see what you want or need on the store, please do NOT hesitate to contact Salazar Packaging. Even though we are best known for our stock Globe Guard® brand products, more than half of our sales are custom-size, custom-grade or custom-printed green packaging products.

Thank you, and we hope you have a prosperous and very green 2012.

Friends and Customers

With that in mind, we thank all of our friends and customers who make our continued growth possible. It has also been our delight to watch many of them grow tremendously over the years, and it is so encouraging to know we have played a small but significant role in their success.

Vendors and Manufacturing Partners

Most of the people we work with today are the same ones we began with almost five years ago. Most have become close friends and true partners in the creative and sustainable approach we are determined to deliver to our customers.

Especially during these troubling economic times, it is good to know we are helping these companies to create and maintain domestic jobs in manufacturing, design and even sales.

Our People Resources

We truly value the people we work with on a daily basis, but in a small company like ours, important positions such as graphic artists, web designers, tech people and even the people responsible for our internet presence like this blog, are not full-time positions. We utilize a variety of talented people who always seem to be there when the bell rings and understand our varying and oftentimes, last-minute needs.

Family

They are the driving force and the people who make all the work and occasional headaches worthwhile. Of course, my wife and partner Lenora remains at the top of the list, but it is a fast-growing group with significant others and grand babies being added all the time.

I will be taking a few weeks off from writing to spend extra time with all of the people above and I encourage you to do the same. Time passes quickly and accelerates with age, so please take time to enjoy this holiday season with everyone you love and everyone who loves you.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to All!

GWEN FROSTIC CUSTOM-PRINTED TAPE

The internet is an amazing information-gathering tool. However, it also has the ability to make every product a commodity and every company appear the same under one broad heading or Google search term.

We are truly blessed to work with a wide variety of incredibly gifted and unique people and companies. We are also proud to be able to help them communicate and demonstrate the difference they offer through their packaging.

When “Unique” Is an Understatement

Gwen Frostic Prints is one of those incredibly unique companies started by an amazingly dedicated and talented lady and continued by people who loved her and her work. I will not attempt to recap the life of Sara Gwendolyn Frostic, but I do encourage you to visit www.GwenFrostic.com and learn more about the person, her art and the company she founded.

I am confident you will also agree the web site is one of the most beautiful you have visited and that it truly does do justice to the work they do in Gwen Frostic’s name. In addition, you’ll understand why I have added their store to my “must see” list of Midwestern places I want to visit soon.

Standing Out in a Crowd

Only from a packaging application perspective is Gwen Frostic similar to other companies. Check out the Gwen Frostic online shop and you will see why they have to use a variety of different shipping containers and sizes. This makes it difficult, if not impractical, to custom brand their shipping boxes with their eye-catching logo.

However, this scenario also makes them an ideal candidate for custom-printed, water-activated paper tape because one design and one roll of tape literally “fits all” of their products and packaging. Every box has that unique Gwen Frostic look thanks to the random repeat logo that is printed on the tape in a beautiful dark brown, making it jump off the Kraft surface it is applied to.

CUSTOM-PRINTED TAPE MADE EASY

BTW, did I mention that water-activated tape is “greener” and actually works better than plastic tape? It also makes your packages more secure and helps minimize damage and pilferage.

If you are still frustrated by that one, “tough to buy for” person on your Christmas list, I encourage you to visit the Gwen Frostic site to see some products and prints you will not see anywhere else in the world or on the internet.

If you want to create that deservedly unique look for your packaging, please contact Salazar Packaging and see how easy more than 50 years of packaging experience can make the custom-printed packaging process.

100% RECYCLED CONTENT RETAIL CARTONS

The term “so good it melts in your mouth” is over-hyped and so over used it has nearly lost all meaning. However, it really is an accurate description of the candy product made by one of our newest Globe Guard customers.

Barbary Brix is a San Francisco-based company that makes candy the way it used to be made before high-production equipment and cost-saving recipes became the norm. Check out the delicious assortment of unique flavors they offer on their online Barbary Brix candy store. My wife was almost immediately addicted to their “Salty Dog” flavor, and as one who enjoys nuts with his caramel, I am now a huge fan of “The Prospector.”

“Good for people and the environment!”

That statement is part of their tag line that you see proudly displayed on the home page designed by partners Melissa Scheiderer and Rob Ray. They are determined to be eco-consistent, from the natural ingredients they use, all the way through to their product packaging.

It was during their search for the greenest possible packaging that we met. And, like so many others, they were pleasantly surprised to find out that our retail and secondary packaging products are competitively priced with other, “not nearly as green” options.

100% Recycled Content Retail Quality Paper Board Packaging

Melissa and Rob’s commitment to use sustainable packaging began with the compostable wrappers used to individually wrap each caramel. For their retail cartons, we helped them select a folding carton style and to identify a 100% recycled board that would print well with their beautiful and unique design (see photos above). In addition, for this high quality job we selected a manufacturing partner able to meet the esthetic requirements, and, as a green bonus, also takes pride in manufacturing their cartons with 100% wind power.

To save Barbary Brix money on art and plate costs, we advised them to create a carton that could be pre-printed with all of their consistent product information and to utilize a label to communicate all of the variable information such as flavor, ingredients, freshness date, etc. They selected a local green printer able to provide them with a 100% recycled content label to do the trick. This approach provided them maximum flexibility (now and in the future) at minimal cost.

Stock Globe Guard® Boxes for Shipping Wholesale and Web Order Fulfillment 

BARBARY BRIX 2 PACK IN STOCK MAILER AND BIO BUBBLE

As Barbary Brix develops their web store, they will be able to use our Globe Guard® die cut mailer and RSC corrugated boxes for shipping. For example, you can see how well our stock Light Rate mailer (pictured right) accommodates a two-pack of their premium candy cartons. Larger web or wholesale orders can also be shipped using our most popular 100% PCW recycled content, RSC-style shipping boxes.

We sincerely enjoy watching a new company, a new web site or a new product take off and be successful. We are also most grateful whenever a customer/client decides not to compromise and chooses to use the greenest possible packaging materials.

Barbary Brix has made that quality commitment in their product as well as their packaging and the results are extraordinary! Please check out the Barbary Brix web site and send someone on your Christmas list a taste they are sure to appreciate and remember.

BEFORE THE GGRBS IS USED.

Decades ago, when I first entered the warehousing and distribution industry, one of the very first things I was taught is that it does not cost much to keep stored product “in good order.” On the other hand, not keeping inventory in neat, organized condition can prove very costly in the form of picking mistakes, damage, lost product and even pilferage. In addition, when boxes on shelves look good, the entire warehouse appears cleaner and better managed.

The Easiest Warehouse Solution – Case Closed

AFTER THE GGRBS IS USED.

Our Globe Guard® Reusable Box Sealer (GGRBS) is simply designed to easily keep boxes closed. This not only keeps box contents clean, but it also helps maintain inventory in a neater, more organized state, as the photos above and at right show.

The GGRBS holds box flaps in a closed position, and that makes a world of difference to the casual or critical eye. It can eliminate that last-minute panic and flurry of housekeeping when an unexpected customer or manager visits the facility.

A Green Packaging Solution from Globe Guard®

GLOBE GUARD® REUSABLE BOX SEALER

What makes the GGRBS green is its unique ability to preserve contents of any standard RSC style box while permitting repeated access to them. Because it eliminates quarter folding or taping, it also improves the likelihood the box will be reused for longer periods of time. Consider the time and money this can potentially save and you will agree, keeping stock on shelves looking good is just one of many benefits the GGRBS provides.

You can learn more about the Globe Guard® Reusable Box Sealer and other reusable solutions on our newest web site: www.ReusablePackagingOptions.com. It is a stock item on our Globe Guard web store, and, of course, we encourage you to contact Salazar Packaging with any question you may have.

Related posts:

Globe Guard® Products.com Adds Reusable Box Sealer™ to New, Reusable Packaging Product Group

Pick and Pack Challenge – Keeping Open Product Clean

A Green Packaging Solution to Eliminate Box Flap Quarter Folding

Stock custom-printed 7x7x2 corrugated mailer

We are very quickly becoming a leading source for stock size die cut mailer boxes that can be custom printed with YOUR name, logo, return address, etc. The photos included in this post show off two of our most popular stock mailer sizes that have been custom printed to create an attractive and unique look.

What’s the benefit of utilizing a stock size?

We are able to save our customers time and money if we can avoid making a cutting die and are able to use one of the dies we already have on hand. Depending on a number of variables, a new cutting die for a mailer of this type can cost $500 to $800. What is at times even more important is that using an already made die saves time, in most cases a minimum of one week.

What if your available stock sizes are not right for my product?

Please keep in mind what we show on our store as our “stock” sizes is just a small sampling of what we have available. Not all boxes we’ve manufactured are popular enough to justify adding or keeping them in stock. In addition, we also have access to a large inventory of “readymade” dies that we can use for you. As we always suggest, if you don’t see the size you want or need, please ask.

Isn’t it less expensive to print boxes that are already made and die cut?

Corrugated boxes that are already manufactured are not “imprinted,” which is essentially printing them after they are made. Corrugated board is typically “pre-printed” and then it is cut or converted into boxes. Most people don’t realize ALL printed boxes are run “custom” or separate. The second little known fact is that it is not as difficult as many “stock box sellers” often make it sound.

How can I reduce the cost of my printed boxes?

Custom-printed 9x6.5x2.75 stock corrugated mailer

In spite of popular belief, two-color printing is not a lot more expensive than one color, so if that is going to make your boxes stand out, go for it. Number of colors, ink coverage and even board weight and grade will make a minor difference, but nothing impacts price like set up time. As I often tell our customers, “Ink is cheap, but set time is not.” Set up time is usually a fixed cost and it is amortized over the length of the run. The larger the run, the lower the impact of the set up cost. Conversely, the shorter the run, the greater the impact of that same set up cost.

The best way to reduce the cost is to order more of them. People are often surprised when they discover that they can buy, for example, 2,000 custom-printed boxes for not a whole lot more than, let’s say, 500 of the same boxes.

What about lead time? I am already late on my project!

We can’t tell you how many times we have heard that question, followed by that particular comment. We see people ordering plain, unprinted mailer boxes because they believe they don’t have time to custom print them.

Assuming we don’t need to make a cutting die, we can almost guarantee you shipment in two weeks, and that includes one week for the making of printing plates. BTW, repeat orders that have plates already made almost always ship in a week.

When you specialize in something like custom-printed stock size mailers, you tend to become very good at it, and we are. Please don’t hesitate to contact Salazar Packaging so we can show you what we can do for you.