Western Pulp {!-- ra:0000000004e8064700007f5c61d98298 --} News

Building a case for biopots

Western Pulp — Thu, 22 May 2014 00:40 UTC

Today, biocontainers are made out of everything from rice hulls and wheat straw to coir and cow manure. Almost 60 years after the first biopots were introduced in the U.S., dozens of biopots are on the market or in the development stage, and claims about their effectiveness abound. Scientists decided it was time to investigate.

New Clip-On Hanger

Western Pulp — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:39 UTC

Western Pulp is introducing a revolutionary product to the nursery industry: our new clip-on nylon hanger. Until now, hanger installation was often a bottle-neck in the process of planting molded fiber hanging baskets. Our new hanger removes that bottle-neck, increasing installation speed by as much as 50 percent.

In the past, installers needed to go through a time-consuming process of separating hangers. The barbs used to attach hangers to baskets also tended to grab other hangers in the bag.

Now, workers need only remove hangers from the bag and grab one off the pile. A lengthy separation process is no longer needed before installation.

With other plastic hangers for pulp baskets on the market, attachment involves locating an eyelet in the side of a basket and carefully inserting a barb through that eyelet. Then the process has to be repeated 3 more times.

The ease of attaching our clip-on hanger significantly outpaces the old way. Just attach 2 opposing clips at once and snap on the other 2 and you’re done. Notches we’ve built into to the new rolled rim make positioning easy.

Growers who sleeve their baskets before shipping love how our new clips don’t snag the air holes in their sleeves, saving time in yet another step of the process.

We tested this new hanger around the U.S. for an entire season in a variety of conditions. It received glowing reviews. And Western still has the highest maximum weight of any plastic hanger in the molded fiber market at 26 pounds.

Western’s new clip-on hanger changes the game for molded fiber hanging baskets. Just ask for clip-on hangers this year when placing your basket order. Increasing efficiency by up to 50 percent is rarely so easy.

“Look What I GREW!”

Western Pulp — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:39 UTC

Chris Beytes profiles a unique program at Pahl’s Market in Minnesota for GrowerTalks.

“Amy is one of more than 1,000 customers who planted 1,250 hanging baskets during Pahl’s 15th annual Moss Basket Day, an event that lets consumers design and plant their own large hanging basket (a moss basket in the beginning, but today they use Western Pulp fiber baskets). Amy, her daughter, two sisters and a niece have made this a 10-year family tradition.”

Redesigned Hanging Basket

Western Pulp — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:43 UTC

Video Script

Here at Western Pulp, we have updated our line of premium hanging baskets and extra strong nylon hangers. Our molded-fiber baskets now have a rounded or “rolled” rim, de-nesting lugs, and an optional reservoir bottom.

The old flat rim sometimes interfered with nylon hanger installation, but our new rolled rim does not, making installation easier and more secure while improving the strength and appearance of our basket.

To further increase speed and ease of hanger installation, we made 3 improvements to our hanger. First, we added a larger thumb contact area to disperse the pressure required to push connectors through our brass eyelets. Second, we added a pilot tip, which helps each connector find an eyelet faster. And third, we increased the barrel length to ensure the barb end of each connector gets inserted securely in the basket.

Our wax permeated hanging baskets were at times difficult to separate. In response to customer input, we added de-nesting lugs, which together form a shelf preventing baskets from seating too tightly when nested for shipping. The baskets now come apart with relative ease and less time is required to separate baskets on the planting line.

For customers who want a built in internal saucer, a reservoir bottom option is now available as a special order for no extra charge.

If you have questions, want to request samples or need help finding a distributor, visit westernpulp.com.

Center for Applied Horticulture Research

Western Pulp — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:27 UTC

Effect of biocontainer type on shoot and root growth of tomatoes and coir pot effect on field establishment of tomato plants.

From the Abstract: “We designed a trial to test the effect of biocontainers on shoot and root growth, and for the degradability of the pot in the soil. We tested four types of biocontainers, DOT pot, CowPots, paper pulp pots and coconut coir pots and compared them to black plastic pots.

Biocontainers For Long-Term Crops

Western Pulp — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:56 UTC

Although innovations like recycling are still taking place in the firmly planted roots of plastic containers, there are a number of alternative choices, collectively termed “biocontainers” or “biopots.” It is not uncommon to produce or market herbs and vegetables in these containers. Recent studies have focused on trialing biocontainers for use in bedding plant production, typically with a four- to six-week turnover. But growing and selling a long-term crop such as poinsettia or cyclamen in a container that has the tendency to “return to nature” is potentially more challenging.

Looking At Sustainability

Western Pulp — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:57 UTC

Biodegradable horticultural containers predate plastic but are capturing fresh interest from growers, retailers and consumers. One company that has seen sustainability come full circle is Western Pulp in Covallis, Ore.

Starting with a bushel of old magazines and $250 for homemade experimental equipment, in 1954 Ralph Chapman was the first to bring fiber molded floral containers out West. Western Pulp’s current owners purchased the business in 1958 and now have operations in six states. Even back then, before the environment was a societal concern, Western Pulp was diverting tons of paper from landfills.

Packaging’s Long Green Tail

Western Pulp — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:02 UTC

Insights from The Hartman Group:

“While it’s the intrinsic contents or use of a product that determines a purchase, consumers within the World of Sustainability (who make up 88% of our population) view sustainable packaging options as “simple” measures that all manufacturers can take; therefore, it is a minimum requirement for all products, even if the products themselves don’t resonate as sustainable.”

Consumers: Packaging Needs to be Eco-Friendly

Western Pulp — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:54 UTC

Consumer Attitudes on Packaging & Sustainability, a new report commissioned from GfK by Pro Carton, shows unequivocally that sustainability in packaging is important and consumers are interested in, and concerned about, this issue. More than 64 percent of respondents said that packaging should consist of environmentally friendly materials and more than 55 percent felt that packaging should contain as little plastic as possible. People are aware that cartons are made from a renewable resource and that they can be recovered and recycled more effectively than other materials. As one respondent says, “Cartons or paper can be reused in various ways. Furthermore, they are produced from renewable resources.” Consumers also felt that cartons made of cartonboard were easier to recognize on the shelf and one said “plastic harms the environment and the look of a product.”

A Search For Quality

Western Pulp — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:56 UTC

As an industry, we are struggling to grow our consumer sales, some of our largest customers have declining same-store sales, and the consumer is under more economic pressure than at anytime in recent history. Now is the time to do everything we can to provide products that ensure consumer success. Provide retailers with products that say “wow,” making it hard for the consumer to pass up.