GGRBS -- EASILY OPEN AND CLOSE ANY RSC BOX

Since first launching our patent pending Globe Guard® Reusable Box Sealer, we have discovered many new applications and uses for it thanks to our customers’ ideas and suggestions.

The fact is that anytime you need to hold a traditional RSC style shipping box closed temporarily because you plan to go back in and out of the box, box sealing tape (even ours) is the wrong solution. For applications where reuse and repacking are certain, the Reusable Box Sealer is ideal because it is inexpensive, easy to use and adds lives to every box it is used on.

PLICO DESIGN DISPLAY WITH GGRBS IN FOREGROUND

Display Packaging and Unpacking – Plico Designs, a good customer in Australia, displays their art items at many conferences, shows and corporations. They use the Globe Guard Reusable Box Sealer (see photo at right) to hold the top flaps of the box closed because it makes unpacking and eventually repacking easy, saving time and money. The fact that the same boxes can be used repeatedly is icing on the cake.

Sample Storage — The GGRBS is perfect for sample storage, because who wants to send out a dusty sample to a potential customer? Being able to quickly close and reopen a box makes it far more likely that sample order pickers will be shipping only clean samples to your potential customers.

Light Sensitive Inventory – A number of different products ranging from pharmaceuticals/nutriceuticals to certain types of paper are light sensitive and may lose important performance benefits with prolonged exposure to light, even the artificial type. The ability to easily reclose a box and block out the light can save money and maintain quality.

Good Housekeeping – The GGRBS may not have the “seal of approval,” but customers like the way it makes open inventory look neat and organized. A customer recently needed to “straighten up” before a major facility inspection, and the GGRBS got the job done.

Closing Plastic Corrugated Boxes – Expensive die charges and delays can be avoided by utilizing a less expensive RSC-style design and the GGRBS to hold the box closed. This prolongs the usable life of the reusable corrugated box because it eliminates the ugly and expensive layers of tape that are usually used for temporary closure and often times bring the box to a premature end.

Those are just a few of the many possible uses for this unique and valuable packaging aid. Check out this video to see how it works, and contact Salazar packaging if you think you have a potential application. The Globe Guard® Reusable Box Sealer is a stock item and available in an inexpensive starter/trial size for your testing and evaluation.

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Pick and Pack Challenge – Keeping Open Product Clean

Tree-Free Packaging made from invasive plant fibers. 100% recyclable and compostable packaging.

Keeping up with the newest sustainable packaging alternatives is like keeping up with the latest techie gadgets. The sustainable packaging market is evolving rapidly, and yesterday’s top alternative fiber option may have been replaced with a new sustainable option. We’re happy to see the great momentum and on-going development in sustainable packaging and adhesive labels. Let’s look at some of the latest and greatest in sustainable packaging and labels.

Here are five hot, new products in non-tree packaging, paper and labels.  All are available now.

EcoCradle® Wine Shipper from Mushroom Packaging

Mushroom Packaging is one of the hot success stories in sustainable packaging.  EcoCradle’s mushroom-based packaging is a great replacement for EPS, EPP and EPE foams.

100% Recycle-Compatible Pure Labels Adhesive Labels made with Wild Grass Paper

PURE Labels are 100% recycle-compatible in standard paper recycling waste streams. This label, produced by our Distant Village, Inc. is made from wild grass paper with recycle-compatible adhesives (RCA) adhesives. This industry-first tree-free adhesive label sticker has been an international success story.

Tree-Free Packaging made from Wild Grass Paper

Wild Grass Packaging made from wild grass papers and 100% recycled boxboard. Custom presentation boxes are available from Distant Village. Wild grass packaging is both eco-friendly and fair trade, making this a leading sustainable packaging solution.

Banana Fiber and Palm Fiber Papers available from New Leaf Paper are part of their Farm Fiber sustainable and tree-free paper line-up.

Banana Fiber and Palm Fiber Papers from New Leaf Paper are excellent choices for alternative papers that work great in your desktop printer and are ideal for printing your eco-friendly resume.

Cross-Fiber Folding Packaging made from a unique blend of mulberry and water hyacinth fibers (both fibers are invasive plant species) make this packing as durable, rigid and sturdy as it is sustainable and environmentally conscious.  Also available from Distant Village.

Distant Village designs custom handmade sustainable packaging and produces PURE Labels™, a world leading sustainable adhesive label. Distant Village produces packaging with an authentic sustainable brand message. Distant Village was founded in 2000 and is a proud member of Green America, Social Venture Network, and Fair Trade Federation.

On April 21, 2012, a team of Xela Pack employees took part in a tree-planting event in downtown Detroit as part of our recognition of Earth Day 2012. The event was one of many held by The Greening of Detroit, a not “for” profit organization established in 1989 to guide and inspire the reforestation of Detroit.

Our team was excited to do something good for the environment locally, and it was refreshing to see that we weren’t the only ones, as the turnout well exceeded the hopes of the good people at The Greening of Detroit. The tree-planting was for the Bagley Community, an old neighborhood in the Upper West side of Detroit near the University of Detroit Mercy. The neighborhood is a beautiful glimpse into more prosperous times for Detroit as many of the homes were built during the “golden age of housing” from 1925-1930 and 1937-1941.

Many of the trees originally planted in these neighborhoods were Ash trees and were killed by the Emerald Ash Borer in recent years. Those trees are now being replaced with six species suited for an urban environment, and the Greening of Detroit groups will be planting 7,000 trees this spring as part of that effort.

Eager volunteers, including many from several Detroit area corporations and school groups, met at 9:00 a.m. and were split into roughly 6 or 7 Zones. We were in Zone 5 and were responsible for planting 18 trees on two city blocks. After breaking up into groups, a citizen forester taught us the entire process from measuring and digging the holes to dressing them with mulch and watering them after the planting. It was great to see people working together for a common goal, and several area residents came out to thank us during and after the tree planting.

Xela Pack takes pride in our support of local communities, and this year’s Earth Day tree planting was a reminder that there are many people we can work together with towards a greater good for all.

Now how do we apply that to our everyday business???

To learn more about Xela Pack go to www.xelapack.com.

To learn more about the Greening of Detroit go to www.greeningofdetroit.com.

We carry solid colors and gorgeous prints for not only Mother’s Day, but also other occasions like Christmas, wedding, baby, Valentine’s Day and many more designs.

Many of our gift wraps are now printed on 90%-100% recycled paper. The best part is they are all made in USA to help support American jobs. This should make any mother proud!

To continue the green theme, you can also select from lots of eco-friendly ribbons including sinamay, cotton, natural jute, satin acetate and paper raffia.

One of our most popular ribbons is our paper raffia, which is degradable and recyclable and comes in lots of great colors. Watch this video below to see how to use paper raffia with your green packaging:

In an effort to encourage and reward new box size suggestions, now through July 31, 2012, we are offering 100 free boxes (with the purchase of 200) if you are the first to submit a new RSC-style shipping box or die-cut mailer box that we select to add to our stock list.

I really want to use Globe Guard® boxes, but you don’t carry the size I use?

This promotion is the ideal opportunity for anyone who wants to ship their products to their customers in the greenest available shipping boxes but their ideal size is not a stock item for us. All you need to do is contact Salazar Packaging and tell us the following:

What style do you require?

What size(s) do you use?

How many of these do you typically buy and how often?

If we add it, you will receive 100 free boxes with your first order of 200 or more.

NEW GG-54-12X12X4 RSC-STYLE BOX

What sizes have we recently added?

New Globe Guard® GG54 – 12”X12”X4” RSC carton in 32 ECT Kraft: This size was recently added for anyone requiring its large 12”X12” footprint but not the height of most “cube” boxes. We expect this to be a popular item for our customers who are eager to minimize box pricing as well as unnecessary void fill.

NEW 5-5-2 AND 12-5-2 DIE-CUT CORRUGATED MAILERS

New Globe Guard® part# 13GGMT552, top-tuck, die-cut mailer: The actual inside dimensions are 5-13-16”X5-3/4”X1-15/16”, and it is simply a slightly smaller, shorter version of our most popular 7x7x2 mailer.

NEW Globe Guard® part # 13GGM1252, front-lock, die-cut mailer: The actual inside dimensions are 12-1/2”X5-1/2”X2-1/4” and is ideal size for long, lower profile products such as footwear, or it makes a great presentation box for sample fulfillment.

New and On Sale through May 31, 2012

All three of those recent additions are now in stock and on sale. Also on sale are a wide variety of our Globe Guard® products including one of the widest selections of mailer envelopes and our entire lineup of die-cut corrugated mailer boxes.

Free Box Promotion

The opportunity to “name that stock size” and get some free boxes ends July 31, 2012, so please let us know what you would like to see in stock and available on www.GlobeGuardProducts.com.

We appreciate your input and questions, and your suggestions are always welcome. Also, don’t forget – ALL Globe Guard® boxes are also available custom-printed with YOUR logo, brand or message.

Related Posts:

Globe Guard® Adds Two New Die-Cut Corrugated Mailers – Now In Stock and On Sale!

Custom-Printed Stock Mailer Boxes FAQ

These days, businesses want to send more of their food and organic waste to municipal composting facilities but don’t know where to source strong and economical can liners that are accepted in municipal compost programs. We’re trying to change that by offering super-tough bags in a wide variety of sizes that are approved for use at any compost facility that accepts restaurant or home food and yard waste. We’re confident that these can liners outperform all other compostable liners in the marketplace.

They are ideal for any foodservice operation that is committed to reducing their landfill waste stream. This includes restaurants, cafeterias, hotels and universities — just to name a few. The clever folks at EcoSafe took a long, hard look at what it takes to make a dependable and compostable can liner (which is basically a garbage bag designed for use in trash cans of all sizes) and came up with a bag that has checks in all the right boxes:

• Specifically designed for the collection of pre- and post-consumer food waste
• High strength and superior puncture resistance
• Guaranteed to hold up to 50 lbs
• Perform well with hot foods, including boiling-hot liquids
• 100% compostable—degrades in 10 to 45 days in commercial compost facilities
• Meets both BPI and Cedar Grove standards for compostability
• Available in a wide range of sizes for a wide variety of foodservice applications

But no matter how green and compostable a product is, it also has to meet or exceed the specifications of its non-green alternatives. EcoSafe paid extra attention to the bottom of the bag and designed a unique, star-seal bottom that eliminates leaks and breaks. Another nice touch: sufficient elasticity to ensure it fits snugly around the top of the bin without splitting or slipping into it.

What about curbside collection? EcoSafe thought of that, too. These can liners are compatible with municipal curbside yard waste collection programs and are certified by ASTM D-6400 (the industry standard for plastics that are designed to be composted in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities). They have been approved for use in municipal programs that have extremely stringent requirements, including San Francisco’s Dept. of the Environment.

Anecdotally, we’ve been hearing good things from our customers who are using these new compostable can liners. One customer noted: “We tested many brands of liners for use in our conference facility. Our janitorial staff unanimously selected EcoSafe liners over all competing brands.” That was a ringing endorsement by the folks who actually handle the liners!

So there you have it: can liners — a great example of how a simple product can make a huge difference in what ends up in a landfill. We expect them to be very popular and are carrying these compostable can liners in a wide range of sizes.

DIE CUT MAILER VARIETY

Manufacturers are always eager to place products in the hands of consumers who may be interested and are inclined to buy them. Those consumer products include a wide variety of items like organic foods, natural cosmetics, gluten-free snacks and even some health supplements.

Unfortunately, consumers are busier than ever, may have a difficult time finding these products and are reluctant to try an unfamiliar product when the only way to try it is to buy a large and sometimes expensive retail consumer size.

Home delivery of sample-size portions is the ideal solution because it is convenient for the consumer and has a relatively low marketing cost to the manufacturers. Connecting makers and potential buyers is creating a whole new industry of companies to do the packaging and fulfillment through a sample subscription service.

Who Are These Sample Shippers?

Some of these sample shippers are very large in volume, may be sponsored by a manufacturer or two, and the actual fulfillment work may be done by a larger volume professional fulfillment company. Others are small, home-based start-up companies that are able to identify a niche that is not being satisfied.

What Do These Subscription Services Need From a Packaging Supplier?

Regardless of the size of the operation, the companies shipping samples seek versatility and flexibility because the type and size of their samples and shipping containers can change from month to month. In most cases, they are also very focused on using minimal packaging and the greenest products available, which makes them ideal Globe Guard® customers.

Last, but perhaps most important of all, they typically want custom-printed packaging products because they understand image, first impression and branding may be keys to their success. Few companies have the necessary experience or expertise and are able to turn custom products around as quickly as Salazar Packaging. These “brandable” packaging products include:

Globe Guard® 100% PCW, RSC Shipping Boxes – The greenest stock or custom-size shipping box available

Globe Guard® 100% Recycled Content Die Cut Corrugated Mailers – When a presentation-style box with a lid is preferred.

Cushioning and Void Fill Materials – Custom-printed void fill and cushioning products range from our 100% recycled content tissue paper to our biodegradable bubble packaging on rolls.

Box Sealing Tapes – Plastic tapes are available, but the most popular product we offer is our water-activated adhesive paper tape.

Globe Guard® 100% PCW Shipping Labels – We offer a wide variety of label sizes and colors to be used as shipping labels or when using branded products is not an option.

Regardless of what is being shipped and how it is being shipped, Salazar Packaging and Globe Guard® products offer the variety of shipping containers and packaging materials to satisfy sample fulfillment needs. We also offer something else you will not find anywhere on the internet or at one of those catalog houses – almost 50 years of packaging experience.

Contact Salazar Packaging for a CONFIDENTIAL, no cost, no obligation review of your sample fulfillment concept or program.

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Branding Made Easy With Green Packaging Group Teamwork

A Great Green Idea Deserves Great Green Packaging

© R.Cruger -- Ziggy Marley's smoking with Hemp Rules and Coco'Mon

A blog post starting with Ziggy Marley may seem off topic, but no worries, it will be about packaging.

Have you noticed coconut water is much more prominent at supermarkets now? Health claims for coconut water contribute toward driving the momentum of the coconut trend, and it seems there are more and more companies launching new coconut water drinks. A few weeks ago at the 2012 Expo West Natural Products show I was amazed to see so many new coconut (and also hemp) products that have popped up to chase these latest trends. Products such as coconut spreads, coconut palm sugar, hemp granola bars, hemp shakes, hemp protein and hemp oil were all around. Ziggy Marley even launched products for both Coconut (Coco’Mon) and Hemp (Hemp Rules). But what, if anything, does this have to do with packaging?

Banana Fiber Paper for Chocolate Bars and Truffles

Boxes Made from Hemp Differentiate Products

Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Labels Made from Hemp

Catch Trends with Creative Packaging Solutions

Trends come and go, and in the natural products world it seems we always have some sort of new and exciting superfood, superfruit or superseed. To win the packaging race, packaging must keep up with the current. We all know packaging is often the first point of contact between a brand and a consumer (remember P&G’s FMOT?). Packaging has an incredible influence on what consumers choose to buy. For example, if you’re a chocolatier, our cacao-paper packaging is already in the sweet-spot with chocolate lovers. And if you sell hemp products, why not use our manila hemp labels from PURE Labels? In order for packaging to be relevant for emerging new natural products, Distant Village uniquely positions to rapidly develop solutions that reinforce brands through innovative packaging. We do this to connect with the products inside.

Exclusive Coconut Excelsior Filler for Void Fill

Cacao Paper Chocolate Boxes – a Distant Village Original

Woven Hemp Bag with Hand Sewn Label for Juniper Urns

Coconut Boxes and Hemp Bags

Back to coconut and hemp…. The natural products world is going gang-busters on these new items, and Distant Village has go-to-market packaging solutions ready-to-go! Boxes, bags, papers, ribbons and labels made with cocoa papers from cacao plant fiber are just the beginning (coming soon – wild flower “growing seed paper” labels). Our design team will create packaging to match your brand and specific dimensions and requirements to precisely match your product. At Distant Village, we understand small to medium specialty businesses – because SMB’s are our exclusive focus. If it is not coconut or hemp, but some other exciting natural product you’re creating products with, and you seek amazing impact from your packaging, let us know how we may help.

Polished Coconut Shell Keychain. Custom-shaped coco shell buttons add value to packaging

Who can predict what the next natural product trend will be? Maybe Ziggy Marley can. Whoever it may be, Distant Village’s expertise in packaging brand design and production is standing ready to create a solution for you. So when the next coconut, hemp, cacao, green tea, spirulina, coffee or whatever trend comes along, you can count on Distant Village to deliver your natural branded packaging experience and launch your product ahead of the competition.

Ask us how packaging can build your brand and raise your company’s sustainability profile. Contact us at email hidden; JavaScript is required or call at 1-773-276-4554. We look forward to learning how we may help.

Distant Village designs custom handmade sustainable packaging and produces PURE Labels™, a world leading sustainable adhesive label. We produce packaging with an authentic sustainable brand message. Distant Village was founded in 2000 and is a proud member of Green America, Social Venture Network, and Fair Trade Federation.

I was pretty proud of the fact that consumers and product people alike were aware of our company and our environmentally conscious packaging. It reminds me that what we do at Xela Pack is more than just sell packaging. Of course, we can’t stay in business if we don’t sell our packaging, but we also have taken it upon ourselves to help educate consumers about the options that are available today, reminding them that the companies they purchase from have choices they can make about what kinds of packaging they use for their products. As consumers grow more aware and concerned about these topics, product companies will have to choose where they want to fit into the scheme of things. Do they want to be known simply as a company that produces great products? Or do they want to be known as a company that produces great products and also shows a commitment to the earth, environment and life in general? I’m guessing the smart ones will succeed by not only making their products great, but also by embracing the ideals their consumers and potential consumers support as well.

Sometimes people come by our booth for advice about where to find environmentally conscious packaging for products that they know we do not handle, for sizes larger than we handle or for options they haven’t been able to find elsewhere. They come to us because they know we are committed to the environment even if we don’t offer exactly what they are looking for. One woman came to our booth at the Expo asking about environmentally conscious packaging for her t-shirts. That’s a stretch, but it’s flattering and reassuring to know that she saw us as a viable place to start her search.

Other people came to us looking for advice for packaging companies that can package their pills and granulated products into sample or trial/travel sizes thinking that we don’t do that type of packaging. I guess that’s a place where I’ve fallen short in the past, because we do offer packaging for these types of products, and it’s my job to make sure product companies know this.

Xela Pack offers four different packs that are used for pills, powders and granulated products. We imaginatively call these our “Pill & Powder Packs” (sarcasm alert). We have large and small Pill & Powder Packs, and also large and small Stand Up Pill & Powder Packs. Our small Pill & Powder Packs are based on our 15ml packs and can hold about seven size-one tablets. The large Pill & Powder Packs are based on our 30ml packs and can hold about 15 size-one tablets. One thing that sets our Pill & Powder packaging above standard foil packs or sachets is that they are crush resistant and better protect the product inside. When dealing with dietary supplements and functional food products, this can be crucial for the product to be effective.

Take a look at our website at www.xelapack.com for information about all of our packaging. Or, go directly to the information about our Pill & Powder Packs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to anthony@xelapack.com, and I will get you answers promptly. If you need to see samples of our Pill & Powder Packs, all you need to do is let us know, and we will send you some to review.

In the meanwhile, remember that we all have a say in what kind of products we buy and what kind of packaging options we support. If you’re unhappy with the packaging that your favorite products come in, it’s not out of line to let that product company know that you’re a dedicated customer who would like to see better, more environmentally conscious packaging used on your favorite products. And likewise, we’ll keep improving our packaging and our company to remain a leader in environmentally conscious packaging.

NATUREFLEX CELLO

Being green for Easter just got a lot easier with eco-friendly favor bags from Nashville Wraps. Just fill these with your favorite candies or small gifts for adorable Easter baskets.

Our Nature Flex cello bags are certified biodegradable and compostable and made carbon zero. They are made from wood cellulose fibers sourced with sustainable forestry principles. They meet FDA requirements for direct food contact and are perfect for candies, cookies and other treats. They are available in many sizes and packed in bulk cases of 100. You can even tie them off with our eco-friendly ribbon.

POLKA DOT COTTON BAGS

These colorful Polka Dot Bags are made from 100% cotton. They are made flat with cord drawstring closure and come in popular colors and are perfect for jewelry, favors and gift cards. These bags can be used for party favor gifts or green wedding favor bags for eco-friendly reusable packaging.

NATURAL FIBER COTTON BAGS

Natural Fiber Cotton Bags are made from 100% cotton with cord drawstring closure and come in three popular sizes. They are a perfect green choice for a natural look.

SINAMAY GREEN BAG

Our beautiful Sinamay Mesh Bags made by Distant Village Packaging are made by artisans in remote villages around the world — creating jobs and fair wages for hard working communities. Distant Village Packaging is providing more than just great eco-friendly and sustainable products; it is a sustainable model that supports real people in many ways. Nashville Wraps is fortunate to be able to take part in it, and we think you will appreciate it too.

ECO SHRED

Finally, don’t forget our Green Way® Eco-Fill Shreds for your Easter baskets. They come in many great colors and blends. The paper is made using 100% green power, and the shreds are 100% recycled and recyclable.

You can see all our Easter & Spring packaging here.

Happy Easter! Hope you make it Green!