When you think about it, stretch wrap is actually pretty amazing. Hand and machine stretch wrap is one of the easiest, quickest and most cost-effective ways to protect products and loads for storage and transportation. It can be applied in just a few seconds and removed just as quickly. Stretch wrap — also known as … Read more
When temperature-sensitive products such as food or medications are shipped, most packagers today rely on polystyrene foam coolers. But the problem with polystyrene is that it is non-biodegradable. So after the product is shipped, the packaging it arrived in can end up in a landfill for hundreds or even thousands of years. Now a Nebraska … Read more
A packaging trade show held in Chicago earlier this winter provided an insight into the kind of packaging trends we can expect to see in the coming year. According to a report compiled by organizers of the PACK EXPO International and Pharma EXPO 2014 — which was held at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention facility in … Read more
A Michigan materials packaging company has come up with an innovative, “green” system for securing palletized loads that doesn’t require plastic wrap or the use of bands. Creative Techniques, which is headquartered in Michigan’s Orion Township, used structural foam plastic to create the enviroLid, a heavy duty lid that sits atop pallets of totes or … Read more
At the end of this month, when FedEx and UPS begin charging delivery fees based on package dimensions, delivery costs for companies that use these carriers could increase up to 30%. Since the 1930s, most carriers calculated shipping rates based on a carton’s weight vs. the distance it was being shipped. But FedEx, UPS and … Read more
Wax coatings are being used less frequently in corrugated packaging, according to a new study released recently. Waxed corrugated packaging accounted for just 3% of all volume last year. Since wax usage as first tracked in 2002, wax coated corrugated packaging has dropped 39%. This dramatic decrease is attributed to a wider availability of recyclable … Read more
This year’s Pack Expo — the international packaging and processing trade show held earlier this month at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center — shattered all-time attendance records and is being hailed by show organizers as the most successful ever. More than 48,000 people attended the trade show, a whopping 6.5% increase over 2012, according to … Read more
Svenska Retursystem, a Swedish packaging company, recently won the Reusable Packaging Association’s prestigious Excellence in Reusable Packaging Award. The company, which was recognized in the category of companies with revenues of more than $25 million, led a program to establish a common pooling system for more than 20 food producers in the Skandanavian nation and … Read more
The expression “Good things come in small packages” is holding true for the office supplies chain Staples. The company was recently awarded the Gold Sustainability top honor from the World Packaging Organization for its innovative program to customize the size of the packages it ships to its customers. The program, called Smart-Size Packaging, has resulted … Read more
Now that summer has finally arrived, farmer’s markets are popping up in communities coast to coast. At these weekly marketplaces, consumers can gain access to fruit and produce that is at its absolute freshest. In many cases, the produce available for purchase has been harvested that same day. Transporting delicate fruits and vegetables to market … Read more
