Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Vintage Handmade and Reused Kitchen Items on Etsy

Check out this treasury list I did on Etsy filled with vintage, handmade and reused/re-purposed items for the kitchen.  Kitchens are so much fun!

ebay Reusable Box - An ebay sellers first experience

I made my first shipment as a seller on ebay using the new ebay reusable box as part of their Green Team reusable box pilot program.  I shipped two items yesterday in the new ebay reusable boxes and after having the chance to use them firsthand I thought I'd offer my impressions.

The boxes I received as part of the program came from Lepages 2000 Inc. and were stamped Made in Canada by Atlantic Packaging Products.  Lepages 2000 makes a number of boxes and shipping products sold by the USPS.

Each of the new ebay boxes has a sticker on it with a unique tracking number.  People who receive the box can go to http://thebox.ebay.com and enter the tracking number to see where the box has been. 

What I liked about the box

The ebay box is well made and easy to construct and its design requires little additional tape to secure.  The box is durable double walled in some parts - this is both a pro and a con - I'll explain. I like how the box is not branded with a specific shipper.  It can be used without a problem at USPS, UPS, FedEx etc. That is a good thing.

I liked how the design of the box encourages reuse.  There are helpful instructions and suggestions and also a neat space on the inside of the box where shippers can leave notes about where the box has been.

What I didn't like about the box

Unfortunately my dislikes are going to out number my likes on this particular item.  While the box is well made its finish is not mailing or tape friendly.  I found printed mailing labels did not stick well to the surface.  Also while its construction requires little tape - the tape also doesn't stick very well to the surface - actually it easily comes off. As you can see from the photo I shot I had to use additional tape to affix the already adhesive backed shipping label.

In terms of the durability of the box - it seems very good however as a result its also heavy.  In fact on one item I shipped the box alone added enough weight to put the shipping cost into the next level on USPS Priority Mail.  Those who ship Priority Mail know when you are over by 1 ounce you're charged for the full pound.  In the first two items I shipped in these boxes one was sent Priority Mail and one Parcel Post.

Final Thoughts

I think ebay is doing a good thing with its reusable box pilot program however I'm not sure the way they are doing it is the best overall if the goal is to make the whole ebay experience more sustainable.  As an ebay buyer/seller since 1998 I can tell you reuse of shipping materials is already common practice in my house. 

So from my perspective the creation of a specific box designed to be reused doesn't seem necessary.  I think the company could do a lot more to educate and encourage users to reuse existing shipping materials without having to launch a whole new box to do it.   In addition ebay has been working with the USPS for years offering co-branded shipping boxes to sellers for free.  Several years ago the USPS obtained Cradle to Cradle certification for its shipping boxes.  Frankly I think ebay could work with the USPS to further enhance the sustainability of their boxes and the entire shipping process from start to finish.  Part of the Cradle to Cradle certification focused on the re-usability of the shipping boxes and improving their design to foster increased re-usability.

ebay can do so much more to encourage sustainability among its buyers/sellers.  The company can use its vast network to educate users on the importance of reuse, sustainable packing materials, best environmental shipping methods etc etc.  Ebay could adopt a tracking program similar to what they use now on the new ebay boxes.  The company could offer unique tracking numbers which could be applied to shipping boxes through their already available shipping label generaetion process through your ebay account.  Each person who generates a shipping label through their ebay account in the future could enter that box tracking number from the previous label and receive a shipping discount or something to that effect.

Read more about USPS Cradle to Cradle process from our piece in December 2008.

 

Levi's Waterless Jeans

Levi's new Water<Less jeans have begun hitting stores in the U.S.  The jeans are made using significantly less water.  According to Levi's the average pair of jeans uses a staggering 42 litres of water in the finishing process. 

The Water<Less collection reduces the water consumption by an average of 28% and up to 96% for some new products in the line.  Jeans in the collection are still "washed" but the washing occurs using stones and as a result drastically cuts the amount of wet washing needed.  The new jeans average 11 gallons less of water per pair.

The first collection of Water<Less products are in stores now and are focused on men's including over a dozen classic Levi’s® jeans, including the Levi’s® 501® jeans and the popular 511 and 514 jeans, as well as the Levi’s® trucker jacket.

The 2010 Globe Guard Raspberry Awards

The 2010 Globe Guard “Raspberry” Awards

BY DENNIS SALAZAR

At the end of the year we like to review the progress or in many cases, the lack of progress specific industries have made in terms of packaging sustainability during the previous twelve months. These industries are chosen because they often either promote themselves as being green or they target and sell into the green market.

In some cases there may be an outstanding company or two within the industry that is sincerely attempting to lead their specific market segment toward sustainable packaging. However for the most part, the industry as a whole has managed to allow another year to slip away without making significant change or contribution.

With this introduction and explanation, it is our displeasure, if not obligation to announce the following industries that are in our opinion, deserving of this dubious honor:

The Laundry Detergent Industry

It is ironic but some of the companies with the greenest sounding names are still promoting the largest bottles and packaging. The detergent aisle of any retailer continues to be much larger than it really needs to be because most manufacturers refuse to change and down size into concentrated versions of their product. They may believe we consumers are dumb enough to believe oversized packaging represents value or perhaps they simply don’t want us to know that we are paying twenty dollars for a couple of ounces of active ingredients and the rest is all water. Companies like Method Home have done an excellent job of downsizing their packaging while most others continue to talk green but deliver waste.  

The Recycled Ink and Toner Industry

This is a fast growing market as people strive to reduce costs and attempt to do the right thing for the environment. What we have noticed is the number of companies that are now in this business and how few of them are eco consistent in terms of packaging. In many cases the corrugated packaging is white, printed in multiple colors with eco unfriendly coatings and laminates. All designed to catch the eye but difficult or in some cases impossible to recycle. I was recently shopping at a large office products retailer and ironically the only package that really stood out in the ink cartridge aisle was Dell in their plain brown corrugated box with simple black graphics.  

The Children’s Toy Industry

The toy industry almost did not make the list but a recent week at Disney World made them a must inclusion. There is no better place to be on a vacation with kids and no company does a better job of marketing than Disney but until our recent trip there, I did not realize how many of the toys they promote to kids are made in China. In most cases they are completely over packaged, for display and undoubtedly for security reasons, the materials are not eco friendly (a lot of PVC pouches and clamshells) and I saw very few recycling logos or disposal instructions. Even though I have used Disney as an example, this industry runs rampant with irresponsible packaging and is quite deserving of this negative recognition.

More Bad and Some Good

You can always count on certain industries and groups to be included in a list of bad packaging or bad packaging use. Perennial winners (losers) are:

• The reusable bag industry – even ink loaded with lead did not slow down this environmental culprit of an industry. Most reusable bags are bad and no one seems to care.
• United States Postal Service – this darling of the green movement just a few short years ago continues to rest on their FSC laurels and has grown into one of the most packaging wasteful organizations around while losing billions of dollars.

A few industries that are making a real, green effort:

• The snack food industry – Even though in most cases the industry is not creating health foods, there is a legitimate effort to make their packaging healthier for our planet. We applaud Pepsi and their much maligned Sun Chips bag. It is only through experimentation and innovation that solid solutions will be found and their fearless approach to sustainability should be commended.
• The bottled water industry – only plastic shopping bags receive more negative press than these people and let’s face it, in the past, most of it was deserved. However, as much as we all hate to buy and drink bottled water, in some situations it is the best or perhaps even the only option. The bottles are thinner and the caps are smaller so we can see a lot less plastic is being used. The industry is also moving towards bio plastics which may be the best long term solution for an industry the green world loves to hate.  

Overall 2010 was a good year filled with many opportunities as well as challenges. The smart, committed companies and industries did not lose their green focus and not surprisingly, most of them enjoyed very profitable and successful years.

Here’s hoping you, your company and your industries appear on someone’s good list at the end of 2011.   

Dennis Salazar is the president of Salazar Packaging, Inc., a certified MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) company specializing in packaging products, equipment and solutions. With over thirty years in the packaging industry, he is known for his tongue in cheek sense of humor as well as his sustainable packaging passion and expertise.   

To contact Dennis, please visit his web site: www.salazarpackaging.com

Also be sure to check out his blog Inside Sustainable Packaging

Cobra Electronics Drops Plastic from Product Packaging

Cobra Electronics has dropped plastic from the packaging of some of its GRMS radios and PhoneLynx system.  The company is using Natralock packaging made by MeadWestvaco.

“Cobra continues to choose Natralock for its products because we have seen true success with the Natralock packaging. Our initial reason for switching over to Natralock was to meet our sustainability targets while keeping the products nice and secure at the retail level,” said Chris Kooistra, manager, Marketing Services at Cobra Electronic Corporation.

“However, a strong shelf representation is important for us as it increases the likelihood of our product being chosen over our competitor’s products and Natralock packaging helps us achieve this goal.”

The customized Natralock packaging for the GMRS/FRS two-way radios and Cobra’s new PhoneLynx system uses 50 to 60 percent less plastic than traditional clamshell packaging and reduces Cobra’s overall packaging footprint by an average of 10 percent.

The proprietary technology behind Natralock creates a high-strength, tear-resistant package that can be easily opened with household scissors, leaving a smooth, safe edge and preventing the “wrap rage” commonly associated with opening traditional plastic clamshell packaging.

For Cobra, Natralock helped move the brand away from clamshells to a more palatable appearance which helped maximize shelf presence and consumer appeal.

MWV will showcase Cobra’s products in Natralock at the upcoming International CES, January 6 – 9, 2011 at the MWV main booth (#35625, South Hall, Upper Level) and also MWV’s booth in the Sustainable Planet area of the show. Cobra will also feature the packaging alongside their recent innovations, like PhoneLynx, in their CES booth (#9845, Central Hall).