Everyone is Red Hot for "green" Products

How about your local newspaper? Are they focused on local eco-friendly businesses?

Trade magazines and newspapers in the retail packaging industry are all concentrating on "Green" businesses. The local newspapers have been highlighting local manufacturers, growers and businesses trying to be enviromentally friendlier.

So how about the retailers? Don't you think if you have a custom paper or plastic shopping bag made from recycled and biodegradable materials with your name on it, use giftboxes made from 100% post consumer waste, and recycled kraft tissue that might be news worthy?

So retailers go ahead and try it. Have the packaging made and then write a press release to every newspaper within a 50 mile radius of your location, tourist publications and community websites and tell them. You will be surprised how interested an editor will be of the simplest local interest story and you will be more surprised in how many locales will respond to a news paper article.

If new packaging isn't in your budget then offer a discount to those customers bringing in their own shopping bags to take away their purchases. Tell that to the editor. I know I would come visit and make a purcase for a discount. A local grocer gave five cents back for every plastic bag I re-used on every purchase. I know I used 10 bags with most of purchases and that wasn't a huge savings but I thought it was a great attempt by the grocer.

Of course if you are in a "green" community and everyone is already doing it then it might not work. Well then you send out a press release stating you finally joined the "green" movement and some locales might visit your store because you finally came around to their way of thinking.
Watch for my next blog on how to write a press release.

Green Gift Wrap

Yes, I am still on the green thing!

Is there "green" gift wrap? Of course, One manufacturer's line in particular called Natural Age can be purchased in reams and the price is competitive to its "not so green" gift wrap siblings. Natural Age gift wrap has a variety of natural colors and is made from 100% recycled kraft paper. If a solid color paper isn't what you are looking for then add an embossing to the wrap and living it up. The embossing shouldn't cost you anymore then $10.00.

Another manufacturer prides themselves on the fact they converted their rotogravure ink systems to 100% water based. This change in their printing process reduced emissions, eliminated solvent and ink waste, and created a better environment. They did this before water based inks were widely used or developed. Their paper comes from mill that support environmental initiatives from local to global programs and that are involved with WWF (World Wildlife Fund), SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), and are concerned with responsible forestry and recycling. And all of their gift wrap papers are recyclable. Their facilities have all been constructed or updated bringing brought about energy savings, efficiency in operations, and better outdoors environment.

I am sure their are other gift wrap companies bettering their business by producing what everyone is looking for - and that is green products and a safer enviroment. You have to think they live in this world, they make a living creating wonderful gift wraps for us to use in gift giving and they want to continue both so why wouldn't they produce "green" giftwrapping.

Find out today what is new in the gift wrapping industry, Ask your retail packaging provider today to show you gift wrap that is "green" or call Gift Box Corporation (1-800-giftbox) or visit their web site (www.800giftbox.com) for more information.
You might be surprised to find out that you are already using a "green" product.

They are many great ideas for using recycled newspaper and maps or reusing giftwrap from past gifts but doesn't your customers deserve new green gift wrap options? Look into it today and of course annouce you "green" options.

Whole Food Markets goes greener

The Whole Foods Market chain stated back in February that it would stop offering plastic grocery bags. Giving customers a choice between recycled paper or reusable bags, no more plastic. A increasing number of retailers and local municupalities are banning plastic bags, or discouraging their use, because of concerns about their environmental impact. Nantucket, MA banned plastic bags years ago. Whole Foods officials said they had hoped to eliminate plastic bags for some time but had to decide how to make it work in the chain's 270 stores. A.C. Gallo, president and chief operating officer, said Whole Foods tried to get customers to buy reusable bags for several years but "it really never caught on." That changed when the grocery chain began offering reusable bags for 99 cents, he said.

More Retailers, small and big, should start promoting their choice for retail packaging. Informing their customers of their choice might inspire that customer to become greenier or support your greenier company. It might comething as simple a a chan

I heard a rumor that might be true, you will have to look into it, that whole foods is giving away a free re-usable shopping bag away to customers on Earth Day. It might only be a rumor because I see nothing listed on the web-site concerning this. So research it first and don't hold me to it.

Green Press Release

How about your local newspaper? Are they focused on local eco-friendly businesses? Trade magazines and newspapers in the retail packaging industry are all concentrating on "Green" businesses. The local newspapers have been highlighting local manufacturers, growers and businesses trying to be enviromentally friendlier.

So how about the retailers? Don't you think if you have a custom paper or plastic shopping bag made from recycled and biodegradable materials with your name on it, use giftboxes made from 100% post consumer waste, and recycled kraft tissue that might be news worthy?

So retailers go ahead and try it. Have the packaging made and then write a press release to every newspaper within a 50 mile radius of your location, tourist publications and community websites and tell them. You will be surprised how interested an editor will be of the simplest local interest story and you will be more surprised in how many locales will respond to a news paper article.

If new packaging isn't in your budget then offer a discount to those customers bringing in their own shopping bags to take away their purchases. Tell that to the editor. I know I would come visit and make a purcase for a discount. A local grocer gave five cents back for every plastic bag I re-used on every purchase. I know I used 10 bags with most of purchases and that wasn't a huge savings but I thought it was a great attempt by the grocer.

Of course if you are in a "green" community and everyone is already doing it then it might not work. Well then you send out a press release stating you finally joined the "green" movement and some locales might visit your store because you finally came around to their way of thinking.

Green Packaging Company

Well I am partial to Gift Box Corporation of America (since I am a sales rep for them) but they have been hip to being green for longer then being green was hip. Here is their green leadership story from their website:


At Gift Box, we take pride in our company's long history of being "green." In fact, we are the original "green" packaging company. Many of our products are manufactured with environmentally-friendly materials, using combinations of post-consumer and post-industrial waste.

The board we use to manufacture our gift boxes, and the newsprint we laminate to the inside, are both 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The paper we laminate to the outside of our boxes contains post-industrial paper waste. The glue we use to adhere these two laminates to the board is natural cornstarch glue that we cook ourselves. All of our inks are water-based and can be disposed of easily and safely. These boxes are 100% recyclable and the recycled emblem is debossed on each one.

Our regular paper shopping bags, merchandise bags and eurotote bags are all recyclable or reusable, and we also offer paper shopping bags made from 80% post-industrial waste and 100% post-consumer waste. Our "green" paper packaging is made from either post-consumer or post-industrial waste, benefitting the environment.

All of our plastic bags are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled. Gift Box also offers bags containing 25% post-consumer waste which helps the environment by saving the resources required to manufacture more plastic and eliminating landfill mass at the same time. We also offer two degradable bags, one which breaks down from extended exposure to UV sunlight and the other is biodegradable and decomposes through the actions of natural soil borne microbes.
The white and kraft tissue we sell contains 60% post-industrial waste and it is recyclable as well. Future plans include changing the mix to 50% post-industrial waste and 10% post-consumer waste.

Eco-friendly ribbon will soon be available in 100% organic cotton and a blend of cotton and hemp. This product will be available plain or custom printed.

For more information on packaging that's good for the environment, e-mail customer.service@800giftbox.com or call 1-800-GIFTBOX.

If you're looking for "green" packaging, you're looking for Gift Box. "Green" leadership for over 70 years and counting.

I am a proud sales representative for Gift Box Corporation and have to say it's easy selling the best gift boxes in the nation especially when they are already green.

Green Products - Plastic Bag insight

A person's use of a plastic check-out bag can be counted in minutes. The time it takes to get their groceries from the grocer to their homes. These bags, however, can last for hundreds of years if not recycled. Combine the growing number of plastic bags used every year with the time it takes for them to break down and you have a major environmental problem.
Whether it's inadvertent or deliberate, plastic bag litter creates many problems. Bags get blown accross country sides and city scapes and deposited in unsightly locations - trees, along beaches, in heaps on the road ways. They end up blocking drains and suffocating wildlife when eaten. In the lakes, ponds and oceans, plastic bag litter is lethal, killing thousands of whales, turtles and other sea life every year.

A new answer is available for the retailer who uses plastic bags in their store locations. Recycleable and biodegradable plastic bags made from recycled materials. All customizable and available for immediate manufacturing. There are US manufacturers who are making this bags available to retailers at the same cost as a traditional plastic bag. Up to this point, biodegradable plastic was out of most peoples financial reach because of the higher cost but not anymore.

All plastic bag using retailers should look into the cost of this possibility. Even ask your packaging distributor if your current imprint plates are usable. If they can use your plates then there might be no additional expense for you - so you can keep the green you earn in your packet while you point your business in a greener direction. You and your customer will be happier.