What is Sustainable Secondary Packaging?

It seems we are making strides and becoming aware of a social conscience change to purchase our favourite breakfast cereal in a recycled box, or find a new favourite that does.

This decision crosses over to our every day purchases of regular grocery and grooming products to larger big ticketed items - on both the inside contents and the outside packaging.

What may be overlooked is the big “outer box” that gets the cereal from the manufacturer to the retail store known as secondary packaging.

Creating sustainable secondary packaging is a whole process on its own. And just as its primary counterparts – can be very do-able and cost effective in our snazzy new technological environment and advancements.

Many packaging companies have been reusing and recycling secondary packaging when economically viable before it became fashionable, in addition to using minimal packaging. Recent years have accelerated these efforts.
Sustainable packaging and sustainable secondary packaging - are fairly new terms which encompasses the whole life cycle of materials, products, and packages.

Sustainable [primary] packaging refers to the actual bag or box your item is purchased in – such as the corn flakes box with the picture of the rooster on it - which should fall under the criteria below
Sustainable secondary packaging refers to the outer box that the case of corn flake boxes are transported in from the manufacturer to the retail store (typically a brown outer cardboard box) - which should also fall under the criteria below.
Here are the concepts and examples of sustainable secondary packaging as the terminology is still being defined:

1. It is eco-friendly for individuals and communities throughout its journey (life cycle). Sustains long-term human and ecological health, and best practices.
2. Economically & commercially viable/functional - Meets market criteria for both performance and cost. Physically designed to optimize materials and energy.
3. Optimally it is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy (something that Germany is doing with ease in their new industry) including the shrink wrap – which may potentially be made out of a new type of sustainable plastic known as “corn” plastic. Industrial lactic acid the key ingredient, is derived from many starchy sources other than corn, including wheat, beets and potatoes. Corn/Lactic Acid -based plastics take just 45 days to biodegrade in a landfill.
4. Can be re-purposed for other uses when at the end of its current cycle.

The regulation for sustainable secondary packaging is still being ironed out - such as green packaging and environmentally friendly can be confusing without a specific definition, similarly as the Organic market has instilled regulatory processes.

Countries like Canada are leading the way in sustainable packaging.

Since the inception of the Kyoto accord, the overall intent has been raised on cleaning up the industrial processes by many nations. Canada has played a pivitol roll in expediting the repair of the environment, by enlisting new ways of recycling, composting and re-using as many waste products as possible. One of these ways is sustainable secondary packaging. The Packaging Association of Canada has had a key roll in this.

I think inherently we all want to leave the world in a better place than which we found it.

By using sustainable secondary packaging, www.AnyBoxToday.com believes it is benefiting future generations by using 95% post-consumer recycled corrugated linerboard.

And by offering several key advantages:

	Perfect fit at least doubles your protection - ELIMINATE Rattle Damage
	Eliminate Dunnage or "stuffing" - SAVE MONEY
	Reduce Cube Weight - SAVE SHIPPING
	Reduce Waste - SAVE THE ENVIRONMENTRONMENT!

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