Eco-Friendly Wrapping Ideas for Custom Gift Boxes

Custom gift boxes are a great investment as they help bring notice to the products and company brand. They are an effective marketing tool and are highly affordable. Because their design is customized, there is no need to overdo it with the wrapping. There is enough delight to be taken in admiring the box itself. More so, when you have a box that has been made from sustainable sources and biodegradable inks, you will likely want wrapping that is just as environmentally conscious. Here are a few ideas you can use to accomplish this.

· Old Newspapers

If you have a good stock of old newspapers around, these can be a good substitute for wrapping paper. Not only is it cheaper, but it can also be a good disguise for a truly special gift. It downplays how valuable the contents may be, making for all the more amazement when unwrapped and unboxed.

· Brown Paper Bags

With more shopping outlets going the old school route and getting rid of single-use shopping bags, many have accumulated brown paper bags. Using them as wrapping paper is another good way to reduce your waste. You can even paint or color them or have your kids decorate the wrapping to add a personal touch.

· Twine or knitting thread

On top of wrapping paper, there is often the ribbon that is used for a beautiful finish. Whether matching or contrasting in color, it makes for a lovely touch but the materials used in its creation are often not biodegradable. A simpler and safer option would be to use knitting thread or twine. It gives a sometimes rustic feel that works well with the modest wrap materials mentioned above. You can also cut strips of fabric to use from an old and worn piece of clothing.

· Simple fabrics

For double the gift, you can opt to wrap gift boxes in fabric. Visit a thrift store or fabric store to pick up materials. A bedsheet, shawl or table cloth can be easily wrapped around a gift box and tied up with twine or ribbon.

· Reuse old holiday cards

Rather than use chemical adhesives to stick labels, create name tags using your old holiday cards. Cut out the unwritten sections of the cards and fold over to create a new mini card that will serve as a label for your gift boxes. You can cut a tiny hole through which to pass twine and secure it in place on the wrapped package.

Cardboard, the Material for Eco Friendly Boxes

The world today is probably more aware of the dangers we pose to our environment than ever before. Businesses, governments, and individuals are all involved in seeking ways to reduce our pollution, yet our landfills continue to grow. Somewhere between a fifth and a third of all the material in landfills is packaging. Obviously, having more environmentally friendly packaging, like eco friendly boxes, would go a long way toward helping with this.

Cardboard Is Sustainable

The cardboard box is made of wood. While chopping down forests may not sound particularly environmentally friendly, boxes can be manufactured from managed forests, which are sustainable. Sourcing these boxes from manufacturers that use sustainable materials means a reduction in carbon emissions, responsible sourcing of wood products, protection of biodiversity, and improved protection of old-growth forests.

Also, cardboard is biodegradable. If it is tightly packed together, as it might be in a landfill, this can take a long time. However, a mulched cardboard box, kept damp, will degrade in less than a quarter of a year.

Cardboard Is Recyclable

When most people think of eco friendly custom boxes however, they normally think of recycled material. Cardboard is comparatively easy to recycle. In fact, a large number of the basic corrugated cardboard boxes in use today are manufactured from mostly recycled paper and cardboard. Many developed nations have managed to achieve an over 90% rate for paper and cardboard packaging.

As well as saving space in landfills, recycling reduces the amount of energy needed to produce a new box. Importantly, if the box is recycled locally, there is also a saving in the energy used for transport.

Cardboard Is Reusable

Single-use packaging is not sustainable, it is slowly disappearing as producers, and consumers take note of this. In many countries, for example, single-use plastic bags are no longer available. On the other hand, if it is dry, cardboard tends to be reusable.

Cardboard boxes, in particular, are readily reusable. They retain their structural strength for a considerable period and can be kept flat, to save space, until needed.

Conditions That Compromise Eco-Friendly Status

While the wood used to create boxes can be sustainably sourced and recycled, some processes can challenge their ecologically sound status. Boxes that have been printed will likely have inks that contain chemicals and heavy metals. Some boxes will also be coated in plastic or wax. The use of these additional materials can make recycling impossible.

Bleached paper products are also a problem for environmental conservation efforts. Chlorine used for bleaching releases toxins that can be a danger to the environment and health.

To ensure you are being environmentally conscious, look for manufacturers that rely on sustainable or recycled resources to produce unbleached products. If branding is required, they should use safer alternatives like UV, soy-based, and vegetable-based inks.

Important COVID-19 Announcement

As the Nation comes together to slow the spread of COVID-19, Instabox plays a vital role to support and sustain critical industries such as healthcare services, pharmaceutical and food supply.

In United States the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has identified packaging manufactures as an essential service for the continued supply of food and other essential products. We are relying on the clarification provided by other jurisdictions to guide our decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic until our government provides that guidance. Upon waiting for clarification, it is imperative for Instabox to sustain the normal working hours to support these critical industries at full capacity. Our goal is to provide these essential industries with utmost priority to fulfill these demands during these pressing times.

Instabox two manufacturing plants in Calgary and Edmonton are currently fully active and open for business. We take COVID-19 VERY seriously. To ensure the safety of our staff and our clients we are carefully following all workplace guidelines issued by the World Health Organization in response to the Corona Virus.

During these challenging times, we will take the necessary steps to support Canada’s critical infrastructure industries as needed. We extend our immense appreciation to our staff for their dedication, hard work, commitment, loyalty and good work ethic.

How Custom DTC Boxes Make for a Good Investment

Under normal circumstances, people only ever think of shipping boxes as a type of container that protects goods in transit. But for businesses that have invested in direct to customer boxes, they serve several other purposes that can have a strong impact on their profitability and image.

Direct to consumer (DTC) refers to products that are sent directly from manufacturer to customer, without the involvement of intermediaries like distributors and retailers. DTC boxes are therefore the packaging these products have when ultimately delivered to the consumer’s doorstep.

Having this packaging customized has become a popular trend. It allows the manufacturer to tailor the design any way desired. Custom designs are also configured to specific dimensions that allow a secure fit of the products packed within. This reduces the risk of damage to the products when being transported and jarred.

Brand Awareness

These boxes have a role to play in promoting the image of a manufacturing company. Through the creative application of the company logo, colors, and name, this packaging can help keep the brand in the limelight. As more people see their boxes being delivered, it lets them know the manufacturer is very much active and in demand in their area. This recognition can help keep the brand in people’s minds when they next make related purchases.

These boxes also provide an opportunity for companies to run promotions that will directly connect with customers. They can include coupons, flyers, price lists, manuals, and other marketing material within the boxes knowing the end-user will see and consider.

Cost-Effectiveness

Most of these are built using cardboard material. Despite its lightweight nature, this material is sturdy enough to securely contain products multiple times its weight. It is also the most inexpensive packaging material. Most other options like plastic and metal boxes are more cumbersome to transport. Since shipping costs are usually tied to the weight of the package, this lightweight material makes for the best economic sense as it registers the lowest weights on the scale. Lower cost of production and transport means better profits for the business.

Customization

Besides the branding that can be done, the customization in terms of dimensions is great for securing product. Products are often packaged with materials like bubble wrap and foam edge guards to help stabilize them inside. This way they are unlikely to be damaged when subjected to some rough handling during transit.

High-End Custom Boxes as a Means of Brand Support

Far too often, even today, we think of cardboard boxes simply as a means of carrying a product around. Cardboard boxes are not, to most minds, seen as luxury products. Yet, custom setup boxes can give many products that extra aura of luxury, improving product recognition.

Made from rigid cardboard, these boxes can be made to house almost any reasonably small product in an impressive and memorable way. Correctly colored, and embossed, these boxes can help the consumer connect the idea of luxury with the products packed in them. They are a useful way of making that association among consumers, and thus strengthening the product’s position.

Visibility

Clever use of high-end custom boxes can strengthen a product’s visibility in the market place. Careful branding and creative design will attract attention. Thus, the use of these custom boxes can draw attention to a product, at the same time as providing the support and protection that good packaging will normally supply.

Environmental Impact

Cardboard high-end custom boxes are, of course, more environmentally friendly than similar plastic boxes. This allows the company to reduce its environmental impact, which is objectively good of and in itself, but it also has a positive effect on a company’s reputation.

Many consumers, particularly younger ones, have extensive concerns about the environment. They tend to reward producers who can show strong environmental credentials. Using custom boxes made from cardboard means that companies can demonstrate a willingness to protect the environment, while still offering a feeling of luxury.

Function and Looks

Certain types of products, such as fragile items, or food items, require extra protection. These type of boxes can be designed with internal features that cushion and protect the breakables inside. Good custom setup boxes can reduce the chance of a product breaking in transit, while still providing that look of luxury and style.

Reduced Costs

High-end custom boxes may provide the look of luxury, but the use of a custom box, designed to protect its contents, can actually bring some savings to the shipper. Custom boxes, designed to house a fragile product, require less additional packaging. They can, thus, be packed and transported more cost-effectively.

High-end custom boxes are a way of combining both form and function of packaging to reinforce brands among consumers. They are an ideal solution for producers who want to position themselves, at least in consumers’ minds, at the higher end of the market.

Boxes Made in Canada Are Mostly Recycled

Canada has an enviable reputation as an environmentally friendly country. The immense green spaces of Canada serve to reinforce this positive view, and there is a fair degree of truth to it. The vast majority of Canada’s electricity, for example, is produced by renewable means, including wind and water.

Recycling is also important in Canada. Studies show a steady year on year increase in the recycling of plastics. Likewise, cardboard is extensively recycled. Around 80 percent of cardboard in Canada is recycled. Much of this is used to manufacture boxes made in Canada.

In the 1980s, the only cardboard recycled in Canada were corrugated boxes, normally those used for deliveries to retail and industrial sites. Today, virtually 100 percent of the population has access to recycling centers where they can drop off cardboard. Canada was the first North American country to experiment with recycling fiber boxes in the 1990s, making Canadian fiber boxes the first to be recycled in the area. Today, there is a strong drive to totally ban cardboard boxes from landfills.

Canadian Recycled Box Production

Most of the Canadian boxes are made from recycled material. By the middle of the last decade, the total recycled content of boxes made in Canada was between 70 and 85 percent, depending on the type of box.

Today, Canadian paper mills produce their products with nearly 100 percent recycled material. In fact, Canadian paper mills still import some waste paper and cardboard from the USA to get enough raw material to keep them operating.

These boxes, then, may contain fibers originally from Canada, or the USA, originally in paper, or cardboard, all recycled, to produce new, and useful, boxes. But of course, these boxes can then be recycled again, and again.

Environmental Benefits of Boxes Made in Canada

By recycling boxes, companies are saving not just trees. It takes less energy to recycle cardboard than it does to produce new cardboard. Likewise, while it does take a lot of water to recycle cardboard, it is less than that needed to produce new material. Importantly, if recycling is done in Canada, and preferably locally, there will be large savings in transport costs, and related energy use and pollution.

Boxes made in Canada are part of a sustainable system, put in place over many years, that looks to maintain a strong Canadian packaging industry, without causing undue environmental damage.

Tips on How to Get Cost Effective Wholesale Boxes in Kelowna, BC

wholesale boxes
Retail businesses need to look at ways they can reduce costs in order to remain competitive. The packaging is one area that retail stores can utilize to leverage the costs and ensure that there is no overspending on the design and purchase of boxes and no wastage of space when shipping products to consumers. Wholesale boxes in Kelowna, BC can save your retail store some dollars because you are buying in bulk and getting discounted prices. However, how else can these shipping boxes help save your retail store more dollars?

Reduce Packing Time

If you are going to have shipping boxes designed for your retail shipping, you need to ensure that they are easy to pack. You don’t want your staff to spend more time in each box placing products. The small gains in business productivity can create a huge difference in your retail costs. When you have a product packaging box that is easy to pack items, it means increased productivity among the packaging staff. You will be able to fulfill more orders and ship more products with fewer labor costs.

Reducing Product Shipping Cost

When building a packaging box to ship the products to your customers, you need to think about the shipping costs. Custom-sized packaging may cost you a little more in design, however, you should see that as an investment because it is going to pay off very soon. A custom design for packaging eliminates shipping empty space. With volumetric shipping, if you are going to have large boxes with empty space being left when you pack the products, you are losing money. Let the packaging be custom designed so that it allows for exact fitting with the necessary void fill.

Prevent Damage in Shipping

Your business can suffer a lot if you have to pay for damaged items in transit. Transit damage is considered a hidden cost of packaging. When you don’t protect the items you are shipping, they will be damaged and become unfit for sale. You will incur costs through written off stock, replacement, and returns or refunds. It may also take away potential repeat business if customers keep on complaining about damaged goods. To prevent damage, make sure you have shipping boxes designed to properly fit the product and are firm to protect the products.

Taking advantage of die cut boxes wholesale prices is going to save you money, but does the build of the boxes reduce the hidden costs of retail packaging and shipping?

E-Commerce Cardboard Packaging Solution: A Practical Solution for Online Businesses

Online businesses face a lot of competition and if they have to stand out of the crowd, they need to reposition themselves. One area in which online brands can reposition themselves is by using a uniquely designed e-commerce cardboard packaging solution. While it may not be easy to choose an ideal e-commerce box particularly if you are seeking to go beyond the design diagrams, you can always count on the creativity of the design elements.

Ability to Protect Content on Transit

eCommerce businesses ship to any location – local and international. These businesses utilize cardboard boxes to help in protecting the items so that they arrive at the addressee without damages. When designing the boxes, the ability to protect the content is a priority. When a customer has to receive his or her package late because there was an issue with the shipment or there were damages, it causes a lot of frustration. The design of the cardboard boxes can make or break the experience of the customer with the brand or the product they love. You don’t want to have a box that is going to collapse or tear apart even before the item is delivered to the customers.

Easier Transportation

Besides shipping items packaged in cardboard boxes, the containers should allow for easy transportation. A business should choose boxes that are not only firm and sturdy but also lightweight to ensure ease of carrying. The boxes should be of the right dimensions and sizes so that they don’t occupy unnecessary space in the trunk or car in which they are transported.

Aesthetic Features

While it’s possible for a package well packed and undamaged to suffice, it’s a good idea if a company decides to add elements like logo and contact details. This information is printed on the cardboard box sides. The customer is able to gain trust in a business when they remember the name and the services it offers. The information printed on the sides of the box can help reinforce that trust. On top of that, a box that has colorful graphics printed on the side offers an eye-catching effect. It gives an otherwise ordinarily plain package some imagination.

In designing boxes for e-commerce shipping, you need to look at the inconveniences and dangers of having any protruding parts. These parts can be damaged when the product is mid-shipment. Even if the interior is intact, no one wants to receive a damaged package. The packaging displays the image of the business and it should at all-time be properly designed and help with branding the business. An eco-friendly packaging solution like cardboard boxes gives businesses an upper hand in connecting with customers and making them be loyal to the brand or business.

Getting Packing with Wholesale Boxes in Maple Ridge BC

wholesale boxes
Custom shipping boxes remain a staple in the packaging industry – they do their job well. The boxes are sturdy meaning they are able to withstand the repeated bumps and impacts while at the same time shielding the items in them from being destroyed. Custom shipping boxes are cost-effective and lightweight, allowing easier shipping of goods. Today, custom cardboard box products are the industry standard when it comes to shipping. If you want to save money on purchasing your shipping boxes, you may want to consider wholesale carton products that are produced at reduced prices.

Making financial Sense with Right-sized packaging

Having the right-sized packaging solutions helps you save on the cost of shipping. It also helps save the environment. When you have boxes that are excessively large to fit the items, it means that you will need additional packaging to help hold the contents in place so that it doesn’t shift around. The added weight of the additional packaging materials is going to add up to the initial cost of the content and the box. Also, when the size is too big, you are using an excessive amount of paper in designing the boxes. This goes against the wishes of many customers and brands to remain environmentally conscious. When you choose customer shipping boxes, you are able to easily manage your packaging needs for different items and at the same time keep the costs at low levels.

Reducing shipping Cost with Dimensional pricing

Major freight carriers, as well as package delivery companies, use dimensional weight pricing strategy for ground shipments. This pricing strategy is also known as volumetric weight or cube weight. The worst thing about this pricing scheme is that it tends to penalize companies that repeatedly ship items within large boxes regardless of the item’s size. When companies invest in small-sized boxes, they are able to reduce the shipping cost experienced in major carriers within the U.S. You need to find the dimensional weight of your package to allow for a cost-effective shipping solution.

Buying the Boxes in Bulk

Every business wants to cut back on costs – it makes sense to think of every other way to do it. Buying shipping boxes in bulk allows you to enjoy wholesale prices. You can have wholesale boxes in Maple Ridge, BC that help you save some bucks that you can invest in other areas of the business. The boxes need to be designed in such a way that they take up the least shipping space. They have to be sturdy to offer protection. You can have creative designs and artworks on the boxes to help make them appealing to the customers.

Your packaging solutions can help manage the cost of shipping products. They can also help save the environment. If you have not realized how important it is to be environmentally conscious, you need to think of that right now. There are so many ways brands are becoming Eco-friendly and packaging is taking a forefront role. Your packaging solution should reflect your commitment to protecting and saving the environment. You don’t have to use large-sized or over-sized boxes when you are shipping smaller products. Get the right sizes of the boxes and save the trees.

Elements Quality Folding Boxes have in Common

Folding Boxes
The first thing that people see when they encounter a product on the shelves or they find it sitting on the doorstep is the box. The box where a product is packed gives a first impression. A retailer may have a product that is of high quality, however, if it has been packaged in a dreadful box, people may not even bother having a closer look. When you put the items is a nicely designed packaging box, you will see people beginning to notice them. Designing folding boxes in Chilliwack BC does not have to break the bank. You can have an intuitive, functional, and highly aesthetic folding box without spending a lot of money. These three elements can be found in all quality folding boxes:

Sturdiness

Your folding boxes should be sturdy enough to protect the items so that they are delivered to customers intact. You cannot have the products protected if the shipping boxes are not sturdy. Depending on what you want to ship, whether a heavy item or a fragile item, you should emphasize on the sturdiness of the box. If the box arrives looking tattered or collapsed, it gets questioned and the customer will begin to have a second thought about your brand. They begin to be suspicious of something not correct and it could result in loss of confidence with your customers.

A dented box in itself won’t be a good look for the customers, and you can imagine the situation if the goods are damaged. You can have the folding boxes designed to ensure that they ship the products safely and securely. You may want to think of the conditions in which the boxes are going to be stored – dryness and dampness can impact the lifespan of the boxes.

When designing the boxes make sure you look into these elements to ensure they are steady and firm throughout the life of the packaging. A drop test can even be done to help stimulate any potential abuse the box may face while in transit. The box may be dropped from certain heights to hit the surfaces on edges, faces, and corners. This way, it helps determine how firm it is.

Appealing Design

An eye-grabbing design serves as a way of promoting your brand. It helps draw in new customers while also keeping the existing ones happy. The presentation of your box will matter a lot when it comes to design. Color, eye-catching artwork, and shape can help define the design of the boxes. When it comes to using color, you need to realize that it’s one of the ways you can invoke mood in people.

Depending on the vibe you want, you can go bold with vibrantly bright colors or you can remain more sophisticated with soft muted colors. You can consider a different shape from the ordinary to make a statement or allow the items to fit better and firmer in the box. However, remember that some shapes can take up too much shipping space meaning you pay more. You can try sticking to tried shapes like a cylinder and rectangle.

Are Not Wasteful

Today, many customers are making efforts to purchase from Eco-friendly brands. A recent survey by Nielsen established that 53 percent of respondents would be willing to spend more on a product if the packaging was made of environmentally friendly material. If you are seeking boxes for retail shipping, you want to think of biodegradable or recycle materials. Environmentally conscious products don’t necessarily have to possess the boring earthy look. You can still use vibrant design colors for the boxes while making sure that it’s made of Eco-friendly materials.

A quality shipping box needs to be both memorable and practical. It should be of the right size and ability to protect the products, so they arrive intact. Also, the box should be eye-catching to help your brand stand out from the competition. The design should be appealing and able to invoke positive feelings and connection with the brand or product. Your printed foldable boxes should meet up to the task by creating the first impression and promoting your brand.