Overview

The Great Little Box Company has redesigned their polyethylene foam end caps using locally sourced, recycled content recyclable materials, and reduced shipping volumes.

Motivation for Change

A customer of Great Little Box Company (GLBC) approached them to evaluate and possibly redesign their current polyethylene foam end caps. They asked to consider recyclable materials, reduce costs, reduce shipping volume and reduce the environmental impact.

Cost Effectiveness

The new corrugated end cap is 18% less expensive than the previous end cap, and further savings were realized because the cube size per unit has been reduced. The final assembled product going to the consumer has also been significantly reduced, resulting in fewer trucks needed to transport, less carbon emissions, reduced fuel consumption, and a smaller amount of space used on each truck which translates to being less expensive for GLBC to produce, for customer to buy, for customer to sell, and for consumer to purchase.

Performance

Although the foam end caps had better vibration characteristics, the product that is being protected is robust enough that vibration control is not needed. Drop tests were preformed and the packaging meets ISTA 1A standards.

Sourcing

The corrugated contains on average 33% post consumer recycled content (figure obtained from Smurfit MBI, March 13, 2008). GLBC board is sourced locally (15.6 KMS from GLBC).

Clean Production

The corrugated design does not utilize any toxic materials in manufacturing or in the product itself, there is no glue used and it is all snap together construction. The supplier, Smurfit MBI, is a practicing ISO 14000 facility.

Effective Recovery

The corrugated design is 100% recyclable, and depending on where the consumer lives, recovery infrastructure is in place.

Community Benefit

The customer who the product was developed for creates security systems for school buses – the use of a more sustainable product is more in line with their corporate values, as well as the Green initiatives of GLBC. The supplier, Smurfit MBI, is a practicing ISO 14000 facility where they employ unionized members of BC, where as the foam supplier was not.

Resource & Energy Optimization

Fewer trucks needed to transport result in less carbon emissions and reduced fuel consumption. REDUCTION: 32% of original = 68% reduction